The legend tells us that Giason and the Argonauts, stopped here to do some repairs during the search of the Golden Fleece; three hundred locals joined the crew and left for Troy to support Priam in its struggle against the Greeks. Although this is only a legend, Aristotle is undoubtely referring to Elba when he speaks about a little island in the Etruscan region where metals, such as iron and copper, were mined. In that period, the island was covered by woods and it should be also reddened by the fire; indeed, Aristotle called it “Aethalia” that means spark. Elba was a small land at which the ancient seafaring people aimed. During the sixth century B.C., the island first belonged to people coming from Focea, then the Etruscans dominated it until the beginning of the fourth century when the Greeks coming from Siracuse conquered it. In that period there was only a village; its name was “Argoos” and the Latins would have changed it into “Portus Argous”. The Etruscans and the Ligurians retook the island; in deed, both Plinius and Virgilius referred to it as “Ilva”, deriving from “Ilvates”, viz, people coming from Ligury. By that time, iron was not the only metal found there. The quarrying of granite would last for centuries, and columns built with stone coming from Elba can be admired today at “Pantheon” and “Saint Paul” in Rome. In this period portus Argous and the other Tuscan islands changed their names into Fabricia, Planaria, Lilium, Oglasa, Gorgon, Capraria and Artemisia. Apart from the names, we are ill informed about the Roman domination because of the fact that they used to exploit the seaboard and the islands rather than encouraging their growth and, moreover, they did not like the seafaring life. However, the ruins of an ancient “villa” (probably belonged to P. Acilius Attianus, an officer of the Emperor Adrianus) at “Le Grotte”, Portoferraio, are noteworthy amongst the few traces of that period.

The documented history of Elba begins with the Christianism and the Middle Ages. The name “Elba” appears in a Gregorius Magnus’work about the lives of two saints who give us their documentary testimonies about the island. They are Saint Cerbon, who took refuge here in order to escape the Longobards, and Saint Maximilian, hermit at Montecristo, a little island next to Elba. At the beginning of the eleventh century Elba becomes a Pisan dominion, then it is considered a Tuscan territory not only geographically speaking. Pisa defends the island against the Saracens and built two fortresses still existing today. The first one is the castle of Volterraio that is still intact today in spite of the erosion caused by the weather; the other one is the sea-tower at “Marciana Marina”, which has survived with different names and thanks to the restorations ordered by the Medici. As regards the castle, we only know that it was built in the eleventh century by Vanni of Gherardo Rau by order of the family who ruled Pisa, the Appiani. The unknown origin of the name “Volterraio” cannot but increase the mysterious and fascinating legend about the earliest fortress of the island. Saint Stephen’s church also was built in this period. The Pisan dominion went on until the sixteenth century with intervals of Genoese rule. Then, Elba became a possession of Spain, which dominated all over the Mediterranean Sea. The Spanish period was very important and it has left visible traces on the local customs of the island, particularly in its eastern side. In 1534 Redbeard, the pirate, landed near Rio Marina, plundered and set fire to the village and left for Tunis with his vessels full of slaves; yet, Carlos V rescued them and brought them home again. Under his rule, Elba spent a period of peace and prosperity that finished when he could no longer difend it because of the troubles with France. The island suffered again the attacks of the pirates and it was partially sold to Cosimo de’Medici. Then, “Ferraia”, the ancient Fabricia, came under the Florentine dominion and it was called Cosmopoli.

The Medicean rule deeply influenced Portoferraio and its people, unlike the rest of the island which was still dominated by the Spanish. Even today, the dialect of Portoferraio shows a stronger Tuscan inflection if compared to the other dialects. Even today, Portoferraio respects the traditional division into the White and the Black Brotherhoods; both of them have their own church and cemetery just as in the period of the “Divine Comedy”. From 1548 onwards, Cosmopoli began separating from the rest of the island. The enclosure walls were built up together with the fortresses “Falcone” and “Stella”. Trade and culture flourished. In 1553 a Franco-Turkish fleet arrived and won the weak resistence of the Pisan and Spanish Army. Only Cosmopoli preserved its freedom thanks to its fortresses. Then, the Medici gradually conquered the entire island. They gave the western part back to the Appiani and therefore to the Spanish in exchange for the region of Lucca, whereas the Spanish built up the fortress of Longone to protect the inlet of that village today called Porto Azzurro. The Spanish and the French kept on fighting for Longone and Cosmopoli was dominated by the Medici until the end of the seventeenth century. In 1738 the island passed into the hands of the Lorraine together with the whole Tuscany, and Cosmopoli changed its name into Portoferraio. The powers of the world were changing, and another nation was now attracted by Elba, viz, England. During the French Revolution 4000 French royalists fled to Elba under England protection and the island was added to the properties of His Majesty the King of England in 1796. The fortress of “San Giovanni” was occuped by the English forces commanded by the Marshal Nelson and from then on it was called “English fortress”. The French came again the following year and there was a long period of cruel fighting which envolved the French, the English, the Borbouns and the Tuscans. After the peace of Amiens, France was again in possession of the island which became a subprefecture of Leghorn.

Napoleon arrived the fourth of May of 1814 and found Elba united but exhausted. The most important sovereign of all its history has come. Almost 200 years have passed since Napoleon ruled the island for nine months, from the 4 of May of 1814 to th26 of February of 1815. Nonetheless, in such a brief period of time he succeded in setting up a deep, sincere and strong relationship with the land and its people. Today, Elba still celebrates him sincerely.The fifth of May of each year a requiem mass is held at the church of Misericordia -- where precious signs of his power are preserved -- to celebrate Napoleon not only as a sovereign but also as a man. Such a great man who had conquered the world and chosen this small island as a reign, could have suffered the narrowness of this condition. Yet, it didn’t happened and just after his arrival, he gave the island its flag showing three golden bees on a red stripe with a white background, which symbolizes cleverness and industry. Under this flag he joined exhausted people and changed this depressed land into a bright place. He built streets, gave rules and amministrative regulations, supported the public health, encouraged morality, imposed a new development of the mining industry and projected ironworks. His stay in the island was characterized by an untiring activity as if he knew to have a short time to spend there. It is likely that he thought that the Great Powers wouldn’t have left him free and close to them for a long time. Indeed, a distant exile or an execution were expected to seal his fate. The 26 of February, in the evening, Napoleon left the island with 1100 followers taking advantage of the absence of the English Commissioner. He would never come back but Elba will never forget him. He left here his two residences. In the town house, “villa dei Mulini”, which shows a quite simple architecture, Napoleon spent the first and the last months of this period. It preserves furniture, works of art and documents that belonged to him. The country house, “villa of San Martino”, was desired by the Emperor and built by extension of a country cottage. Today, there is a Napoleonic museum next to the villa that was built by the prince Demidoff.

After Napoleon’s departure and his defeat, Elba was annexed to the Grand Duchy of Tuscany in 1815 and it became part of the newly born Italy by plebiscite in 1860. The Italian Elba became an important iron center and it went through a flourishing trade development that also brought a stream of immigrants from the mainland. This industrial boom was also favoured by the loss of strategic weight of the island due to the accomplishment of the Italian unity. Yet, a new threat was already hanging over Elba, and the outbreak of the 2nd World War caused the destruction of Portoferraio. First the German, then the American Air Force bombed the city and its ironworks. In the post-war period the island started up its tourist trade leaving for ever the industrial activities.