The largest of the islands off Tuscany, Elba is a 10-kilometer ferry trip from the mainland port of Piombino.
Its mild climate, scenic beauty, historical attractions, and excellent scuba diving off its cliff-lined coast have made it increasingly popular with tourists. Its past reflects that of many other Mediterranean islands, with periods of control by Pisa, Genoa, Lucca, Spain and, after his defeat in 1814 by Napoleon, who was granted full sovereign rights over the island.
Reminders of him are everywhere -- Piazza Napoleone, Via Napoleone, his official residence of Villa dei Molini in the main town of Portoferraio, and his summer retreat of Villa Napoleone on the slopes of the wooded Monte San Martino.
