Farmhouse Piombino

Farmhouse near Piombino

Piombino (km. 18): Situated on a promontory, Piombino was the capital of an ancient Italian state but was a mining town in Etruscan times. It was given a visible renaissance theme by the Florentine architect, A.Guardi, under the Appiani dynasty. In 1805, Napoleon ceded it to his sister, Elisa, who left tangible signs of her rule – hence its nickname “ Little Paris ”.

Once the ancient port of Falesia (known since the 5th Century AD), today Piombino is an important Tuscan passenger port linking the mainland to the Isle of Elba, Sardinia, Corsica and the archipelago.

For the visitor keen to explore, there are some interesting places off the typical tourist track: piazza Bovio, one of the most spectacular terraces situated in the oldest part of town and facing the Isle of Elba; il Torrione, in the heart of the historic centre; il Palazzo Comunale; il Rivellino, an imposing military structure built in 1447; the Medicean harbour. A short distance from the harbour is the lesser known, Calamoresca – a pretty rocky cove with a good restaurant.