Rio Marina

Rio Marina is one of eight municipalities on the island of Elba and municipal main town with 2233 inhabitants ( 31 December 2012). It belongs to the province of Livorno in Tuscany.

Location

Rio Marina ( main village ) is located on the east coast of Elba. Neighbouring localities are Cavo 8 kilometers by road to the north by the northern tip of the island, Ortano 4.5 kilometers by road south along the coast and Rio nell'Elba 3.5 kilometers of road in the western inland. The town covers the end of the mostly dry lying valley of the creek, the herunterschlängelt from Rio dell'Elba. North of the local situation, the massif is marked by the former Erzabbaubergwerke, south rises the Monte Fico, who in 268 m height above sea level. NN experienced hikers offers an excellent panoramic view of the eastern side of the island and the sea to the island of Monte Cristo.

History

The occurrence and the mining of iron ore has always been dominated for centuries and until the recent time the action on Elba and in Rio Nell'Elba and Rio Marina. Already the Etruscans used the large iron ore deposits in the area. In the area of Il Piano San Francesco there is a significant common grave of rocks from the Copper Age. The first written mention dates from the 15th century called, Piaggia di Rio ( beach of Rio dell'Elba ). However, frequent pirate raids forced the residents not to build their houses on the coast, but in the mountains. The only ones obtained at the beach buildings of this era are of the coast guarding tower, which was mentioned as Torre di Spiaggia in 1420 in a map series, which is attributed to the Italian monk and cartographer Cristoforo Buondelmonti. Furthermore, from this time, the Oratorio di San Rocco and some service buildings.

As in the 18th century eased the pirate incursions, the village began to grow. Some ship captains and their sailors from Liguria and Corsica settled in Rio Marina and formed together with security guards, fishermen and other the first community of the village.

At the end of the French Revolution, the place had 800 inhabitants. Ore mining boomed with the development of additional mining areas and the use of new technologies. After completion of construction of the Church of Santa Barbara in 1843 this was destroyed in 1860 and built at its present location at the edge of the village towards Rio nell'Elba again. Thanks to the ore mining, the population grew rapidly and reached its peak in the late 19th century, when it also had one of the best navy fleets of the island and thus was able to exert strong economic and political influence. At the turn of the century, the country experienced a crisis when the whole ore was collected from mining to transportation from the island of Elba. The working conditions in the mines were very bad, although it brought some residents to considerable wealth. In the pits 12 - hour shifts were worked in, the poverty of the population required the work of older people as well as women.

During this time the new socialist ideas also arrived in Rio, so that in 1904, after the general strike in Italy, the local headquarters of the Socialist Party of Italy was established. 1911 began a confrontation between the miners and the management of the mines, which ended with the defeat of the proletariat and many miners cost the job. 1920 launched a self-management trial of the mines with the assistance and support of the Socialists, but failed in this endeavor.

More recently, the ore mining fell sharply, so that in 1981 had to be closed the last mine. In 1982, the last iron ore cargo was shipped to Piombino for further processing. Today you can visit with a permit from the municipality of different mining areas. The site has now been restructured into a tourist destination on the island of Elba.

Attractions

• The narrow streets, small squares and narrow steep stairs are worth a tour.
• Chiesa Santa Barbara ⊙ 42.8149709410.426256060556
• The Torre cinquecentesca was built by the noble family of APPIANI 1534 to protect the town. The octagonal tower guarded the harbor. The small tower with the clock tower came to 1882.
• The town hall houses the Museo Elbani the mineralization ( mineral museum ) with collections of various ores occurring on Elba. On summer weekends, the museum offers guided tours in the abandoned iron mines of Rio Marina.
• The Torre del Giove ⊙ 42.83164359861110.423139333611 ( Zeusturm ) was erected in 1460 to warn the people of impending raids.
• In Cavo, a few kilometers north of Rio Marina, the remains of a Roman villa can be visited.
• Nearby beaches and bays are (from north to south ): Capo Castello, Spiaggia di Cavo, Spiaggia de Fornacelle, Cala Seregola, Spiaggia i Topetti, Spiaggia di Gennaro, Luigi D' Angelo, Porticciolo, Spiaggia di Ortano

Traffic

From Rio Marina to Piombino is Toremar a ferry to the mainland.

Impressions

Harbor with lighthouse

Row of houses on the harbor

Church of Saint Barbara

St. Barbara, entrance facade

St. Barbara, detail of door

St. Barbara, the Interior

Personalities

• Luigi Berti (1904-1964), Italian writer and poet, was born in Rio Marina.
• Bartolomeo Sorge ( born 1929 ), Italian Jesuit, theologian and political scientist, expert of the Christian social teaching and representatives of Christian Democracy
• Leo Petroni (1884-1965), Italian violinist