More links to Elba and your participation

The island offers a marvellous variety of landscapes, from small hidden coves to long sandy beaches. Each corner of Elba holds its own special surprise for visitors. The island is washed by crystal clear water in every shade of blue - a paradise for divers and snorkellers.

Elba island has wooded hills and panoramic roads that makes it ideal for hikers and mountain bikers. Those in search of culture will find ancient churches and museums a pleasant alternative to seaside activities.

Elba island is the third largest Italian island after Sicily and Sardinia and is the largest in the Tuscan Archipelago.

It has recently become part of the Tuscan Archipelago's National Park together with the islands of Pianosa, Capraia, Montecristo, Giglio and Giannutri.

Elba has a coastline of 147 km. Its main mountain (Monte Capanne, 1019 m) is accessed via pathways or by a panoramic cable car.

BRIEF INFORMATION
Measuring 224 square km, the island is situated 10 km from the mainland with an excellent ferry boat service taking only one hour from Piombino to Portoferraio (the island's main town). Elba has approximately 30,000 inhabitants, of these, 11,000 live in Portoferraio.

The climate is always mild with an average annual temperature of ca. 16 °C (10 °C in winter, 14 °C in spring, 23 °C in summer and 17 °C in autumn). The average water-temperature in April is always about 19 °C, 20 °C in May, 24 °C in June, 26.8 °C in July, 27.3 °C in August, 25.5 °C in September and 23.1 °C in October.

Even in the ancient times Elba's destiny was determined by two factors: its strategic position and the richness of its mineral resources. Due to these characteristics, it was often the object of conquest for the various powers along the Mediterranean Sea. For the Etruscans and the Romans Elba represented an inexhaustible source of riches and the iron from Elba contributed to the prospering of their civilization.

During the Medieval period Elba was dominated by Pisa. The remains of some important and striking defensive structures testify to the importance of possessing the island. The Appiani Lordship followed, as did the attentions of Cosimo de Medici, who built "Cosmopoli" on top of the ruins of the Roman city of Fabricia - now the capital Portoferraio - and had it surrounded with the impressive walls that saved the inhabitants from many pirate raids. The Spaniards settled in Porto Azzurro and they too constructed defences on their territory - the imposing San Giacomo Fort still dominates the pleasant landscape.

In the more recent history, the period that made the island famous and placed it on the world map was the brief exile of Napoleon, who stayed here for 10 months prior to his 100 days adventure which ended in Waterloo. Bonaparte left a significant mark of his short reign: Important reforms and buildings like his Townhouse "Villa dei Mulini" in Portoferraio and his impressive summer residence "San Martino" - which are now museums and can be visited.

The island first opened to tourism soon after 1950 but has managed to preserve it's waters, flora and fauna thanks to its local administration and inhabitants.

A tiny airport services the island, permitting only light aircraft to land from a few privileged European cities. Most visitors arrive by car, others by train travelling to Piombino Marittima station which is very close to the ferry departures.

We have selected this beautiful island of Elba located an hours ferry ride off the coast of Italy for the fifth Plasma Product Biotechnology meeting. It is 80 km south of Pisa and about 250 km north of Rome.