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An island always drawn, never the same
Elba has always attracted cartographers thanks to its strategic central Tyrrhenian position. Its recognisable elongated shape has been redrawn hundreds of times over centuries, often with poetic and rarely faithful results.
16th-century portolan charts
The earliest Elba nautical maps date from the 15th-16th century, drawn by Venetian and Genoese cartographers for sailors. They show the coast with useful harbours and dangerous shoals, but the interior is mostly empty. The shape is often rounder than reality.
Medici era (1500-1700)
With Cosimo I de' Medici and the fortification of Portoferraio (Cosmopoli), military maps appear. They become extremely accurate for the north coast, with Forte Stella and Forte Falcone drawn in detail.
Napoleon's Elba (1814-1815)
During Napoleon's ten-month exile, French and English cartographers re-surveyed the island with modern precision. These are the most beautiful maps: five colours, hinted contour lines, marked mines. Many are kept at the Bibliothèque Nationale de France and the Livorno State Archive.
19th-century mining maps
Elba was the Mediterranean's main iron source. 19th-century industrial maps show mines, tunnels, mining railways. Fascinating industrial archaeology.
Where to see the originals
- Civic Archaeological Museum in Marciana: collection of ancient maps
- Sea Museum in Capoliveri: nautical and portolan charts
- Livorno State Archive: more than 200 historical Elba maps
- David Rumsey Map Collection (online, free): digital repository with dozens of high-resolution Elba maps