Rio Marina

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Rio Marina
Country Italy
region Tuscany
province Livorno  (LI)
local community Rio (Tuscany)
Coordinates 42 ° 49 ′  N , 10 ° 25 ′  E Coordinates: 42 ° 49 ′ 0 ″  N , 10 ° 25 ′ 0 ″  E
height 10  m slm
surface 19 km²
Residents 2,195 (Dec. 31, 2016)
Population density 116 inhabitants / km²
Demonym piaggesi
patron Santa Barbara , San Rocco (patrono delle miniere)
Church day 4 dicembre , 16 agosto
Telephone code 0565 CAP 57038

Rio Marina is a village and former municipality on the island of Elba with the last 2195 inhabitants (as of December 31, 2016). It belongs to the province of Livorno in Tuscany . The municipality was merged with the municipality of Rio nell'Elba to form the municipality of Rio on January 1, 2018 . The seat of the new municipality is Rio Marina.

location

Rio Marina (main town) is located on the east coast of Elba. Neighboring towns are Cavo 8 kilometers by road in the north on the northern tip of the island, Ortano 4.5 kilometers by road south on the coast and Rio nell'Elba 3.5 kilometers by road in the western interior. The town covers the end of the mostly dry valley of the brook that meanders down from Rio nell'Elba. To the north of the locality, the mountain range is marked by the former ore mining mines, to the south the Monte Fico rises, which is 268 m above sea level. NN offers experienced hikers an excellent all-round view over the east side of the island and the sea to the island of Montecristo .

history

The occurrence and mining of iron ore has always shaped the events on Elba and also in Rio Nell'Elba and Rio Marina for centuries until recently. The Etruscans used the area's large iron ore deposits. In the area of Il Piano-San Francesco there is an important collective grave made of rocks from the Copper Age. The first written mention comes from the 15th century, called Piaggia di Rio (beach of Rio nell'Elba). However, frequent pirate incursions forced the residents to build their houses not on the coast but in the mountains. The only structures left on the beach from this period are the tower guarding the coast, mentioned as Torre di Spiaggia in 1420 in a map attributed to the Italian monk and cartographer Cristoforo Buondelmonti . The Oratorio di San Rocco and some service buildings are also from this period .

When pirate incursions subsided in the 18th century, the village began to grow. Some ship captains and their seamen from Liguria and Corsica settled in Rio Marina and together with guards, fishermen and others formed 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 further mining areas and the use of new technologies. After the construction work on the Santa Barbara Church was completed in 1843, it was destroyed in 1860 and rebuilt at its current location on the edge of the village in the direction of Rio nell'Elba. Thanks to the ore mining, the population grew rapidly and reached its peak at the end of the 19th century, when it also had one of the best sea fleets on the island and was therefore able to exert strong economic and political influence. At the turn of the century, the country experienced a crisis when the entire ore production from mining to transport was taken from the island of Elba. The working conditions in the pits were very poor, although some residents made considerable wealth. The pits worked in 12-hour shifts, the poverty of the population made it necessary for older people and women to work.

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 Italian Socialist Party was established. In 1911 a dispute began between the miners and the administration of the mines, which ended with the defeat of the proletariat and costing many miners their jobs. In 1920 an attempt at self-administration of the mines began with the help and support of the socialists, but this venture failed.

Ore mining has decreased significantly in recent times, so that the last mine had to be closed in 1981. In 1982 the last iron ore cargo was shipped to Piombino for further processing. Today you can visit various mining areas with a permit from the municipality. The place 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 ⊙
  • The Torre Cinquecentesca was built by the noble family of the Appiani in 1534 to protect the place. The octagonal defense tower guards the harbor. The little turret with the tower clock was added in 1882.
  • The town hall houses the Museo dei Minerali Elbani (Mineral Museum ) with collections of various ores occurring on Elba. On summer weekends, the museum offers tours of the abandoned ore mines of Rio Marina.
  • The Torre del Giove ⊙ (Zeus Tower) was built in 1460 to warn the population of impending raids.
  • In Cavo, a few kilometers north of Rio Marina, the remains of a Roman villa can be seen.
  • Nearby beaches and bays are (from N to S): 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 there is a ferry connection by the Toremar to Piombino on the mainland.

Impressions

  • overall view

  • Harbor with lighthouse

  • Row of houses at the harbor

  • Parish Church of Saint Barbara

  • St. Barbara, entrance facade

  • St. Barbara, detail of the gate

  • St. Barbara, interior

Personalities

Web links

Commons : Rio Marina  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Galli: "Non mi ricandido per il comune di Rio" . 23rd December 2017.