A place symbol of Elba pride, an impregnable and majestic fortress where you can look out onto an empty space. An original and amazing landscape on Portoferraio Bay and the whole Elba.
Put a pair of boots on and climb to the top of “Volterraio” in order to discover the remains of the Castle and live a unique experience that rewards your effort once you look out from its walls.
An original and magnificent point of view on the whole Portoferraio Bay and the Island. At the top you feel yourself invincible and soon understand the reason why the Elba ancient inhabitants built this impregnable castle: to resist lots of hostile incursions which occurred over the ages, with the aim of conquering this pearl of the Tyrrhenian Sea.
Lose yourself among the walk rounds, the watchtower, the seventeenth century Chapel and the hexagonal entrance and go back to the past.
Symbol of the Elba proud, the Castle of Volterraio was built in 1200s (under Pisan domination) at the top of the stark and rock mountain bearing the same name (384 meters high), maybe on the remains of an Etruscan fortress, according to a project by the architect Vanni di Gherardo Rau.
During the 15th and 16th centuries, it was a refuge for the locals that were besieged by Ligurian, Tunisian and Turkish pirates. It was fortified under Medici and Lorena dominations and then abandoned in the late 1700s.
In 1999 the Tuscan Archipelago National Park bought and restored it but people who wanted to visit and appreciate its ancient and grandiose charm had to wait till 2016.
How to get there
Coming from Portoferraio, take the road to “Porto Azzurro”. After approximately 6 km, turn left in the direction of Magazzini – Bagnaia and at about 1,5 km further on, turn right for “Rio nell’Elba”. Continue along this street until you reach a large open space where you can park your car. A little further take the dirt track that leads to the Castle.
Prices
(collective transport, entrance fee and tour with a Tuscan Archipelago National Park guide included)
Full price € 20,00
Reduced €10,00 (over 65 and residents in Tuscan islands)
Reduced €5,00 (residents over 65)
Free for children up to the age of 12 and for resident students up to the age of 19
Compulsory booking
Please contact the Tuscan Archipelago InfoPark Office:
tel. +39 0565 908231 – email: info@parcoarcipelago.info
Photo by flickr.com/photos/sarabrag