The Municipality of Rio Marina

What to visit in the municipality of Rio Marina

The municipality of Rio Marina is the mining municipality par excellence and occupies the north-eastern part of Elba. Its territory has been, since ancient times, the object of human activities connected to the extraction of iron ore. The origins of the town can be traced back to the 18th century when the inhabitants of Rio Castello, now Rio nell'Elba, transferred the maritime component to the coast both for trade and for the transport of ferrous material extracted in the surrounding area. Thanks to the birth of the Mining Park, understood to recover the various mine sites to enhance and relaunch the mining area for educational and tourist purposes, today it is possible to carry out guided tours inside the ancient quarries and even take samples of minerals, among which the most common are pyrite and hematite, but also the rare ilvaite, malachite and azurite.

It is possible to carry out various types of excursions, from those by train, ideal for families with children, to the more demanding walk, which lasts a few hours. In both cases, truly singular landscapes await you, characterized by colors with warm tones that change from ocher to red, from yellow to orange. Very suggestive is the walk that leads to the red lake, an ancient excavation basin filled with bright red water due to the oxidation of the iron minerals. In the town, inside the Palazzo del Burò, the Museum of Minerals and Mining Art has been set up, where you can admire one of the most important collections of minerals on the island, with numerous samples of extraordinary beauty. In the museum it is also possible to visit faithful reconstructions of the typical environments of the mine which, thanks to the presence of old machinery and photos of the time, perfectly recreate the atmosphere of the difficult life of the miners and their hard work.