The Municipality of Rio nell'Elba

What to visit in the municipality of Rio nell'Elba

The municipal area of Rio nell'Elba is almost completely hilly with the exception of the very small plains of Nisporto, Nisportino and Bagnaia. Its birth can be traced back to the beginnings of the Pisan domination of the Island of Elba with a first nucleus of buildings in the "Buchino" district. The small historic center is characteristic, characterized by narrow alleys, stairways and picturesque squares.

In the immediate vicinity of the historic center there is the large building of the public washhouse, which is fed by the source called "I Canali", was built in the early 1900s on a pre-existing system. From Rio nell'Elba, along the road that leads to Nisporto, you arrive near the Hermitage of S. Caterina, most likely dating back to the Romanesque era, but enlarged and restored in 1634; it has currently become a center of international culture and occasionally hosts photographic exhibitions and events. Outside there is the Orto dei Semplici, a small and well-kept botanical garden with wild and cultivated plants present in the archipelago.

The two localities of Nisporto and Nisportino are instead located in correspondence with the valleys of the same name on the western side of the north-western mountain range. The two locations offer an environment still on a "human scale" where the deep and majestic valleys meet the sea, merging into quiet and intact beaches. The whole valley constitutes a real tourist village where there are large campsites and residences. The village is connected to that of Bagnaia via a beautiful coastal road that overlooks the gulf of Portoferraio.