Capoliveri

Capoliveri is a hill town on the southeastern part of the island of Elba, set on a ridge at the foot of Monte Calamita overlooking the Gulf of Stella. Its name derives from the Latin "Caput Liberum" ("free hill"), reflecting a history reaching back to Roman times. The town grew up alongside Elba's iron-mining industry, sitting between the historic Monte Calamita and Ginevro mines that were worked for millennia before mining on the island was suspended in 1980; the underground galleries at Vallone and Ginevro are now open to visitors as part of Elba's mining heritage. Capoliveri's historic centre retains a medieval character, with narrow arched lanes known locally as "chiassi" lined with small artisan workshops.

Elba is reached by ferry from the mainland port of Piombino; Capoliveri is reached by road from Elba's main ferry port at Portoferraio.

The historic hilltop centre is walkable; a car or scooter is useful for reaching Capoliveri's surrounding beaches and the old mine sites.

The former mining galleries at Vallone and Ginevro, part of Elba's largest magnetite deposit in Europe, are open to visitors; the town's own narrow "chiassi" lanes are themselves a sight.

Touring the old mine workings and the coastline around the Gulf of Stella are the main draws.

Portoferraio, Elba's main town and ferry port, and the island's other coastal towns are all within reach by road.