Porto Azzurro

OLD SPANISH FORT OVERLOOKING THE BLUE

The municipality of Porto Azzurro is located on the Gulf of Mola, on the East coast of the island of Elba.

Originally called Longone (probably because of the apparent length of the Creek) then Porto Longone in 1837. The country was founded as a Spanish garrison when in 1603 the King of Spain, Philip III, ordered the construction of a fortress to dominate the Bay, followed by the formation of the first settlement. He moved to alternate phases under French rule and then Spanish again, in 1814 it was handed over to Napoleon "King" of the island.  It was not until 1947 that the town's name was changed to the current one of Porto Azzurro.

The remnants of its past are seen walking through the streets of the village, one of the most famous the Forte di San Giacomo, erected to fortify the area and the  Santuario della Madonna di Monserrato built by the Spaniards and built on a site whose findings suggest it an earlier Etruscan or Roman temple.

 

Traditions and typical products

Today the country draws its profits from tourism, which made the island a popular destination each year by millions of tourists. For long time Porto Azzurro has based its economy on Agriculture and fishing, whose port, in the early 1900s, took a moderate importance as a commercial basis.

As in any self-respecting seaside village, the gastronomic tradition of Porto Azzurro is typical of the island of Elba, based on simple dishes of fish and the products that the territory offers, as jam, honey and fine wines of Elba.