|
 Inhabitants in 1991: 4.274
 The
municipal territory extends for 55.65 square kilometres in the south western
part of the Island of Elba, it also comprises the island of Pianosa.
It was constituted in autonomous municipality in 1894, with the aggregation
of four districts detached from the municipality of Marciana Marina. The
municipal Seat is at Marina di Campo.
Already inhabited in the prehistoric period and then in the Roman
era, this area must have been one of the most densely populated in
Elba during the Medieval, as is proven by the notable dimensions
of the parish church of San Giovanni Battista (sec. XII-XIII), situated
half way up the hill of Monte Perone, in a position dominating the villages
of San Piero and Sant’Ilario. And it is these two high settlements
of Medieval origin which constituted, before the more recent development
of Marina di Campo, the principal centres of the municipal territory.
Pianosa, also already inhabited from the Neolithic era and
in Roman times Seat of the Beautiful Villa di Agrippa Postumio, belonging
in the Medieval to Pisa (and which Genova sacked more than once).
Passed to the Appiani, it was depopulated in 1553, after the nth
Saracen invasion. Repopulated in 1635 under the Toscano Grand Duchy, it
was an agricultural colony and then from 1856 a penal colony, the
function which it holds today. At Campo nell’Elba the composer Giuseppe
Pietri (1886-1946) was born.
Historical info reproduced upon authorization of Regione Toscana - Dipartimento della Presidenza E Affari Legislativi e Giuridici
Translated by Ann Mountford |
www.terraditoscana.com
