The Tuscan Archipelago’s must-see museums

Consisting of seven major islands (Elba, Giglio, Capraia, Montecristo, Pianosa, Giannutri and Gorgona) and a few smaller islets, the Tuscan Archipelago has a unique natural heritage. But that is not all. There are also numerous museums with collections of various kinds: archaeology, mineralogy, geology, industrial archaeology, history and art. These are places that will let you discover the territory in its most genuine side.

Which Tuscan Archipelago museums are not to be missed? Let’s discover them together!

Linguella Archaeological Museum

Portoferraio, the main town on the Island of Elba, is home to the Linguella Archaeological Museum. Opened in 1988 inside the fortress of the same name, it offers an extraordinary journey through time spanning eleven centuries (from the end of the 8th – beginning of the 7th century B.C. to the 5th century A.D.) through the extensive collection of materials from underwater and insular discoveries in the Elban area. The tour is accompanied by didactic panels that introduce the viewing of the individual pieces. Among the exhibits are: the granite Ara di Attiano found near Fosso dell’Inferno, datable to the 2nd century AD; and the iron anchor from the wreck of Montecristo. Adjacent to the museum are the remains of the Roman villa of Linguella, dating back to the 1st century BC.

Foresiana Civic Art Gallery

Also worth visiting in Portoferraio is the Foresiana Civic Art Gallery, housed on the first floor of an imposing 16th-century building named after Cesare De Laugier, a Napoleonic officer whose mother was from Portoferraio. Opened to the public in 1924, it originates from the donation, made in 1914, of the rich private collection of the scholar and intellectual Mario Foresi (Pisa 1849 – Florence 1932). Part of this precious heritage are art objects, prints and paintings belonging to a wide variety of artists, including great masters such as Telemaco Signorini, Antonio Ciseri, Llewelyn Lloyd, Francesco Morandini and Plinio Nomellini. Of particular interest is the section dedicated to Elban characters and places.

Sea Museum

Inaugurated in 2014, the Sea Museum in Capoliveri tells the story of the sinking of the Polluce, a steamship built in 1839 by the Normand shipyards in Le Havre and sunk on 17 June 1841 off the coast of Capo Calvo. The ship went down in just 15 minutes, taking its entire cargo with it, which was later recovered between 2000 and 2005. It consists of ship’s documents, letters, personal effects, various goods, tableware, cabin furnishings and shipboard items. But the real treasure of the museum is the huge cargo of gold and silver coins that was on board the steamer along with beautiful gold jewellery, jewellery and small porcelain statues.

MUM – Luigi Celleri Mineralogical Museum

Another museum not to be missed is located in Campo nell’Elba. We are talking about the Mineralogical and Gemmological Museum named after the famous Sanpierese mineralogist Luigi Celleri (1828-1900), to whom celleriite, a new tourmaline discovered on the Island of Elba, was also dedicated. Opened in 2013, it stands in front of the ancient Romanesque parish church of San Niccolò. It houses a collection of historical minerals from Campo nell’Elba, iron ores provided by the Rio Mineral Park and rocks from which the island’s main minerals are extracted. The museum also offers educational workshops and themed excursions along the Vie del Granito (Granite Ways) route, which winds along the south-eastern slopes of the Monte Capanne massif.

Museum of Geological and Archaeological Sciences

Finally, we recommend a visit to the Museum of Geological and Archaeological Sciences, located on Pianosa Island. Inside, the history of this small island is revealed through rocks, fossils and archaeological finds. The exhibition itinerary is divided into four rooms: the first exhibits types of minerals typical of Pianosa; the second is dedicated to the geology of the island, its palaeogeographic evolution and palaeoenvironmental reconstructions; the third is dedicated to the Roman part; and the fourth includes the reconstruction of a Roman burial. The museum also has rooms for educational, popular or recreational activities: a laboratory, a library/reading room, a microscope room and a conference room.

Photo © Tuscan Archipelago Museum System