5 things to see in the municipality of Rio

Rio is a scattered municipality (established in 2018) of just over 3,000 inhabitants located on the eastern side of the Island of Elba, gently nestled in a small sea inlet surrounded by hills. It includes the towns of Rio Marina, Rio nell’Elba, Cavo and Bagnaia, as well as the villages of Capo d’Arco, Nisporto, Nisportino and Ortano, and the islands of Cerboli and Palmaiola. The territory preserves numerous traces that testify to its rich past.

What to see in the municipality of Rio? Here are 5 things not to be missed!

The Rio Marina Mining Museum

In this part of the island, iron extraction from mines has taken place since Etruscan times and was the main activity of the inhabitants until a few decades ago. It is precisely to this activity that the Rio Marina Mining Museum is dedicated. It is located in the Palazzo del Burò, a prestigious building that once housed the Directorate of Mines of Elba. The museum houses a valuable collection of Elban minerals with numerous samples of extraordinary beauty. The exhibition includes various mine environments, faithfully reconstructed by industrial archaeology experts, with original materials found in the mining sites and a rich photographic documentation of the old mines of Rio and Capoliveri.

The Mining District Archaeological Museum

Another museum not to be missed is the Mining District Archaeological Museum, dedicated to the history connected with mining activities on eastern Elba. It is housed in a modern building designed expressly for the purpose and known as the ‘Barcocaio’, because it stands on the site where several apricot trees grow, known as ‘barcochi’ in the Rijeka dialect. The museum tour covers a long period of time: from the Late Copper Age to the Middle Ages. Don’t miss the Eneolithic grave goods (late 3rd and early 2nd millennium B.C.) found in the Grotta di San Giuseppe, the small objects from the Bronze Age and early Iron Age in the Raffaello Foresi collection, and the Etruscan and Roman pottery.

The Hermitage of St Catherine

The Hermitage of St Catherine is a centuries-old place of meditation and prayer probably dating back to Romanesque times. It is located along the road connecting Rio nell’Elba to Nisporto and, according to tradition, was enlarged and remodelled in 1624, following an apparition of Saint Catherine to a shepherd boy, whom she asked to celebrate this vision every Easter Monday. After the miraculous manifestations and renovations, the hermitage became a pilgrimage destination. With a single nave and a broken gable façade, it is adorned by a single polychrome Baroque altar. Next to the hermitage is the Orto dei Semplici Elbano, created by the writer and photographer Hans Georg Berger to study the biodiversity of the flora of the Tuscan Archipelago.

The Church of St James the Apostle

Another religious building not to be missed is the Church of St. James the Apostle, also known as the Church of Saints James the Apostle and Quirico Martire, which serves as the cathedral of Rio nell’Elba. It was erected during the Pisan rule on the island (at the end of the 14th century) and immediately protected by ramparts, although its present appearance is the result of various alterations over time. The interior, characterised by the presence of Baroque-style altars, holds several works of art, including: the painting depicting the ‘Mystic Wedding of Saint Catherine of Alexandria’ by Giovanni da San Giovanni Valdarno; and the wooden statue of the ‘Madonna del Pianto’ by an unknown author.

The Roman Villa of Capo Castello

Finally, the remains of the Roman Villa of Capo Castello, dating from between the last quarter of the 1st century B.C. and the middle of the 2nd century, are not to be forgotten. It is located in Cavo and takes its name from the promontory that separates the Frugoso beach (or Capo Castello beach) from Cala delle Alghe. It stands in a splendid panoramic position, from which it is possible to admire the entire Tyrrhenian coast. Today, part of the rooms and structures are incorporated in contemporary constructions, so that the archaeological site can be said to be within the urban centre of Cavo. The artefacts found in the area are exhibited in the Museo Civico Archeologico della Linguella and the Museo Civico Archeologico del Distretto Minerario.

Photo gallery © (1 e 2) Sistema Museale Arcipelago Toscano | (3) FAI – Fondo Ambiente Italiano