Sanctuaries and Hermitages on the Island of Elba

The Island of Elba is not only sea and beaches, but also history and culture. In the most remote and hidden corners of the island are countless sanctuaries and hermitages. Often located in places of great scenic beauty, they are places full of charm where silence, peace and devotion still reign supreme. Let’s discover together those not to be missed.

The Hermitage of San Cerbone

On Crino delle Puntate, halfway between Marciana and the hamlet of Poggio, is the Hermitage of San Cerbone, the oldest place of worship on the island. Its origin dates back to the 6th century, when San Cerbone together with the bishop of Populonia took refuge on Elba while fleeing a Longobard incursion. Despite this, it is only mentioned for the first time in 1421, in connection with the Franciscan Observance convent built on the site. The façade features a granodiorite portal, while the interior preserves the ancient side altars and the terracotta floor. The hermitage can be reached by following path no. 101 (departing from the village of Marciana Alta), the main and easiest way up to the summit of Monte Capanne.

The Sanctuary of the Madonna del Monte

A few kilometres from the Hermitage of San Cerbone, also in the municipality of Marciana, is the Sanctuary of the Madonna del Monte. Surrounded by greenery, it was erected with large granite blocks between the 13th and 14th centuries and rebuilt in the 16th century. It venerates the image of the Madonna Assunta, painted on a granite block walled into the wall and probably dating back to the 13th century. In 1995, 16th-century frescoes attributed to Sodoma were discovered. Here Napoleon Bonaparte spent part of the summer of 1814 and received his Polish lover Maria Walewska away from prying eyes. Along the road leading to the shrine are fourteen tabernacles, each representing a Station of the Cross.

The Hermitage of St Catherine

Along the road connecting Rio nell’Elba to Nisporto is the Hermitage of Santa Caterina, probably dating back to Romanesque times but enlarged and remodelled in the first half of the 17th century, following an apparition of Santa Caterina to a shepherd boy, in memory of which a feast is celebrated every Easter Monday. With a single nave and a broken gable façade, it is decorated with a single polychrome Baroque altar. St Paul of the Cross stayed and preached here during his stay in Elba. Behind the hermitage is the Orto dei Semplici Elbano, a veritable living museum of plant species. To reach it, park your car in a small dirt car park and continue on foot along a dirt path.

The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Grace

On the western slope of Capoliveri, near the beach of the same name, stands the Sanctuary of Madonna delle Grazie. Built in the 16th century, according to legend it was inhabited by ancient hermits following Saint Mamiliano, the patron saint of Giglio Island. Inside, it houses frescoes by the Elban painter Eugenio Allori, painted between 1903 and 1904, and the valuable painting known as the Madonna del Silenzio, depicting the Virgin and Child with Saints, by the Como painter Marcello Venusti (1512-1569), a friend and pupil of Michelangelo, based on a drawing by the illustrious master. The sanctuary is easily reached by following a two-kilometre asphalted and well-marked road from the centre of Capoliveri.

The Shrine of Our Lady of the Snow

In the countryside of Lacona, a hamlet of the municipality of Capoliveri, is the Sanctuary of the Madonna della Neve. Dating back to the 12th century, it was remodelled several times between the 17th and 20th centuries. It was built by the inhabitants of Capoliveri to guard the image of the Madonna della Neve, from whom it takes its name. As an architectural structure, it is very simple, spread over one nave and the shape of the plan is rectangular. Unfortunately, it can only be visited on special festive occasions. It is easily reached via a narrow, partly paved road.

The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Montserrat

Finally, the Sanctuary of the Madonna del Monserrato, located in a narrow valley about three kilometres from the centre of Porto Azzurro, is also worth a visit. It was erected in the first half of the 17th century at the behest of José Pons y Léon, the first Spanish governor of Longone, who also commissioned the copy of the painting of the Madonna (Nuestra Señora Morena), made by an unknown author in imitation of the one venerated in the Monastery of Montserrat in Catalonia. On 8 September, one of the most heartfelt celebrations for the people of Elba is dedicated to the Madonna. From the sanctuary, which is distinguished by a clear Iberian-Baroque matrix, it is possible to enjoy a magnificent panorama of the valley below.

Featured photo © Visit Elba Island | Photo gallery © Ferpint – Visit Marciana – Isola d’Elba online