1. The Island of Elba has eight municipalities
Yes, eight municipalities for a single island! I still remember the stunned look on a girl's face when I told her! For years there has been talk of establishing a single municipality, but the figure also gives the idea that this island is not as small as you think (223.50 square kilometers, it is the third largest Italian island) and tells us that until not long ago the countries of the island of Elba were extremely different and disconnected from each other. For the record, the municipalities are: Portoferraio, Campo nell'Elba, Capoliveri, Marciana, Marciana Marina, Rio nell'Elba, Rio Marina and Porto Azzurro.
2. The flag of the island of Elba
Have you ever seen the flag of the Island of Elba? I personally have never seen one like it: it is a white flag with a red transversal stripe on which three golden bees stand out and it is linked to the history of Napoleon. The meaning of the bees has been much debated, but more than the symbol of industriousness, it seems that they are connected to the Merovingian dynasty, with which Napoleon, exiled in Elba, aspired to create a bond, as well as confirm the desire to unify his kingdom.
3. Napoleon chose the island of Elba for his exile
I was saying about Napoleon: his life is closely linked to the island of Elba because after the disastrous battle of Leipzig he was forced to abdicate from the throne of France (Napoleon was until then Emperor of all Europe) and chose the island for his exile. For the nine months that he resided on the island he tried to modernize it and built a road network, as well as encouraging the development of the industrial sector. I recommend a visit to the Napoleonic museums, starting from the Palazzina dei Mulini and the Villa di San Martino.
4. There is a municipality of only 5.86 km²
It seems incredible, but the municipality of Marciana Marina is the smallest not only on Elba Island, but in all of Tuscany! In its small surface are enclosed many beauties: the beaches, the harbor, the picturesque neighborhoods and also secular woods... maybe they were referring to Marciana Marina when they invented the saying "in the small barrel there is good wine"!