{"id":3618,"date":"2021-10-22T09:22:43","date_gmt":"2021-10-22T07:22:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.prolocomarcianamarina.it\/as-we-were\/"},"modified":"2025-05-28T09:26:44","modified_gmt":"2025-05-28T07:26:44","slug":"as-we-were","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.prolocomarcianamarina.it\/en\/as-we-were\/","title":{"rendered":"As we were"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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History<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Like the settlements of Rio and Campo, Marciana Marina developed between the 17th and 18th centuries as an offshoot of older hillside villages. The first group of inhabitants came from Marciana and Poggio, and over time the population grew with the arrival of others, forming a community rich in cultural and commercial exchanges\u2014especially with Liguria, Corsica, Campania, Sicily, and the nearby Tuscan coast.
Today, it is one of the smallest municipalities in Tuscany and the second smallest in all of Italy, with a total area of just 5 square kilometres and a population of around 1,900.<\/p>

Over the centuries, links with the mainland and other Mediterranean islands faded, yet Elba remained a strategic point along the great maritime routes of the Mediterranean. Flotillas of coral and fishing boats from southern Italy regularly sailed the waters of the Tuscan Archipelago, using Marciana Marina as a key stopover. Shipbuilding soon began to flourish. Trade relations with Corsica and especially with Liguria became increasingly close, particularly in the export of wine.<\/p>

By the late 18th century, the village had grown enough to connect the Cotone promontory with the Novaglia Tower (belonging to the Appiani family). Development continued into the first half of the 19th century, driven by a dynamic entrepreneurial class whose interests looked out to sea. Skilled shipbuilders produced finely crafted sailing vessels that travelled across the Mediterranean, to the Black Sea, the Sea of Azov, the North Sea, and even along transoceanic routes.
By the mid-19th century, Marciana Marina owned twenty-two square-rigged sailing ships\u2014out of the island\u2019s total of forty-nine\u2014and had a seafaring population of about one thousand sailors.<\/p>

In 1884, it became an independent municipality, separating from Marciana. Major public works were carried out, including the construction of the port, the Regina Margherita promenade, and a new school building\u2014now home to the town hall\u2014all completed without altering the village\u2019s original structure.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Once upon a time... The ancient crafts.<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The people of Marciana Marina have always formed a self-sufficient community, living in modest prosperity and primarily devoted to agriculture. The Marinesi worked the vineyards that once filled the valley, as well as their family gardens. The vines descended in tidy rows from the mountain slopes down to the sea, surrounding the village in a spectacular landscape. It was a scene that spoke of ancient labor and of a respectful, harmonious relationship with nature. Even today, walking along the trails, one can still spot the dry-stone walls\u2014now recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site\u2014peeking through the dense vegetation.<\/p>

In addition to being skilled builders for the needs of rural life, the locals wove baskets from chestnut, olive, myrtle, and broom. A certain Count of Campobagnolo famously brought his handcrafted baskets to the village for many years. Basket weaving was also taught at the local vocational training school. Later, villagers took part in reforestation projects funded by the state and helped maintain roads and trails.<\/p>

Wine sales, handled by brokers, were particularly important. Elba\u2019s wine was highly prized\u2014Pliny the Elder even referred to the island as \u201cThe Island of Good Wine\u201d\u2014and was transported to the mainland on special vessels called Leudi, especially along thriving trade routes with Liguria.<\/p>

Fishing was a vital activity for several families who had migrated from other Mediterranean islands. Many Marinesi fished to supplement the rural diet with seafood. It was often the youngest sons\u2014at a time when families were quite large\u2014who took to the sea. For a long time, barter between fishermen and farmers remained the main method of exchange.<\/p>

There was once a tonnara (a traditional tuna trap) in the area known as \u201cIl Bagno,\u201d active until the 1950s, and a fish processing plant that specialized in sardines and anchovies, which were once abundant in these waters.<\/p>

The mastri d\u2019ascia\u2014master shipwrights\u2014repaired but above all built gozzi and other wooden boats. These vessels were used for fishing and as a means of transport, especially for those coming from la Cala or from the island\u2019s western coast. At the time, the roads were unpaved and travel overland was slow and difficult.<\/p>

The Segnini shipyards, located on Ripa Road at the far end of the harbor, continue this long-standing tradition.<\/p>

Marciana Marina boasts a proud seafaring heritage. Many of its residents have distinguished themselves over the years as ship captains and renowned admirals.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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