The Fortress of Volterraio is an imposing castle built on Elba at an altitude of 394 meters for sighting and defense purposes; it owes its name to the city of Volterra or to the Latin word vultur (vulture).
At the time of the Pisan Republic, the high ground fortress was restructured. Some time ago, the Romans had already occupied and fortified the area, and not even they had been the first to do so: the Etruscans, to defend themselves from the Greeks and Phoenicians, had in fact built a fortress on this top belonging to the hilly group of the north- east of the island.
The current shape of the hexagonal fortification is the one given to it in the 15th century by Jacopo III Appiano. Devastated during the insurrection against French troops in the eighteenth century, the castle is currently managed by the Tuscan Archipelago National Park; it was renovated starting in 2013 and since 2017 it can be visited inside.
Information on the Volterraio Fortress
The hill fort located on Elba, the Fortress of Volterraio, is located in the eastern part of the island and it belongs to the municipality of Portoferraio, on the border with that of Rio. The layout of the fortress dates back to the time of the city of Populonia, when the Etruscans dominated the territory and defended the mineral resources present in the eastern part of the island from the attacks of the Greeks of Phocaea and the Phoenicians.
The name derives, for one reason or another, from the name of the city of Volterra: there are those who associate it with the Etruscan people, as the Tuscan municipality was an important city-state of Etruria, and those with the architect from Volterra who made a restructuring. Others associate the name with the Latin vultur, which means vulture, in turn probably deriving from the verb to fly.
After the Etruscans, it was the Romans who improved this defensive complex located 394 meters above sea level, which was further improved during the Middle Ages. In fact, when in the XIII century the architect from Volterra Vanni di Gherardo Rau was commissioned by the Maritime Republic of Pisa to renovate the fortification, he based the work on a pre-existing construction dating back to about two hundred years earlier.
In the fifteenth century the Lord of Piombino and the islands of Elba, Montecristo and Pianosa Jacopo III Appiano gave the castle what is its current shape, with a hexagonal plan, with stone cladding of the ancient walls, which, together with the quadrangular tower, represents the original soul of the fort.
In the sixteenth century it was besieged by the Ottoman corsairs Barbarossa and Dragut.
In 1798, in the Napoleonic era, the defensive complex, occupied by the French, was devastated by the insurgent local population and Neapolitan soldiers. Since 2013 several renovations have been carried out aimed at recovering what remained. Although it is a ruin, it still retains its grandeur and charm, also thanks to the panorama that can be enjoyed from the top of the hill. Managed by the Tuscan Archipelago National Park, it is open to the public and guided tours are also organised.
The view
The panoramic view that can be appreciated once you are near the castle includes the central part of the island and the eastern Elban ridge, with the islands of Pianosa and Montecristo on the horizon, the southern bays and the Gulf of Portoferraio with the Monte Capanne behind. Laterally you can see the island of Capraia, and in the distance the reliefs of Corsica and the peninsula of Capo Corso.
How to get
To get to the Fortress of Volterraio you need to follow an excursion itinerary: it is the CAI 255A trekking path – via del Volterraio street (canyon), visible on the map below. The route begins at the Casermette car park, along Provincial Road 32.
From 15 June to 15 September the Fortress is open every day of the week, except Tuesdays, from 17:30 to 20:30. After reaching the entrance independently, it is possible to carry out the visit with the accompaniment of the Park Guide. Reservation is not necessary, the entrance ticket costs €8 and there are reductions for particular categories. The Park Authority also organizes guided tours with trekking and admission included.
How to reach the island
To reach the island from the Italian peninsula, the ferries to Elba may be suitable, all departing from Piombino, which have Portoferraio, Rio Marina (closer to the entrance to path 255A) or Cavo as their port of arrival.
Guided tours in 2023
Guided tours are available, to be booked at the web address infopark.sl3.eu/book-now/1-elba/1-fortezza-del-volterraio-excursion-trekking, on the following dates in 2023:
- 10, 22, 25 and 30 April at 16:30;
- 13, 26 and 28 May at 17:30;
- 10, 13, 20 and 27 June at 18:00;
- 1, 8, 15 August at 17:30; 22 and 29 August at 17:00;
- 5 and 12 September at 4.30pm; 24 and 30 September at 16:00;
- 7, 15 and 21 October at 10:00.
The excursion lasts a total of about three hours and costs €20 per person, with reductions for particular categories. Closed hiking shoes are mandatory and, for tours that take place in the late afternoon, a portable light source.
