La Villa Gialla, built in 1922, is originally a wine farm from the time when wine was mainly grown here. The house breathes the atmosphere of rural authenticity combined with modern comforts. The house was renovated in 2022 while retaining unique style features and equipped with air conditioning for the hottest summer months. Old building materials have been used as much as possible: wood from more than hundred-year-old wagon floors from France, the tiles of the terrace in front of the house have been hewn from million-year-old stones from Puglia. On the ceiling in the living room and in one of the bedrooms you will find frescoes and original old tiles on the floor. The sink and brass taps in the kitchen are over a hundred years old and come from the Netherlands.
La Casa Principale
‘La Villa Gialla’ consists of the main house (La Casa Principale) with three bedrooms and two bathrooms, and casetta La Veranda, a 2-bedroom cottage on the ground floor with separate entrance. It is located in the hills of Colle di Procchio, on a cul-de-sac, just 5 car-bike or scooter minutes from Procchio beach, 10 minutes from Marina di Campo beach. Both beaches are characterized by their clear azure blue sea that slopes gradually, perfectly suited for small children.
You can park your car in the private car park in front of the house. Without a car, you can also reach Procchio or Marina di Campo within 5-10 minutes by bus 116 or the Marebus, which stops nearby and, in July and August, stops at the most beautiful beaches in the area for 1 euro. A few minutes away, in Procchio, or along the road towards Marina di Campo, you will find a car/scooter/ebike rental.
With three bedrooms and two bathrooms, the house is ideal for a family with children, or two couples who like the privacy of having their own bathroom with their bedroom. The kitchen, equipped with dishwasher, a 6-burner gas cooker and double oven, opens onto the terrace on the large garden overgrown with pines, oleander, cypresses, eucalyptus trees and cacti.
The rental price of La Casa Principale per week ranges from 500 euros in low to mid-season and 1450 euros in high season. Prices always include bed linen and towels and do not include 75 euros for final cleaning. For an exact quote in the desired period, please send us an email to Elba@lavillagialla.com or a booking request via the form found in the menu.
La Veranda
Casetta La Veranda, located on the ground floor, consists of a living room with sofa bed, double bedroom with adjoining bathroom and a small kitchen equipped with fridge, Nespresso machine, kettle, induction hob and oven. A baby cot can be added upon request. The terrace at the front of the apartment is a lovely spot for an espresso in the morning sun. It is also great to relax on the accompanying veranda, where you will find a dining area, lounge sofa and barbecue.
The house is in the hills directly above Procchio, close to the ‘Strada Etrusche de Vino e Ulive’, the Etruscan wine and olive route. It is the ideal combination of peace and quiet and if you want some entertainment, you can be in the small but cosy Procchio within 5 minutes. To go to the bakery, have an ice cream, a delicious cappuccino on the terrace of Il Postale, an aperò at Bar La Pinta or a nice drink on the beach. You can shop for groceries at the small supermarket on Via del Mare, towards the beach, where the doorman is usually a cat.
The rental price of La Veranda per week ranges from 400 euros in low season rising to mid-season and 1050 euros in high season. Prices always include bed linen and towels and do not include 50 euros for final cleaning. For an exact quote in the desired period, please send us an email to Elba@lavillagialla.com or a booking request via the form found in the menu.
Sights
Elba has over 120 beaches and 300 km of the most beautiful hiking trails, including the GTE (Grande Traversata Elba, a 70 km hiking trail from East to West).
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Napoleon’s residence, Palazzina dei Mulini in Portoferraio
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Napoleon’s country residence during his exile on Elba, Villa dei Mulini in San Martino
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Forte Falcone in Portoferraio
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Vigilanti Theatre (a church in Portoferraio converted into a theatre by Napoleon)
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Cabinovia Monte Capanne (cable car to the top of the island’s highest mountain at 1019 m altitude)
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Fortezza di Volterraio, the island’s oldest fortress, located on a rugged hill at 394 m (hike/climb)
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Elba’s oldest mine in Rio Marina, with guided excursions into the tunnels up to 24 m below sea level
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Excavation of Roman villa (Villa Romana Le Grotte)
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Snorkelling or diving to the wreck in Pomonte
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Mountain biking in Elba Gravity Park (also know as ‘Little Colorado’)
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Walking to the ancient convent Santuario Madonna delle Grazie near Porto Azzurro
About Elba
The greenest island in the Mediterranean, Elba is 224 km2 in size and has around 30,000 inhabitants. The island is a site of many gems and minerals, tourmaline, and pyrite in particular.
The climate Elba has a temperate Mediterranean climate. Summers are hot, but on Elba the sea is always nearby. The influence of the Mediterranean Sea ensures that the island’s climate is on the mild side all year round, making it a surprising travel destination, especially for nature lovers and hikers in all seasons.
How to get to Elba?
There are several ways to travel to Elba. By car to the port of Piombino in Tuscany and year-round by ferry to Portoferraio in an hour with Moby/Toremar or BluNavy. Or you can fly to Pisa from there hire a car or take the train to Piombino Marritima and, as a pedestrian, take the ferry to the island and hire a car there.
History of Elba
The island has been inhabited by the Etruscans since the 5th century BC. These descended on the abundance of iron ore found on the island. The iron ore was processed into iron locally, shipped to the Etruscan cities and sold to the Greeks in Greater Greece. The Etruscans made a road across the entire island, and it was paved in modern times. Later came the Romans who also took iron from the island. After the fall of the Roman Empire, the island was ruled by the Ostrogoths and from 610 by the Lombards. The island was attacked many times by pirates and Saracens. In the early 11th century, it was conquered by the Republic of Pisa. Elba remained part of Pisa until Pisa was sold in 1398 by Gherardo Appiano to the Visconti family, the rulers of Milan. Piombino, Elba and some smaller areas were excluded from the sale and remained in the possession of the Appiani family, the administrators of the Principality of Piombino. In 1546, the family ceded part of Elba to the Medici, the rulers of then very powerful Florence. However, the Appianis regained control of the entire island 31 years later. In 1603, Elba became Spanish possession, and 199 years later, at the Peace of Amiens (1802), it became French, after being occupied by the British. In 1815, Elba was ceded to the Grand Duchy of Tuscany. In 1860, it merged into the new Kingdom of Italy.
Napoleon
French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte stayed in exile on Elba from 4 May 1814 to 26 February 1815, after he had been removed from power for the first time. He was made sovereign ruler of the island by the allied powers that had defeated him, and he was allowed to have an army of 600 men under his rule. He reorganised the island, greatly improving its economy. He had his residence built there, the Palazzina dei Mulini in Portoferraio, and his country residence in San Martino, a villa with distant views of the city and the sea. Napoleon escaped from the island after 10 months and returned to France.