Portoferraio Center

Walk through the historical center of Portoferraio between forts and monuments.

--INTRODUCTION-- 

Approximately 2.5 km itinerary-easy route

Starting point: Torre del Martello or della Linguella

The walk departs from Torre della Linguella, headquarter of the Archaeological Civic Museum. From the Medici fortress we proceed along the quay of Calata Buccari, at which the Coast Guard boats are moored, whose building, which also includes the Port, flanks this side of the dock.

Further we meet the jetty of the fishing boats and, on the right, the barracks of the police patrol boats. Soon after we find the underpass that leads us into the heart of the city and, after having crossed it, we arrive in Via dell' Amore (Love Street). On the left we can see the terminal market, once arsenal of Portoferraio. A little further on, on the right side of the road, we find a porch that gives us access to the beach of Grigolo.

Here we find the headquarter of the Italian Naval Association, a small garden and a basketball court where high school students play during the hours of break and physical education. We continue our walk along the walkway under the bastions running along the narrow beach, overlooking the inlet of the bay of Portoferraio, and that takes us under the Forte Stella, where the path ends. After having a view of Bagnaia, Magazzini and Ottone we retrace the path and come back in the Via dell'Amore (Love Street).

The characteristic stone paved road goes up with a stairway to the top of the city and flows into Vicolo Pagliai, where we turn left to immediately enter in Piazza Pietro Traditi. Then we turn right into Via Roma and, taking left again, we come out in Via Albano Gasperi. Here we climb the steep staircase which leads to the Forte Stella. We access to the Medici fortress through an impressive stone gate defended by a watchtower and, once left the porch, we turn left and we reach the imposing eighteenth-century lighthouse. From here there is a view on the open sea, on Forte Falcone and on the garden of the Palazzina dei Mulini, Napoleon's residence.

Then we climb the ladder that leads to the open space of the well, from where we can dominate the whole dock. Finally we climb down to the gate and go to visit the square below, where they were placed cannons which defended the harbor entrance. We crossed again the porch of access to the fortress and walk the downhill road that runs along the walls and flows on the square in front of the villa of Napoleon. After visiting the museum, we continue to climb along the ancient patrol walkways up toForte Falcone, extreme bulwark of the city. So we return to the square in front of the Palazzina dei Muliniand turn right through the gate of the walls, we come on the descent which, after 20 m, brings us to the stone staircase of Via Napoleone. Here we find the Chiesa della Misericordia (Church of Mercy), which keeps inside a copy of the death mask of Napoleon Bonaparte. At the end of the ladder we come into Via Garibaldi and soon after crossed theMunicipal Building, home of the Foresiana Library.

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