The way of the old railway

The trail retraces the old railroad that connected the Vallone open-air construction site to the boarding point near Innamorata beach, just across from the Gemini Islands. The steam railroad, which came into being in the early 1900s, was an advancement for the transportation of iron ore. From the mine to the wharf, the train traveled 6 km every day, loaded with magnetite, hematite and limonite to be loaded onto the merchant ships waiting in the bay. The newly built blast furnace in Portoferraio required large quantities of ore to produce pig iron and steel. Iron was the Island's greatest wealth, and between plants and excavations, almost every Elban man worked for this thriving industry. The trail takes us backwards along the railroad, follows the thread of this long history, through rapid historical, economic and social changes to discover the roots of the people of Capoliveri.