Pomonte
(0m) - La Terra (538m) -fork it3/it25 (692m) - Madonna del Monte (630m)
Marciana (485m) From the village of Pomonte, next to the news agent,
take the narrow road recently restored with stones, which climbs among
dense Prickly Pears and Cacti to a road just above it. Turning right after
100 metres you find on the left an Archepelago Toscano National Park wooden
signpost indicating the pathway N° 4, a marvellous mule track which
still show the ruts made by the mule traffic which accompanied man for
thousands of years towards the vineyards and the tiny fields now abandoned.
In a true garden of prickly pears and cisto, with plants of lavender,
you slowly climb the hairpin bends until the fork which takes you to Monte
San Bartolomeo and Chiessi. Taking the left hand fork proceed, this time
less steeply, between strawberry tree shrubs and myrtle. The view towards
Monte Capanne is wonderful. Looking backwards Montecristo, Pianosa and
the Corsican coast with its snow covered mountains (Mount Cinto is 2710
metres high) emerge from the blue Tirreno sea. Proceeding along the ridge
from the Pomonte valley you enter into the Chiessi valley which appears
to be set into the turquoise waters of the sea. Passing beyond the high
umbrella pines, you arrive at the fork for Marciana sign-posted as No.
10 (this itinerary is harder than ours). Continue, and after a short downhill
tract which takes you to a little spring (often without water), you again
climb the beautiful paved mule track which leads to the locality of Troppolo.
However, before this you arrive at the fork between our itinerary No.
3 and No. 25 which instead return to Chiessi, turning towards the left
and passing by Semaforo.
Bibliography:
A. Bietolini G. Bracci, Arcipelago Toscano, Tamari Montagna Edizioni
Bologna 1988
G.Racheli, Le Isole di Ferro, Mursia, Milano
R.Giombini M.Ferrari, La Guida ai Sentieri dell'Elba, Editrice Azzurra,
Pistoia 1987. |
After a long coastal tract which allows you to admire the Island of Capraia
and which goes around the base of Monte Giovi, you notice that the Mediterranean
undergrowth becomes higher and shady. We have reached the sanctuary of
the Madonna del Monte where Napoleon Buonapart also stopped and, in August
of 1814, met Maria Walewska and her son Alessandro. After the essential
stop you go down the stone road bordered by the Stations of the Cross
which leads to Marciana Alta where the journey finishes.
Access |
Bus ATL from Portoferraio and by car. |
Time required |
5 hours |
Difference in height |
628 m |
Difficulty |
'E' (watch carefully for snakes (Aspis
vipers) and always carry anti snake serum). |
Maps |
1 :30,000 scale enclosed in the volume "Arcipelago
Toscano" by Tamari Montagna - Padova edition |
Info |
office of the Parco di S. Sofia (FO) - tel.
+39 0543 971375 |
Characteristics |
Mule track, pathways and overgrown pathways |
Best season |
Spring or Autumn |
|