National Park

The Isle of Elba, its territory , and its surrounding sea are all part of the National Park of the Tuscan Archipelago, instituted in 1996 by the Ministry for the Environment.
Discover the National Park of the Tuscan Archipelago.




The largest marine park in Europe.


The National Park of the Tuscan Archipelago, the largest marine park in Europe, oversees 56,766 hectares of sea and 17,887 hectares of land. Comprising all seven principle islands of the Archipelago and some small minor islands and rocks : the Formicha della Zanca, l'Ogliera, la Scoglio della Triglia, L'Isola Corbella, the Gemini islands, l'Isolotto d'Ortano, l'Isola dei Topi, the Scoglietto di Portoferraio on Elba; the islans of Cappa al Giglio, La Scarpa and La Sola on Pianosa, La Peraiola at Capraia, the Scoglio d'Africa at Montecristo , Palmaiola and Cerbolili in the Piomino channel.

Seven principle islands, seven pearls reimerging from the necklace, which as legend has it, fell from Venus' neck while she swam in the transparent Mediterranean. About 80 km (150 miles) separate the island of Gorgona, the northernmost and smallest island, and Giannutri the southernmost. In the middle, are Capraia, Elba, Pianosa, Montecristo, and Giglio.
Like pearls on a necklace, each island is different from the other. Each island retains traces of its history and is unique and original with only one thing in common: it's natural beauty.
And the chain that unites these jewels is the sea. This sea has seen sailing vessels from every epoch, from the Etruscans to the Greeks, from the Romans to the Sarcenes and from the Pisans to the Spanish. And then the French. English, and Germans arrived, ever faster, ever more modern. And today sees every type of boat, from pleasure crafts, ferries and cruise ships.
The sea, however, remains the same with her calm seas and sudden storms, wild and unpredictable, like only the Mediterranean knows how to be, but also warm and welcoming, ancient and always new, in every wave that laps her shores.
The eighth jewel of the Archipelago is the riches that hide in the unexpected depths: That which nature created, that sea stole from imprudent sailors set on challenging her strength. Safeguarding the Protected Area, but at the same time promoting ecocompatible economic development, valuing the identity of the whole territory and the surrounding sea , aprt from the confines established by man: this is where we need to get to, a challenge that everyone needs to ake on to win in order that the National Park of the Tuscan Archipelago in its entirety be recognized as A World Heritage Site.

Fauna on ElbaFauna on Elba


Flora on ElbaFlora on Elba






The Laws

Before the Italian Republican Constitution, the care of the Italian landscape was overseen by the Stae through two instruments: the creation of legislative acts of the National Parks and the individuation of constraints on the landscape as written in Law 1497/39.
The only explicit indication in the Constitution on the matter of conservation of nature is seen in Article 9 that puts the responsibility of the landscape under the protection of the Republic. Missing however, is a specific provision the law in the matter of environment and territory particularly in protected areas.

With i.DD.PP.RR. 11/27 and 616/77 all tasks in the matter of woods and forests as well as park institutions and regional, natural reserves were transferred to the individual Regions.

Beyond the activities of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forests and of the state natural reserve institutions, a law of acknowledgement of the Convention of Ramsar on the protection of important international humid zones, that has produced noticeable results on the protection of our coasts.

The coming into force of the institutive law of the Ministry of the Environment, # 349/86, established that such marine reserves were under the shared responsibility of the ministers of the environment and the merchant marines (later the authority passed solely to that of the environment).

In the meantime, the legislative framework was strongly innovated by the Galsso law, # 431/85, that marked a turning for the protection of the territories. The normative in the matter of cultural welfare was intergrated by D.Lgs. 4090/99.

Then Law # 394/91 was added to the framework of the law, the first organic provision for the protection of the environment of the Belpaese (later integrated and partially modified by L. # 426/98).

The Legislature for the management of new national parks individuated the Enti Parco (Parks Bureau), an instrument of the government, instituted with special presidential decrees and inserted into the division of non-economic public bureaus of as stated in L. 3 70/75 ( whose function is disciplined by D.P.R # 696/79)

The normatives established by L. 394/91 by D.P.R 22 July 1996 and by D.M. Ambiente 19 December 1997 are in force in the National Parl of the Tuscan Archipelago.

Text by the official site for The Arcipelago Toscano