Portoferraio

Portoferraio (pôr'tōfār-rä'yō) [key], town (1991 pop. 11,042), Tuscany, Italy, on the north coast of Elba Island. The principal port of Elba, it handles most of the iron shipped from the island. It is also a seaside resort. The town was strongly fortified (16th–18th cent.) by the Medici. Napoleon I resided there (1814–15) as sovereign of the island during his exile from France. His house, the Villa dei Mulini, is preserved as a museum.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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