Pomonte
Welcome to Pomonte: a charming hamlet on the Island of Elba
Located on the southwestern coast of the Island of Elba, Pomonte is a hamlet of the municipality of Marciana that will win you over with its breathtaking views and ancient history. In this article, I will guide you to discover its name, its history, and its ancient medieval village.
The origin of the name
The name Pomonte derives from the original form ''Pedemonte'', which means "at the foot of the mountain" in reference to Mount Capanne or "behind the mountain" from the Latin "post montem". The place name has evolved over time becoming ''Pemonte'' and ''Pomonte''. The third form appears in the Pisan documents of 1260 preserved at the Diocesan Historical Archive of Pisa. The name of its inhabitants, "pomontinchi", instead, comes from ''pumuntincu'' which means "beyond the mountain" in Latin.
The history of Pomonte
The original nucleus of the village, attested by documents from the XIII and XIV centuries, was located at 460 meters above sea level in the Pomonte Valley, the largest on the island. The ancient village, one of the communes of medieval Elba, was destroyed during the attacks of Khayr al-Din Barbarossa (1544) and Dragut (1553). From records of 1573 preserved at the Marciana Historical Archive, it is evident that there were saltworks and a seaport on the site of the current Pomonte, developed starting from the end of the XIX century.
On October 16, 1990, a large landslide of rocky debris was generated from the overlying Le Mure Plateau, partially engulfing the current village of Pomonte. However, thanks to the commitment of its inhabitants, the village was rebuilt and today it is a lively and welcoming place to spend your holidays.
The medieval village of Pedemonte
The remains of the medieval village are located in the locality "La Terra", on the right bank of the Pomonte Valley and facing Mount Cenno. The urban fabric of the village unfolded along a steep mountainside organized on terraces, and the houses had a covering in small slates of slate.
Near Pedemonte, there were numerous legume cultivations and the village had the small Church of San Benedetto in Pisan Romanesque style, of which only ruins remain. Documents dating back to 1260 mention the "Comune Pedemontis" or "Pomontis" and the village is mentioned in notarial deeds of Andrea Pupi from Peccioli (1343) and in the Pisa Admin Records (XIV century) preserved in Palazzo Toscanelli. Fragments of archaic Pisan majolica pottery and slate tiles from Pedemonte are preserved at the Archaeological Museum of Marciana.
Conclusions
Pomonte is a charming place that offers its visitors so much to discover, from its medieval origins to its ancient history. Spending your holidays in Pomonte will be an unforgettable experience to discover a unique landscape in the world.
