The Castle of Populonia, the Medieval Tower, and the Fortress of the Appiani
“Populonia, up there overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea”
“As for Poplonium, it is situated on a high promontory that makes an abrupt descent into the sea and forms a peninsula” (Stravo, V.2.6.C.223)
Among ancient references to Populonia, this one from the Greek geographer Strabo strikes at the essence of the defensive and strategic importance of its location, in view of Elba Island, Corsica, Sardinia, and the nearby “Metalbearing Hills” (Colline Metallifere) around Campiglia. Despite the many changes it had witnessed over time, the tiny village of medieval Populonia continued part of the function that the ancient and important Etruscan centered played in the territory. Today, Populonia remains as a small, medieval hilltop settlement atop a promontory, enlivened with shops, traditional restaurants and cultural events oriented around the Etruscan Museum and the Medieval Tower. The Castle of Populonia as a bona fide fortification, equipped with a look-out tower and defensive wall, on the hilltop where, in the Etruscan period, stood the towering city of Populonia. Some remains of the ancient city center are yet preserved along the northern slopes of the hillside.
Not to be missed
The curiosities of the Castle of Populonia, Medieval Tower and Fortress of the Appiani
The tower of Populonia, also called the Torre dell’Assunta, was built in the course of the 12th century by Pisa. For centuries, it served a fundamental role in the maritime and terrestrial defensive system.
The fortified center was built at the beginning of the 15th century following the wishes of the Appiani, lords of Piombino, as a defensive bulwark along the northern border of the nascent State of Piombino.
In the 16th century, the landholding estate of Populonia became property of the Desideri family from Piombino. Count Giovanni Desideri (1800-1879), an expert in agrarian science and enthusiast of antiquity, introduced the cultivation of corn.
