From iron city to seaside resort.
The processing of iron extracted on the Island of Elba was flourishing in the Gulf of Follonica as early as the sixth century BC, and in 1546 the Appiani had a foundry built there.
But the urban center of Follonica only developed after 1836, when Leopoldo II established the administrative center of the foundries in the area. The importance that iron has played in the history of Follonica is evident at every step.
Since the mid-1960s, with the closure of the foundries and the enhancement of its strategic position, between the endless green of the pine forests and the crystalline sea of the Gulf, Follonica has been one of the most popular seaside resorts in Tuscany.
The Church of San Leopoldo and the ancient foundry
The Church of San Leopoldo is a fine example of religious cast iron architecture, and the complex of the former Ilva industrial foundry, closed in 1963, is now part of the cultural heritage of Follonica and home to the Museum of Cast Iron Arts. A huge neo-Gothic gate, entirely of iron and richly decorated, welcomes the visitor to this nineteenth-century industrial area.
The Civic Art Gallery of Follonica
Follonica is also an interesting artistic center, with the “Amedeo Modigliani” Civic Art Gallery located on the lively seafront, and which houses about 180 works by contemporary Italian and foreign artists, including Annigoni, Picasso and Dalì.