Word of the Day
Elba (ELL-buh)
Common clues: Where Napoleon was exiled; Island off Tuscany; Site of a historic exile
Crossword puzzle frequency: 6 times a year
Frequency in English language: 49142/86800
Elba is an island in Tuscany, Italy, 20 km from the coastal town of Grosseto.
Elba is the biggest island of the Tuscan Archipelago, and the third biggest Italian island. Elba and other islands of the Tuscan Archipelago (Pianosa, Capraia, Montecristo, Giglio and Giannutri) are protected in the National Park of the Tuscan Archipelago.
The island is divided into eight communes: the capital Portoferraio, Campo nell'Elba, Capoliveri, Marciana, Marciana Marina, Porto Azzurro, Rio Marina and Rio nell'Elba.
Following the Treaty of Fontainebleau, French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte was exiled to Elba when overthrown (the first time), inspiring the famous palindrome: "Able was I ere I saw Elba." Napoleon stayed on Elba for 9 months and 21 days, being given the title "Emperor of Elba." During these months, partly to pass the time and partly out of a genuine concern for the well-being of the people, he carried out a series of economic and social reforms to improve the quality of life on Elba. Napoleon eventually escaped Elba and returned to France on February 26, 1815.
More recently, the island has become famed for its wine.
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Elba".
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