Innamorata Festival (Legend of the Innamorata)

The Innamorata Festival of Capoliveri

The Innamorata Festival, also known as the Legend of the Innamorata, is one of the most beloved historical re-enactments on the Island of Elba. It takes place every year on July 14th in Capoliveri, in the heart of the Province of Livorno, Tuscany, transforming the hilltop village and its beach into an open-air stage suspended between history, sea, and legend.

The legend of Maria and Lorenzo

The festival commemorates a love story set in 1534: Maria and Lorenzo, two young people from different social backgrounds, loved each other in secret on the beach later named "dell'Innamorata". Their story was shattered the day corsair ships raided the coast: Lorenzo was captured by Saracen pirates and Maria, in despair, threw herself into the sea to reach him, leaving only her shawl, the "Ciarpa", on the shore. The tradition of the thousand torches lit on the beach dates back to the Spanish nobleman Don Cardenas, who wanted to illuminate the bay so that Maria's soul could find her beloved.

The pageant and the torchlight procession

The evening begins with the lighting of a thousand torches in the Innamorata bay. A historical pageant then departs from the old town, with over a hundred participants in 17th-century attire crossing the streets and squares of the village - including Via Roma, Piazza della Fortezza, Piazza Matteotti, and Piazza Garibaldi - before finally descending towards the beach. Here, a young woman from Capoliveri, playing the role of Maria, dives from the Scoglio della Ciarpa, re-enacting the legendary gesture.

The Disfida della Ciarpa

The competitive heart of the festival is the Disfida della Ciarpa, a rowing challenge between four boats representing the four districts of historic Capoliveri: Il Fosso (green), La Fortezza (blue), Il Baluardo (red), and La Torre (yellow). The districts compete for Maria's shawl, and the winning district earns the honor of delivering the Ciarpa. The re-enactment is also accompanied by arias from Giuseppe Verdi's opera "Il Corsaro".

Atmosphere and tradition

The festival is organized by the Historical Re-enactment Committee with the support of the Municipality of Capoliveri. The event, resumed in its current form in 1985 after interruptions due to conflicts, concludes late at night with dancing on the beach, spectacular fireworks, and the traditional midnight swim in the sea. It is a defining event for the Elban community and one of the most moving experiences for those visiting the Island of Elba in summer.

Why attend

• An authentic historical re-enactment deeply felt by the Capoliveri community.
• The unique scenery of the Innamorata beach illuminated by a thousand torches.
• The spectacular Disfida della Ciarpa rowing challenge between the four districts.
• Fireworks and a midnight swim to close the evening.