Spiaggia Sansone

Physical

A beach on the island of Elba near Portoferraio, with white quartz and granite pebbles and very clear water. The sea floor is pale and the light passes through to depths of 8–10 metres. There is no built infrastructure. Access is on foot only.

Social

Visitors willing to walk and carry their own equipment. No facilities, no beach club. People spread out on the pebbles and spend the day in the water. The selection of visitors by physical access is part of the character of the place.

Context

Elba is known as the site of Napoleon's first exile (1814–1815). The island has a history of iron ore mining. Spiaggia Sansone sits within the Parco Nazionale dell'Arcipelago Toscano, the largest marine protected area in the Mediterranean Sea.

Environment

Located within the Parco Nazionale dell'Arcipelago Toscano, the largest marine protected area in the Mediterranean.

Taxonomy

• Symbiotic Shore
• Integrated Body + Domestic Body
• Active Negotiation
• Ritual Season
• Endemic Community + Middle-Class Holiday
• Geological Architecture
• Visible Threshold + Chromatic Field