Piombino

Piombino, a former principality of Italy, lies along the coast opposite the island of Elba, the greater part of which belonged to it. Its extent was 139 sq. m.; and its population, previous to its incorporation with Italy in 1860, about 25,000. Piombino, originally a fief of the empire, came in the 14th century into the possession of the Appiani, who, after ruling it for nearly 200 years, made way for the Buoncompagni, who were expelled by Napoleon in 1801; but after the Congress of Vienna the principality was put under the suzerainty of Tuscany. The town of Piombino (pop. 4000), on a promontory 50 miles S. of Leghorn, has iron-rolling mills.