Hotel history
Meanwhile, Raffaello thought about starting to sell ice cream along the streets of Castiglioncello. He used to travel with an old barrow, full load with ice cream, towed by a gentle donkey named Dorotea. Dressed in withe, with the boater on his head, Raffaello shouted “Come on, come on Dorotea!” or “Ice cream, ice cream… come on kids cry and your mother will buy them for you!”. This original idea was a huge source of income so he decided to transform the old barrow in a boat on wheels depicted with the image of the airship named Norge, the one which has flied over the North Pole.
Mrs Ebe retired and her place was covered by Gina the wife of Pasquale since 1929. The Bar Norge became more and more modern, the basement room was arrange as game and billiards room. When Raffaello, at only 54 years old, was gone he left everything to his son Pasquale who, strong of his father’s teachings, invented the “Cassatina Dai-Dai” in his memory. So was named even the new dancing club he opened in 1939 in Castiglioncello: “Dai-Dai”. On the dance floor of the club they used to play jazz all night long.
In the 40s, Pasquale Tancredi started to manage even the bar of the local fascist headquarter, but only for a few months.
In the 50s the Dai-Dai club was closed and new dancing club was opened: the “Cardellino”. On its terrace overlooking the sea there were two dance floors and an ice cream shop.
Today, of all of these businesses only the Elba Hotel is still open. It is run by the daughter of Pasquale, Giuliana Tancredi who has always helped him.
Completely renovated in 1986, Hotel Elba has enlarged some bathrooms in 2009 and equipped them with a shower box of 80×120 with crystal panels and modern sanitary facilities Pozzi Ginori.
