• Getting about

    Getting about

    Back
    • Rentals
    • Taxi services
    • Bus services
    • Park areas
  • Stays
  • Eat
  • Sea

    Sea

    Back
    • Beaches
    • Bathing establishments
    • Diving centers
    • Sailing
  • Guided excursions
  • Sports
  • Places to see
  • Special offers
  • Last minute offers
  • Ferries
Infoelba
  • Get to Elba
    • How to get there Getting to the Island of Elba
    • Ferries The shipping companies that connect the island
    • Getting about on the island Public transport and taxis
    • Hire Car, motorbike and boat hire/rental
  • Stay
    • Accommodation that is open all year round Booking a holiday farm centre, hotel or B&B all open in winter too
    • Hotels Hotels to meet all needs
    • Residences For an independent holiday
    • Bed & Breakfasts Always ready to discover the island
    • Apartments Feeling at home in Elba
    • Small villas and detached houses For an autonomous holiday
    • Villas Surrounded by luxury and relaxation
    • Farm holiday centres Nature and flavours everywhere
    • Campsites Socializing and having a good time surrounded by nature
    • Camper and caravan Parking, water tank and facility areas
    • Farm holiday campsites An open air holiday
    • Luxury accommodation For a dream vacation
    • Tourist agencies and realtors Let your holiday be organised for you
  • Eat
    • Restaurants and Pizzerias Typical sea, home or more refined cuisine
    • Food & Wine Experience Experiences of gastronomy and wine tasting
    • Local recipes The best dishes of the Elba cuisine
    • Wines Aleatico, Moscato and Ansonica: Elba wines
    • Herbs and typical products Honey, beer, oil, wild and aromatic plants
    • Typical dishes History and origins of Elba dishes
  • Useful information
    • ElbaOK Insurance The anti Covid-19 policy and much more
    • Useful phone numbers and addresses Public and emergency utilities
    • Weather Temperatures and weather forecast
    • Webcams A window always open on the Elbe
    • Apps for your smartphone Elba on your mobile
  • Visit Elba
    • Beaches and coasts A different beach each day
    • Places to see Museums, ancient monuments, breathtaking views
    • Tuscan Archipelago National Park Seven pearls rising up from the sea
    • Guided excursions Letting others take you round the island
    • Useful advice What to do if...
    • Maps of the Island of Elba The Island in the palm of your hand
    • I am... Elba just as it suits you
    • Recommended itineraries What can we go and see today?
  • Sports and free time
    • Water sports Scuba diving, going snorkelling, fishing, sailing
    • Land sports Cycling, trekking, free climbing!
    • Elba not to be missed The unmissable experiences to do on holiday
    • Outdoor sports Elba: A paradise for lovers of outdoor sports
    • Enjoyment and relaxation Night life, cinemas and much more
    • Courses and study trips Learn while you have fun
    • Shopping Scents, colors and flavors of Elba
    • Special events and exhibitions What shall we do this evening?
  • Discovering Elba
    • How many beaches are there in Elba? 126 beaches of 1000 colours
    • Paths and tracksin Elba 1000 paths to live the island to the full
    • Elba in winter Making the most of Elba all year round
    • Interesting facts A different Elba
    • History of Elba Historical notes concerning Elba and its origins
    • Geology of Elba Geological origins of the Island of Elba
    • Towns of Elba Administration of Elba and its eight Communes
    • Media Gallery Live and feel Elba through photographs
  • Webcams
Infoelba - Dove natura è vacanza
  • 0

A love story and a wedding on the Island of Elba in Napoleon's days

  • Looking for accommodation
  • Accommodation price and availability
  • Last minute booking
  • Offers
  • Ferry tickets
  • Real estate ads
  1. Island of Elba
  2. Discovering Elba
  3. Bicentenary Napoleon's death
  4. A love story in the days of Napoleon

A short film made from a document that was found in the historical archive

In 2021, year of the bicentenary of the death of Napoleon Bonaparte, the short film entitled "Love at the Time of Napoleon" came out on August 15th,date of birth of the Sovereign of the tiny Principality of Elba.

The project came about when a document in the parish archive in Porto Azzurro was found, and where a wedding is referred to that took place in the beautiful and very suggestive Sanctuary of Monserrato exactly on September 8th 1814, the day on which the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary is celebrated.

Jermanowski, a Polish Colonel, who had arrived in Elba with Napoleon in May, and who was later given the title of Commander of the Spanish Fort, was present at the wedding ceremony.

 

The film script was written by Gloria Peria and published in Rossella Celebrini's Elba Per2 magazine.

Looking out of the window of her house on the first floor of an antique building, Maria prepares the candles inside two glasses while a young soldier on patrol walking along the street below gives her a fleeting glance. They both glance at one another as the girl puts out the candle flame. The soldier is Giovanni, one of the soldiers in the Longone battalion who is a member of Napoleon's Elba battalion.

The two young lovers meet up in secret in the days that follow, and one day when the girl is on her way to Mass the man approaches her and asks her her name. From then onwards the two immediately fall in love.

Although they don't have many occasions to see eachother the soldier confesses to Maria that he fears Napoleon is planning to flee from Elba and to take his soldiers with him, meaning, naturally that the young soldier will have no choice but to follow the Emperor in his mad project.

In an attempt to avoid this happening Maria decides to ask the Virgin Mary for forgiveness and, in order to make a deeper and more genuine sacrifice the girl decides to go to the Maria Sanctuary that is farthest from her town: she goes to the Madonna del Monte in Marciana, and takes her nanny with her.

The young soldier, however, is assured by his superiors concerning Napoleon's intentions who in actual fact seems more occupied in frenetic, military movements across the island; since he has no intention of leaving Maria he decides to ask her to marry him. Giovanni and Maria are married in the Sanctuary of Monserrato on the 8th of September, the exact day when the birth of the Virgin Mary is celebrated, before the actual Mayor of Longone, Massimo Gasperi and Jermanowski the Polish Colonel whom Napoleon had just nominated Commander of the Spanish Fort.

After the ceremony the wedding celebrations take place at the farm of a friend of the family at the Tenuta della Chiusa in Magazzini.

Once the celabration is over Maria and her husband walk up to the Sanctuary of the Madonna del Monte to thank her for her forgiveness, and then places her much loved necklace made of coral from Elba round the statue of the Madonna's neck.

According to tradition, this is in actual fact a votive offering, a genuine sign of appreciation to thank the Madonna del Monte for having enabled Maria's dream to come true.

The idea of making a video of a Napoleonic wedding came to Rossella Celebrini and Alessandro Tozzi. The shooting, the editing and the directing were done by Daniele Fiaschi who is from Elba while the photography is by Matteo Migliozzi. Gloria Peria was the history consultant and Luca Ballosi and Ilaria Petrucci, head of the Petite Armée Association on the Island of Elba helped with the organization. The parts of Maria and Giovanni are played by Diletta Paoli and Tommaso Pozzetto.
Request a free quote 0 My choice
ElbaOk

Ensure your holidays with ElbaOK: the first insurance policy against any unexpected outcomes caused by the Coronavirus emergency, and much more.

Read more

Accommodation on the Island of Elba

Apartaments 206 Small villas and detached houses 14 Bed & breakfast 16 Hotels 76 Villas 5 Residences 44 Farm holiday centres 13 Campsites 19 Farm holiday campsites 1 Travel agencies 11 Estate agencies 1
  • Get to Elba
  • How to get there
  • Ferries
  • Getting about on the island
  • Hire
  • Stay
  • Accommodation that is open all year round
  • Hotels
  • Residences
  • Bed & Breakfasts
  • Apartments
  • Small villas and detached houses
  • Villas
  • Farm holiday centres
  • Campsites
  • Camper and caravan
  • Farm holiday campsites
  • Luxury accommodation
  • Tourist agencies and realtors
  • Eat
  • Restaurants and Pizzerias
  • Food & Wine Experience
  • Local recipes
  • Wines
  • Herbs and typical products
  • Typical dishes
  • Useful information
  • ElbaOK Insurance
  • Useful phone numbers and addresses
  • Weather
  • Webcams
  • Apps for your smartphone
  • Visit Elba
  • Beaches and coasts
  • Places to see
  • Tuscan Archipelago National Park
  • Guided excursions
  • Useful advice
  • Maps of the Island of Elba
  • I am...
  • Recommended itineraries
  • Sports and free time
  • Water sports
  • Land sports
  • Elba not to be missed
  • Outdoor sports
  • Enjoyment and relaxation
  • Courses and study trips
  • Shopping
  • Special events and exhibitions
  • Discovering Elba
  • How many beaches are there in Elba?
  • Paths and tracksin Elba
  • Elba in winter
  • Interesting facts
  • History of Elba
  • Geology of Elba
  • Towns of Elba
  • Media Gallery
  • Webcams

Infoelba non si assume alcuna responsabilità per l'uso di marchi e slogan usati dagli inserzionisti e per eventuali errate indicazioni.

Informa inoltre che i listini prezzi, orari, date o altro materiale informativo pubblicato su questo sito è suscettibile a variazioni.

:: Siete quindi invitati a chiedere conferma alle strutture interessate ::

Infoelba

©1999-2023 Infoelba s.r.l. Unipersonale - Viale Teseo Tesei, 12 - Centro Servizi Il Molino - 57037 Portoferraio (LI)

P. IVA e C.F. 01130150491 - capitale sociale €10.000,00 i.v. - registro imprese numero 01130150491 - REA: LI - 100635

infoelba® it is a registered trademark - all rights reserved - Accesso all'area riservata - Privacy Policy - Cookie Policy