Napoleon's field tent on show in Portoferraio

Even when he was in battle Napoleon loved to be surrounded by any possible comforts that might make his life a little easier, especially small copies of the royal objects he had in his villas, so he had a large "field" tent made for him, with many objects and pieces of furniture that were similar to the original ones he had in his villas, that could be moved about easily and that in some way reminded him of home.

Napoleon's tent is made from cotton and linen, has blue and white stripes, and has red, woollen fringes all round; it also has an outer brim with pegs. He always had the tent set up in the middle of his headquarters so it would stand out from all the rest. He also stayed in this tent when he was on the Island of Elba, both in the garden of the Villa dei Mulini and that of the Villa San Martino, while he was waiting for the work on these villas to be completed. Even his appointment with Maria Walewska in September 1814, while on a visit to the Madonna del Monte in Marciana, took place in his tent.

The original tent, recently renovated by the Mobilier National, for the first time in Italy is on show from June to September in the Demidoff Gallery in San Martino (Portoferraio), inside the Napoleonic National Museum.

The exhibition is divided into two parts - day and night - and visitors can fully experience the magical atmosphere of the past and appreciate the wonder of Napoleon's stay on the island.