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Foresiana Library in Portoferraio

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  1. Island of Elba
  2. The Island of Elba
  3. Places to see
  4. Museums and archeological sites
  5. Foresiana Library

The Foresiana has a vast number of books of historical and cultural importance, second only to the Labronica Library

Where Portoferraio - c/o De Laugier Cultural Center - Piazzale De Laugier
How to get there Starting from Piazza Cavour, walk along the Municipality building and take Salita Napoleone. On the left, a small but steep climb leads to the piazza of the De Laugier Barracks.
Library hours The library is currently closed. The newspaper archive, part of the ancient collection, and the journals of the Napoleonic Studies Center are available for consultation. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, the Historical Archive can also be consulted.
To access these services, you must submit an access request by sending an email at least two days in advance to biblioteca@comune.portoferraio.li.it or archivielba@comune.camponellelba.li.it (for the Municipal Historical Archive)
Children's section at the Public Gardens of Ghiaie Readings aloud: Monday to Friday from 4:30 PM to 7:00 PM
Creative workshops: by reservation.
biblioteca.ragazzi@comune.portoferraio.li.it

The origin of the Library is linked to the name of Napoleon Bonaparte, who, leaving the island to head towards the end of his imperial adventure, donated his private library to the citizens of Portoferraio. At the time, it consisted of about 2,000 volumes. Before his departure into exile, Napoleon had selected about 1,000 volumes from the two libraries of the Fontainebleau Castle, including works on history, literature (including the first history of French literature by Lycée), military art, geography, legislation, Greek and Latin classics. During his ten months in exile, he also had sent to him by his uncle, Cardinal Fesch, another hundred books, including a Bible in 17 volumes, and more from the Military Genius and publishers in Livorno, Genoa, and Civitavecchia.

As soon as Napoleon left the island, Mayor Traditi took care of the library, which was cataloged and, by the summer of 1815, opened to the public. After the defeat of Waterloo, the return of the volumes to their previous owners, the transfer of works from one place to another with the subsequent loss and theft of volumes, the original nucleus (now kept inside the Palazzina dei Mulini) was reduced by about 1,000 units.

With the Unification of Italy, the Municipality of Portoferraio and the Ministry of Public Education worked to establish a rich Municipal Library around the important Napoleonic library collection, and for this purpose, they asked intellectuals, citizens, and institutions to donate books. Many responded to the appeal, including General Giuseppe Garibaldi, who sent pamphlets given to him by patriots, and the humanist Mario Foresi, who donated 14,000 volumes of great historical and cultural value, and to whom, not coincidentally, the library owes its name.

Today, in addition to the historical collections from the Napoleonic core, the precious 16th-century volumes in the Foresi collection, signed books by authors such as D'Annunzio, and the Roster (creator of the Ottone Botanical Garden) and Reiter (who contributed important works on the Napoleonic Empire and World War I) collections, the Foresiana Library also has a section entirely dedicated to Elba and the Tuscan Archipelago and ancient newspapers that recount the past events of the island and its citizens.

Biblioteca Foresiana

Further reading

Following the footsteps of Napoleon

Related links

De Laugier BarracksForesiana Picture Gallery
  • 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
  • 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
  • Elba in winter
  • Paths and tracksin Elba
  • Gerring married on the Island of Elba
  • How many beaches are there in Elba?
  • History of Elba
  • Geology of Elba
  • Towns of Elba
  • Interesting facts
  • Media Gallery
  • Webcams

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