San Martino Villa and Demidoff Gallery

The Villa di San Martino, Napoleon's summer residence, is located in the countryside, about 5 km from Portoferraio.

Napoleon purchased the property from the Manganaro family in 1814, intending to transform it into a comfortable and refined residence that would rival the Parisian residences. He made several changes, including: expanding the building, restructuring the facade, with the creation of a spacious hanging garden overlooking the Portoferraio bay, and decorating the interiors.

Fun fact: Napoleon also planned to establish a wine business in Elba. He had various types of vineyards planted, envisioning two wine labels: the red Côte de Rio, inspired by the red color of the mineral-rich mountains, and the white Monte Giove, named after the granite of the homonymous peak.

The original Napoleonic residence is located above the Demidoff Gallery. The exterior architecture is quite simple, but inside it is enriched with two floors of rooms and halls designed by architect Bargigli and frescoed by Turin artist Vincenzo Antonio Revelli.

Noteworthy on the second floor are the Egyptian room, where an octagonal basin contains papyrus plants and the walls feature a trompe l'oeil of the Egyptian countryside, and the love knot room, whose ceiling fresco symbolizes the love between Napoleon and Maria Luisa, depicted by two doves pulling apart, tying the love knot.

The majestic neoclassical architecture that welcomes visitors is due to Count Anatoly Demidoff, the husband of Napoleon's niece Matilde di Monfort, who bought the villa in 1851. Demidoff, a great art collector and admirer of Napoleon's achievements, planned to build a great museum to house his collection of Napoleonic memorabilia, commissioning the construction of a gallery that still bears his name.

The Demidoff Gallery extends at the foot of the original residence, and inside it is possible to see engravings, lithographs, and etchings. There are numerous portraits of Napoleon as a general and emperor, of his family, portraits of officers from the Grand Army and major battles, as well as many anecdotal and satirical images.

In the gallery rooms, you can also see the original Galatea sculpted by Canova, for which Paolina Borghese is said to have posed, and which was originally intended to embellish the gardens of the Palazzina dei Mulini.