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| Where | Portoferraio - San Martino area |
|---|---|
| How to get there | A large parking area is located just a few meters from the avenue leading to Villa di San Martino, suitable for both cars and buses. Part of the area is free, while some spaces are paid. From here, the villa is reached by a short walk along the tree-lined avenue. Served by the local bus service. |
| Opening hours | Monday: closed
Tuesday and Thursday: 9:00 am - 1:30 pm (last entry at 1:00 pm) Wednesday and Friday: 2:00 pm - 6:30 pm (last entry at 6:00 pm) Saturday, Sunday and holidays: 9:00 am - 1:30 pm (last entry at 1:00 pm) |
| Info | For safety reasons, entry to Villa di San Martino is limited to 25 people at a time. |
| Temporary exhibitions | In 2026, the retrospective exhibition "50 Years of Creation" by sculptor Andrea Roggi was inaugurated, set up between Villa San Martino, Palazzina dei Mulini, and the Molo Elba in Portoferraio. The sculptures interact with the historic settings of the Napoleonic residences, creating a fascinating encounter between contemporary art, history, and landscape. |
| Tickets | Full price € 5.00 / Reduced € 2.00
Reductions and free admission according to the regulations for state museums. |
| Accessibility for disabled visitors | Partial: the ground floor is easily accessible, but access to the first floor requires climbing stairs. |
| Filming and photo purchase | by prior arrangement with the director, according to current regulations |
| Use of spaces | limited to the garden |
| Visitor experience | Suitable for visitors over 65 - Suitable for families with children - Dogs not allowed |
| Contacts | phone +39 0565 914688 |
The Villa di San Martino, Napoleon's summer residence, is set in the countryside about 5 km from Portoferraio. Napoleon bought the property from the Manganaro family in 1814, intending to transform it into a comfortable and refined home to rival the Parisian residences. He made several changes, including enlarging the building, renovating the façade, creating an airy hanging garden overlooking the Portoferraio bay, and decorating the interiors.
Did you know? Napoleon also planned to create an Elban winery. He planted several types of vines, even imagining two labels: the red Côte de Rio, inspired by the mineral-rich red mountains, and the white Monte Giove, recalling the granite of the mountain of the same name.
The original Napoleonic residence extends above the Demidoff Gallery. The sober exterior architecture is enriched inside with two floors of rooms and halls designed by architect Bargigli and frescoed by Turin-born Vincenzo Antonio Revelli.
Of particular interest on the second floor are the Egyptian Room, where an octagonal basin holds papyrus plants and the walls depict a trompe l'oeil of the Egyptian countryside, and the Love Knot Room, whose ceiling fresco symbolizes the love between Napoleon and Maria Luisa, represented by two doves flying apart while tightening the love knot.
The majestic neoclassical architecture that welcomes visitors is thanks to Count Anatoly Demidoff, husband of Napoleon's niece Matilde di Monfort, who bought the villa in 1851. Demidoff, a great art collector and admirer of Napoleon's exploits, planned to build a large museum to house his collection of Napoleonic relics and commissioned the construction of a gallery that still bears his name.
The Demidoff Gallery stretches at the foot of the original residence and inside you can admire engravings, lithographs, and etchings. There are numerous portraits of Napoleon as general and emperor, his family members, officers of the Grande Armée, and major battles, as well as many anecdotal and satirical images.
The gallery also displays the original Galatea sculpture by Canova, for which Paolina Borghese is said to have posed, originally intended to adorn the gardens of the Palazzina dei Mulini.
Between 2025 and 2026, the complex underwent a major restoration funded by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR). The work focused mainly on the historic park, restoring paths, plant architecture, fountains, ornamental basins, and the historic Napoleon Fountain. Accessibility was also improved and the relationship between the villa and the surrounding landscape enhanced, offering visitors a route immersed in over 35,000 square meters of historic park.
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