Napoleon’s Museum – Vila Mulini

The Elba Island is well known throughout the entire world for a very important name in history – Napoleon Bonaparte.

After the defeat in Russia in 1812 and the Leipzig battle in 1813, Napoleon Bonaparte if forced to abdicate and he was exiled on Elba Island in 1814.

Practically, Elba Island was not actually a prison for Napoleon Bonaparte. He chose the Elba Island and during his exile there, on that little land surrounded by the sea and almost forgotten by the world, he brought up more innovations than almost any government. Thus, in this period of time, the Elba Island was united under one single flag and for the first time after many battles, Napoleon Bonaparte governs a territory that will always honoured.

ELBA TRIPS: Villa Mulini- Napoleon’s garden

Napoleon arrives in the Portoferraio area on the 3^rd of May 1914 and he is welcomed very dearly by the inhabitants. On the 4^th of May, the Mayor of Portoferraio offers Napoleon the symbolic keys of the city and declares that that moment “was the happiest one for the island”.

On Elba, Napoleon had two residencies: Vila Mulini in Portoferraio (the one that I visited) and Vila di San Martino situated at 6 km away from the city.

Vila Mulini is a very beautiful structure that faces the city and here Napoleon spent a very large period of his exile.

In order to reach the place, you need to climb up some steps (a very large number of them) that begin from the City Hall of Portoferraio. But once you get to the place, the view is simply breathlessly beautiful.

The Vila is relatively small but very well kept. Inside, there are a variety of gold plated objects that were kept from his time. Not every object belonged to him with the exception of some and the books in the library that bear his signature on the back of them.

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