Returning to an exile whose footprints are still strong today..
On 11 April 1814, following the failure of the Russian campaign and the signing of the Treaty of Fontainebleau, Napoleon Bonaparte obtained ownership of the island of Elba in exchange for his abdication. The objective of the Allies was clear: to distance the former emperor from European policy; this is why the term "exile" is somewhat overused, it is more in keeping with a distancing. Or, we can now say, a confinement... Important clarification, it was Napoleon himself who chose the island of Elba (Malta and Corfu were part of the list proposed by the British). Why did he choose Elba? Because it was French territory at the time, because his sister Elisa was in Tuscany, and several of his soldiers lived on Elba - including Leopold Hugo, father of Victor Hugo.
After four days at sea, the English frigate, with the deposed emperor on board, dropped anchor in Portoferraio. To the sound of drum rolls and the applause of the crowd, Napoleon, standing and stoic, discovers his new capital. On May 4, 1814, the people of Elba can read a proclamation in the port stating: "The happiest event that could ever illustrate the history of the island of Elba took place on this day! Our august sovereign Emperor Napoleon has arrived among us. Our wishes are fulfilled: the happiness of the island of Elba is assured... Let us unite around his sacred person, let us compete with zeal and fidelity to serve him...".
The island of Elba at that time had about 12,000 souls, 3,000 of whom were in Portoferraio. From May 4, 1814 to February 26, 1815, the sovereign reigned with rigor over his small kingdom of barely 224 square kilometers: new road and agricultural infrastructures, changes in the arsenal of laws, modernization of town planning, stimulation of the economy, and even a new flag.This is the perfect opportunity to take a closer look at this elboise cockade, white, crossed by a diagonal red stripe and sown with three golden bees.
The creation of the flag of the island of Elba was ordered by Napoleon on his way to his new kingdom, while he was still aboard theUndaunted, the English frigate that set sail from Saint-Raphaël on 29 April 1814 at 11 am. This flag was hoisted in Portoferraio, on Fort Stella, on the evening of 3 May 1814, when the Emperor landed on the Elba.
For the first time in its history, the island was then unified under a single flag; today the administration is still divided into eight communes. Despite various interpretations, the three bees have a very specific meaning and symbolise the link with the Merovingian dynasty. Indeed, a golden bee was found in the tomb of King Childeric I. Similarly, in ancient Egypt, the bee was a symbol of power and evoked toil, obedience and fidelity. The bee was dear to Napoleon, and by choosing this imperial symbolism he wanted to give the island a sense of unity during his reign.
The new flag of Elba was so successful that, as Pons de l'Hérault writes in Souvenirs et anecdotes de l'île d'Elba, the barbarian pirates greeted it in the open sea, seeing it as the symbol of a warrior hero in the person of Napoleon.
An ostensible life on a mini-empire
Napoleon resided mainly in Portoferraio, in the Palazzina dei Mulini, which was refurbished according to his requirements. This representative residence is located in the heart of the Medicean fortress complex. The quality of these defensive works was renowned throughout Europe. As soon as he arrived on the island of Elba, the emperor had noticed the strategic position of the Mulini, both protected by two forts and situated on a hill overlooking the sea. A palace easy to defend!
When the summer temperature climbs, Napoleon heads for San Martino, his country residence, discovered at random during a horse ride. He was seduced by this quiet valley, planted with vines, which also enjoys a wide panorama of the sea and Portoferraio. A mile away from the Mulini family, this rustic summer residence, acquired in June 1814, is probably the best preserved Napoleonic relic on the island of Elba.
From 23 August to 5 September 1814, Napoleon stayed at the Sanctuary of the Madonna del Monte, near Marciana, immersed in a landscape as hostile as it is poetic, made up of steep slopes. It was a strategic place where the ex-emperor could observe the movement of ships, as he would later do on Saint Helena . From there he communicated secretly with the help of an optical telegraph with articulated arms on the rock of dell'Aquila. This high rocky scree indeed evokes an eagle with outstretched wings, with the Elbo coast cut out in the east and Corsica in the west in the distance.
At the time, a lot was known about the emperor: the speed of his meals, his frequent baths, his habit of sleeping in camp beds... But we never knew where he was! On the island of Elba, Bonaparte felt very vulnerable, because for the first time, everyone knew where he was... And even what he was drinking! Namely, the island's famous sweet wine, Aleatico, whose production and prestige were increased by the emperor.
The eyes of the whole world were then fixed on the island of Elba, which became a principality in 1814. Under the official supervision of the British commissioner Sir Neil Campbell (1776-1827), every fact and every gesture of Napoleon's life was watched and subjected to the curiosity of a veritable crowd of "tourists" who came to the island to get a closer look at such a famous character.Achievements, reforms, improvements, projects ... in an "operetta kingdom"
During his exile, Napoleon's entourage was numerous and therefore costly. In addition to the 675 grenadiers of the Guard and 54 Polish light horses who came to join the emperor, there was a battalion recruited locally and a Corsican battalion recruited on his native island. A host of civil servants complete this diplomatic picture which revolves, sometimes between intrigue and manoeuvres, around the "master".
One of the faithful, General Drouot (1774-1847), followed Napoleon to the island of Elba and became its military governor. Henri-Gatien Bertrand (1773-1844), Grand Marshal of the Palace and Napoleon's military adviser, became Minister of the Interior. Also Cambronne, commander of the Portoferraio square, was one of his main companions in misfortune. Not forgetting André Pons de l'Hérault (1772-1853), scribe and confidant of Napoleon during his island exile. In 1809, to reward him for his military career, the emperor appointed him administrator of the iron mines of Rio Marina. Very popular and committed to social progress, he instituted bonuses, increased the miners' wages, and provided the village with a doctor and a relief and pension fund.
Of Napoleon's close entourage, only his mother, Letizia, and his sister, Paolina, came to join him. His wife Marie-Louise never came, and his mistress Marie Walewska, accompanied by their young son, only visited him for two days.The end of the Elbo reign and the return of the Eagle
But Napoleon, convinced that the French were only waiting for his return, only thought of taking back power in Paris. Confined, however, he was aware of the growing unpopularity of Louis XVIII, the threats to the achievements of the Revolution, the instability between the European powers, but also of the infidelity of his wife, Marie-Louise of Austria. It is said that the emperor, in order to plan his return from exile in peace and without fear of spies, liked to walk the paths near his country house in San Martino. Perhaps this was also a clever ploy? It was
on February 26, 1815, around 7 p.m., that Napoleon bid farewell to the island's officials. Informed by spies of the absence of the English representative Neil Campbell in the port of Portoferraio, he escaped from Elba Island aboard L'Inconstant
(it can't be invented!), followed by six other ships. This escape, far from being a sudden escape, was meticulously prepared. On his departure, Napoleon exclaimed: "Goodbye Elbois! I entrust you with my mother and my sister. Farewell my friends, you are the brave men of Tuscany! "And the crowd replied in Italian: "E viva l'Imperatore! E viva Napoleone! "Bonaparte landed on March1st
on the coast of Provence, at Golfe-Juan, with 900 pomegranate trees. The time has come for the reconquest of France. The ranks of his supporters swelled as the march went on. Napoleon returned to Paris on 20 March 1815 and made a triumphant entry into the Tuileries Palace, from which King Louis XVIII had fled in haste the day before. His return to power would last 100 days, until the military defeat at Waterloo on 18 June 1815.Today, Napoleon continues to vibrate in the air and in the waters of Elba Island. Just look at the excitement of the islanders - and tourists passing through - at events linked to the emperor, such as the Maggio Napoleonico. Since 1852, a mass has been celebrated in the Church of Mercy in Portoferraio every 5th May in honour of Bonaparte. Between exhibitions, debates and festivities, the jubilant city sees a parade of extras in period costumes.
The Elba, an island of foam, an imperial "confetti"..
