Valley of the Tomb, Former grave site in Sane Valley, Saint Helena

The Valley of the Tomb is Napoleon's original burial site in the Sane Valley on Saint Helena. A flat pale stone slab, its edges mottled reddish-brown, lies low on a grassy slope inside a rectangular black iron fence with vertical bars and simple corner posts. The enclosure sits below a low stone retaining wall topped with shrubs and flowering plants.

Napoleon Bonaparte was buried here from 1821 to 1840, before French authorities transferred his remains to Les Invalides in Paris. The empty grave remained as a memorial site and reflects the period of British dominance in the South Atlantic.

The valley was first called Sane Valley, and Napoleon, who walked here, called it the Valley of the Geraniums. Twelve cypresses were planted in honour of his twelve victories, and araucarias followed in 1858; an olive was planted in 1921 for the centenary of his death. The slab inside the railing stays blank because Hudson Lowe and Montholon could not agree on the inscription.

The tomb lies in the Sane Valley, part of the French Domains of Saint Helena along with Longwood House and Briars. The site is reached on foot through the valley, and the enclosure stands on a grassy slope below a low stone retaining wall topped with shrubs. The property is administered by a French representative under the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Until 1840 a British guard under an officer watched the grave, fearing the remains would be stolen. The slab itself stayed blank: General Montholon wanted only "NAPOLEON", Governor Hudson Lowe insisted on "Bonaparte", and no agreement was reached.