Museo napoleonico Palazzina dei Mulini, Napoleon Museum in Portoferraio, Italy.
The Palazzina dei Mulini, also known as the Museo napoleonico, is a villa on a rocky headland above the port of Portoferraio, on the island of Elba. Its rooms are spread across several floors and open onto a garden facing the sea.
The villa was built in 1724 by Grand Duke Gian Gastone de' Medici. When Napoleon arrived on Elba in May 1814, he had it converted into his main residence, leaving it in February 1815 to return to France.
Napoleon's personal library is still in place, with books by Voltaire and Plutarch on the shelves. The Empire-style furniture and original decor give a sense of how he spent his days during exile.
The villa has limited opening hours and admits only a set number of visitors per day, so checking ahead is a good idea. Comfortable shoes help, as the floors inside are uneven in places.
The garden holds an ancient Greek marble statue of Minerva, which has no direct connection to Napoleon himself. Next to it stands a copy of Canova's Galatea, an unexpected pairing that visitors often walk past without noticing.
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