NAPOLEON’S ELBA

Evening Star, Issue 23123, 24 November 1938, Page 1

NAPOLEON’S ELBA

ISLAND TRANQUILLITY Whose idea was it that Napoleon should be sent to Elba? The island is little enough known even in these days, and must have seemed incredibly remote then to the few who knew it existed. Those who agreed could hardly have known that both Italy and Corsica could be seen from Elba’s hills, and would be an ever-present temptation to the Man of Destiny (writes the Roma correspondent of the London ‘ Sunday Times ’). Elba is still an out-of-the-way place. It probably shares with its smaller neighbour, Monte Cristo, the honour of being known by name throughout the world and yet visited by singularly few outsiders. When we decided to spend the summer vacation there we could get no first-hand information about the island in Rome. The only solution was evidently to go and see for ourselves. We did-, and felt amply repaid. In, this small corner of the world, a‘heap’ of mountains 25 miles long and only five miles wide at its narrowest, tranquillity is still to be found despite, the radio and despite a decree contemporary with ouit a|rival, making! Elba and the neighbouring islands a military zone. Tm» was announced by large placards threatening full rigours of the, law against anyone who made pictures, sketches,: or photographs of the scenery, towns, villages, ports or ships trading therein, or looked through tefescophs dr binoculars, and much more. to that effect. The islanders, an independent lot, wen rather sardonic about it. _ So they are about tourists. They like their old ways, and if visitors do not, they can go elsewhere; if they do, they are welcome. Most of them go only to see Napoleon’s house at San Martino, near Portoferraio, and an ugly ironworks. ' The Fascist Government has recently, begun tidying up Napoleon’s residence,' a modest country house commanding a, magnificent view of Portoferraio and the Piombino Channel. An ugly great house of the worst period of nineteenth, century marzipan architecture, which blocked the view, is being torn down. Some of Napoleon’s furniture and the silk curtains have been recovered, and the museum which he planned, is beingput in order. It is in the little scattered villages, however, that one feels the most intimate connection with Napoleon, -Soon after he arrived he took stock of his little kingdom, riding over the rough, mule paths which are still in soma places the only approach except by sea' to the remotest villages. The houses' where he stayed were marked in local memory. About a century later pious historians supplemented memories with marble slabs. Their wording varies, hut their content ,is the same. That oa the pink-washed walls of the milk shop at Marina di Gampo is typical. It is inscribed: “ In this modest house, wiiila, visiting the realm which destiny,, stronger than his genius, imposed oa him, Napoleon the Great stayed three days.” . , : At the western tip of the island a!rodky seat was carved for him on the side of a hill from which he could gaze on his native Corsica. During his nine months in Elba he reorganised the iron mines that are still the island’s chief, asset, and planned the roads that wind along the hillsides. After Waterloo the island reverted to the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, and to its ancient inconspicuousness.