Toremar is the Official Carrier of the 1814-2014 Bicentenario Napoleonico celebrations. Napoleon Emperor on Elba

The calendar of events for the Napoleon Emperor on Elba celebrations

The programme revolves around cultural and folkloric events celebrating Napoleon's time on Elba.

Highlights of the cultural calendar include the Tenda di Napoleone (Napoleon's Tent) exhibition in the Demidoff gallery of Villa San Martino and the reproduction of Villa dei Mulini following the first round of renovations to return the villa to Napoleon's original design.

Folkloric events include a re-enactment of Napoleon's landing surrounded by officials, his guard and locals celebrating his arrival. Portoferraio was both the site of his singular exile and a new capital.

Napoleon, whose influence on Europe extends far beyond his political and military triumphs, also had a major impact on the legislation and organization of Elba and Portoferraio, because the Emperor developed its roads, mines, agriculture, and the city that was to take on the functions and symbols of the Bourgeois revolution of the late-18th century, from its theatre to its hospital, and more.

The bicentenary celebrations do not stop here. Napoleon's feats were and are also a popular subject for theatre and film.

In short, Elba is preparing a stage where the emperor will star in all his varied glory.

Napoleon's year of celebrations will officially open with a prologue on 11 April featuring a seminar on the Treaty of Fontainebleau, which saw Napoleon banished to Elba, from where, within under a year, he returned to reconquer France, was bitterly defeated at Waterloo and was exiled to another island, the somewhat less hospitable Saint Helena far off in the Atlantic Ocean.

On 4 May there will be a re-enactment of his landing, the Te Deum in the cathedral and the handing over of the city's keys, followed by dance parties, markets, shows, regattas, concerts, film screenings, fireworks displays in Portoferraio for the 15th of August celebrations preceded by the Palio dell'Antenna regatta in Porto Azzurro on the 14th, the re-enactment of the meeting with Maria Waleska at the Madonna del Monte di Marciana, and so on, culminating on 20 February 2015 in the Emperor's departure for San Juan and his final destiny as an exile after his triumphant return to Paris and radical defeat at Waterloo.

However, that is already another story where Elba is concerned. The island has retained its ties with the Emperor, who, 200 years on, still provides an opportunity for growth and innovation from Portoferraio to the mines in Rio and Capoliveri, via the granitic slopes of Monte Capanne.

Further information and the calendar of events can be found at http://www.napoleoneimperatoreelba2014.it/