The lush and silent valley of San Martino in Portoferraio is confirmed as the cultural epicenter of the Elban spring. TheItalo Bolano Open Air Museum officially opened its 2026 summer season with an extraordinary and deeply identifiable exhibition, "ITALO BOLANO. EI FU. The Pictorial Cycle of Napoleon."

The exhibition creates an ideal temporal and artistic bridge just a few meters from the famous Villa Napoleonica in San Martino, offering visitors a close dialogue between the great history of exile and the languages of the contemporary.

The romantic hero among canvases, ceramics and glass monuments

The exhibition offers a fine selection of the more than 200 works that Elba-based artist Italo Bolano (1936-2020) dedicated to the figure of Bonaparte throughout his entire production. The exhibition runs both inside and outside the museum, showcasing the artist's material versatility:

• The works on display: A rich collection of striking canvases, works on paper and fine ceramics.

• Steel Monuments: The monumental steel and glass dallas tribute created for the bicentennial of the exile is temporarily on display in the garden of the Airone Hotel in San Giovanni, awaiting its final location in the Port of Portoferraio. A second Napoleonic monument, with a more conceptual and abstract slant, instead welcomes visitors directly inside the Open Air Museum Park.

An intimate and conceptual Napoleon

For Italo Bolano, the figure of Napoleon was never simply a historical celebration, but an artistic obsession linked to the familiarity that only those born in Elba can develop toward the great exile. As pointed out in art historian Erica Romano's critical text:

"Bolano has gradually shifted the needle of the scales from the historical process to the more symbolic and intimate one, to speak in his painting of the drama that distinguishes the Romantic hero, characterized by individualism and rebellion, instincts, passions and anxieties, which much resembles the very soul of the artist."

Practical Information and Schedules

• Location: Open Air Museum Italo Bolano, Località San Martino, Portoferraio.

• Opening hours: * Monday: 3:00 pm to 8:00 pm.

  • Tuesday through Saturday: 10:00 am to 2:00 pm and 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm.

  • Sunday and Monday mornings: closed.

• Who it's for: Contemporary art enthusiasts, lovers of Napoleonic storytelling, cultural tourists, and anyone looking for a quiet and beautiful experience in the Elban countryside.