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Origin and history

The House of the Emperor of Aix Island, built between 1808 and 1809, was originally built to serve as a residence for the commander of the square. Napoleon I stayed there from 8 to 15 July 1815, after his defeat at Waterloo, before going to the English. This house, located in the "town" of the island, is distinguished by its imposing architecture, contrasting with the modest fishing houses surrounding it. A commemorative plaque, added under the Second Empire, pays tribute to the Emperor with a solemn inscription.

Napoleon occupied a room with yellow hangings, chosen for its multiple exits and its view of the Basques. It was in this room that he wrote, on 13 July 1815, his letter of surrender to the Prince-Regent of England, a historical document whose draft is now on display. Accompanied by his faithful (Bertrand, Gourgaud, Savary, etc.), he finally left France from the island of Aix, marking the end of his reign and the beginning of his exile to St Helena.

The house became a museum in 1928 thanks to the initiative of Baron Napoleon Gourgaud, great grandson of General Gaspard Gourgaud, a companion of Napoleon. With his wife Eva Gebhard, he acquired the property in 1926 and brought together a collection of Napoleonic objects: furniture, weapons, portraits, and pendulums arrested at the time of the Emperor's death. Classified as a historical monument in 1925 (house) and 1934 (gardens), the house also houses an ash grafted by Napoleon, still alive today.

The museum, given to the state in 1933, is now attached to the Napoleonic National Museums. His collections include works by renowned artists (Isabey, Chinard, Girodet-Trioson) and rare documents, such as the diary of La Saale, a frigate who had transported Napoleon. A room is dedicated to the Gourgaud family, patron of the project, with photographs and a liber amicorum containing a drawing by Matisse.

The gardens, classified in 1934, surround the house and house two walled spaces: one of 700 m2 adjoining Napoleon's bedroom, the other of 1,040 m2 near the neighbouring African Museum. These spaces, as well as the facade adorned with an imperial eagle, testify to the Napoleonic heritage preserved on the island. The museum, accessible on foot from the landing, perpetuates the memory of the epic and the fall of the Emperor.

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