An island in the middle of nowhere
Saint Helena lies about 1,900 kilometres off the coast of Africa. Napoleon arrived in October 1815 with a small household and was later lodged at Longwood House, a damp building on a windswept plateau.
Writing the legend
With the help of companions he dictated his memories of the campaigns. These accounts, published after his death, did much to turn the exiled emperor into a romantic hero.
Death and return
Napoleon died on 5 May 1821. Nearly twenty years later his remains were brought back to France and placed in Les Invalides in Paris, where they still lie.