After the signing of the Treaty of Fontainebleau in 1814, French Emperor Napoleon I Bonaparte was exiled to the island of Elba. He spent more than nine months there, mostly at the Villa San Martino. After his return to France, the villa remained abandoned for a long time until it came into the possession of Russian Prince Anatoly Demidov, the son of the Russian ambassador in Florence, who married Napoleon's granddaughter, Matilde Bonaparte.

In 1851, Demidov built the Demidov Gallery, a single-story neoclassical building designed by architect Niccolò Matas, known for the facade of the Basilica of Santa Croce in Florence. In this gallery, adorned with two rows of granite columns, Demidov created a museum dedicated to Napoleon, where weapons, paintings, and other memorabilia were displayed. Although Anatoly's lineage ended in 1880, the building still bears his name, and after restoration, it houses engravings from the Napoleonic era from various private collections.

Interesting fact: Shortly before the wedding, Demidov received the title of Prince of San Donato from Grand Duke Leopold II of Tuscany, as Matilde's father wanted her to retain the status of a princess. This title was not recognized in Russia; land with the same name was required for its recognition. Thus, a railway station named San Donato appeared on the map of Russia in the Sverdlovsk region.