Elisa Bonaparte
(born Jan. 3, 1777,
Ajaccio
, Corsica?died Aug. 7, 1820, Sant’Andrea, near Trieste) was
Napoleon I’s
eldest sister to survive infancy.
She was married on May 1, 1797, to Felix Baciocchi, a member of a Corsican noble family. Napoleon gave her the principality of
Piombino
in March 1805 and the principality of
Lucca
in the following June and finally, in March 1809, made her grand duchess of
Tuscany
. Her pride and ability had great influence on the administration and on Italian affairs in general. Her relations with Napoleon were frequently strained; in 1813?14 she abetted
Joachim Murat
in his enterprises. After her brother’s fall she retired, with the title of contessa (countess) di Compignano, first to
Bologna
and afterward to Sant’Andrea near
Trieste
.