III. MARIANNE ELISA (1777-1820) was born at Ajaccio on the 3rd of
January 1777. Owing to the efforts of her brothers she entered the
establishment of St Cyr near Paris as a "king's scholar." On its
disruption by the revolutionists in 1792 Napoleon took charge of her and
brought her back to Ajaccio. She shared the fortunes of the family in
the south of France, and on the 5th of May 1797 married Felix Bacciochi,
a well-connected Corsican. In 1805, after the foundation of the French
empire, Napoleon bestowed upon her the principality of Piombino and
shortly afterwards Lucca; in 1808 her importunities gained for her the
grand duchy of Tuscany. Bacciochi being almost a nullity, her pride and
ability had a great influence on the administration and on Italian
affairs in general. Her relations with Napoleon were frequently
strained; and in 1813-1814 she abetted Murat in his enterprises (see
MURAT). After her brother's fall she retired, with the title of countess
of Compignano, first to Bologna and afterwards to Santo Andrea near
Trieste, where she died on the 6th of August 1820.
See J. Turquan, _Les Soeurs de Napoleon_ (Paris, 1896); P. Marmothan,
_Elisa Bonaparte_ (Paris, 1898); E. Rodocanachi, _Elisa Bonaparte en
Italie_ (Paris, 1900); F. Masson, _Napoleon et sa famille_ (4 vols.,
Paris, 1897-1900).