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Particle beams, micro-X-ray fluorescence, and old lace
Without wanting to get too Big Brother on our readers, it should be noted that nothing escapes napoleon.org's all-seeing eye. In the proceedings from the 2009's third Colloque international de Pathographie (a branch of palaeopathology concerned with well-known figures) - whose missions include the scientific study of the causes of death in an individual - one particular article piqued our interest: Gérard Lucotte's soberly titled report, "No arsenic found in the hairs of Napoleon: an electron microscopic study, with micro-x-ray fluorescence analysis". We admit that the author's explanation requires no little understanding of genetics, but his conclusion is nevertheless clear-cut. The article is available for consultation at Bibliothèque Martial Lapeyre (an English translation of Lucotte's report on a similar subject, "A rare variant of the mtDNA HVS1 sequence in the hairs of Napoléon's family", can be found here on the Investigative Genetics journal site). Back to the electron microscope for the poison theorists.
Thierry Lentz
Director of the Fondation Napoléon
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BOOK OF THE MONTH
Mon cher Lucien: Lettere familiari a Luciano Bonaparte, edited by Ludovica Cirrincione d'Amelio and Maria Pia Ludovisi Bruzzese
This exceedingly interesting book contains transcriptions (in French) of, and notes (in Italian) on, fascinating intimate letters (a good number of them published for the first time) from members of the Bonaparte family to Lucien, held in the Archivio Campello, itself part of the Fondazione Primoli in Rome. Some of the highlights include letters from the young Elisa to her beloved brother Lucien, and important letters to Lucien from Talleyrand and from Cardinal Fesch regarding Lucien's avoidance of the Italian coronation in May 1805 and the official break between the brothers for the most part over Lucien's 'unequal' second marriage with Alexandrine de Jouberthon (née de Bleschamp), regarding which Napoleon was kept in the dark.
The French book of the month is L'Armée d'Italie. Des missionnaires armés à la
naissance de la guerre napoléonienne, by Gilles Candela, which has been published with assistance from the Fondation Napoléon.
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JUST PUBLISHED
Peninsular War memoirs: Memorias sobre la Guerra de los franceses en España and more...
Continuing our look at historiographies and the cross fertilisation of contemporary accounts, we bring you news of a Spanish-language translation of a French officer's memoirs from Napoleon's Spanish campaign. Combining autobiography, travel journal, war narrative interspersed with political reflections, and costumbrismo-esque study of local customs and culture, Albert Jean Michel de Rocca offers a personal reflection on the war in Iberia as well as a day-to-day account of life on campaign and a sociological interest in the Spanish inhabitants he encounters. And on the other side of the conflict, we also have the recently compiled memoirs of Richard Bentinck, a drummer in the Royal Welch Fusiliers, who - amongst other postings - served during the Peninsular campaign, as well as Lieutenant Charles Crowe's own Peninsular War journals, which pull no punches in their depiction of the campaign.
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Italia napoleonica: Dizionario critico, edited by Luigi Mascilli Migliorini
In the Napoleonic period, Italy, along with a large part of Europe, underwent a sudden and often brutal, unsystematic process of modernisation. In a brief space of time, her institutions, economic structures, social and cultural life was radically renewed, all this in a region which for several centuries had been characterised by Montesquieu as "au coin du monde", in other words on the margins of world history. The idea for this book was that it should stand alongside the important critical dictionaries of Europe. Hence it is a tool, designed not only to be a source of information but also a guide for further research. Via its hundred or so entries, Italia napoleonica offers not only a wealth of bibliographical information but also an exhaustive account of the events and problems of a key epoch.
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WHAT'S ON
Festival Gathering of the Gruppo alpini di Rivoli Veronese, Rivoli Veronese, Italy
For the 150th anniversary of the unification of Italy, the Gruppo alpini di Rivoli Veronese is organising a festival to be held on 1 and 2 June, 2011, in Rivoli Veronese, Italy. This date coincides with the 65th anniversary of the Italian Republic, the 17th Festa degli Alpini di Rivoli Veronese and the 10th Giornata della pace. The programme of events includes a choral performance from the "Coro Alpino Trentino" and "San Zeno" choirs, a parade by re-enactors through the town, and a mass for the fallen in all wars, celebrated by Chaplain Don Rino Massella.
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NAPOLEONICA. LA REVUE
Issue n° 10 out now
The third English-language article in issue n° 10 of the Fondation Napoléon's Napoleonica. La Revue is Alexander Mikaberidze's "Non-Belligerent Belligerent Russia and the Franco-Austrian War of 1809", which studies the role of an oft-overlooked theatre in the Franco-Austrian war of 1809, Austrian Galicia. The article is available - without charge - to download or read online via Cairn.info.
200 YEARS AGO
Ceremonies, councils and the Catholic Church
Although initially set for 2 June, 1811 (Whitsunday), the Roi de Rome's baptism was pushed back a week, to 9 June (Trinity Sunday), as some complicated religious wrangling took place in the French capital. Since the Pope's confinement in Savona since 1809, Napoleon's relations with the Catholic church had worsened considerably (see bulletin n° 565). Of particular concern for the emperor was the issue of canonical institution (the conferral of the right to exercise the functions as a bishop), the power for which lay solely in the hands of the Pope. With a number of bishoprics empty and the Pope, having excommunicated Napoleon, refusing to institute Napoleon's nominations, Napoleon needed the affair resolved. A national council was set for 9 June in order to discuss transferring the power of canonical institution from the Pope to the Metropolitan Archbishop, and the removal of Pius' temporal rule. Failure to resolve these issues would result in the collapse of the Concordat. It was these matters of utmost religious importance that came to dominate discussion; by the middle of May, the baptism had been postponed to 9 June "for reasons of slight importance" (Cambacérès' memoirs offer no further explanation), with the knock-on effect being that the baptism and the council were now set for the same day. Napoleon, hoping to make a virtue out of a necessity, delighted at the idea of both events taking place on the same day, but the bishops concerned (in the words of the French historian Adolphe Thiers) "claimed that the majority of them were too old to cope with the fatigue of attending two such ceremonies in a single day". It is hard to say whether this was a sincere complaint, or whether they were intent on doing their utmost to avoid attending a baptism ceremony that would unite the State and the Church in venerating Napoleon (cast out from their church) and his son. Whatever the motives, Napoleon accepted their argument, and the council was itself moved to 17 June.
150 YEARS AGO
Plon-Plon's annus horribilis continues
1861 had so far been a terrible year for the Prince Napoleon, Napoleon III's cousin and more commonly known as Plon-Plon. After the Paterson affair (see bulletin n° 571) and the aborted duel with the Duc d'Aumale (see bulletin n°s 576 and 580), he had become embroiled in the Masonic dispute which broke out following Lucien Murat's Senate vote in favour of the Pope's temporal power. The Freemason movement had become gradually anticlerical during the 19th century and there was an outcry over Grand Master Murat's siding with what was considered a power hostile to the Freemason movement. Plon-Plon was subsequently nominated for the position of Grand Master in place of Murat; flattered, he indicated in an open letter that he would be prepared to accept their nomination. Murat, furious at his cousin's "betrayal", dispatched a virulent missive to Plon-Plon ("a mass of insults worthy of a barrowman", according to Ottaviano Vimercati, an Italian officer and confidant of Count Cavour), leading to talk of another duel. News reached Napoleon III who formally forbade such an event ("It is quite impossible for scandals like this to take place in my family"), and obliged the Freemasons to withdraw their nomination. Fearing an escalation in the affair, a police order was issued, suspending any election before October of that year. On 2 June, 1861, Plon-Plon - who railed against Napoleon III's self-appointment as "de facto arbiter of Freemasonry", but nevertheless acquiesced to the emperor's demands - left Paris with Clotilde and his entourage, heading for the Mediterranean and some peace away from the humiliation he had suffered in the French capital. They subsequently proceeded on to the New World, landing in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on 22 August, 1861.
Wishing you an excellent "Napoleonic" week,
Peter Hicks & Hamish Davey Wright
Historians and web-editors
THE NAPOLEON.ORG BULLETIN, N° 586, 27 – 2 JUNE, 2011
Interested in the work of the Fondation Napoléon? Why not participate, either generally or in a specific project, by making a donation?
© This Napoleon.org weekly bulletin is published by the Fondation Napoléon. Reproduction or all or part of this bulletin is forbidden, without prior agreement of the Fondation Napoléon.
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OPERATION ST HELENA
The Fondation Napoléon and the Souvenir Napoléonien, in association with the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, have announced an international fund-raising campaign to restore and save Napoleon I's residence on the island of St Helena. All the details regarding the campaign as well as donation forms and advice for donating from outside France, can be found on napoleon.org.
FONDATION NAPOLEON ON THE WEB
Each week we offer you a "mystery" link to somewhere on napoleon.org. Click on the link to discover a part of the website you might not have visited before...
MAGAZINE
Book of the month
- Mon cher Lucien: Lettere familiari a Luciano Bonaparte, Ludovica Cirrincione d'Amelio and Maria Pia Ludovisi Bruzzese (eds.)
Just published
- Memorias sobre la guerra de los franceses en España, by Albert Jean Michel de Rocca; translated and edited by Jean-René Aymes, Nathalie Bittoun-Debruyne
- The Very Thing: The Memoirs of Drummer Richard Bentinck, Royal Welch Fusiliers, 1807-1823, by Jonathan Crook
- An Eloquent Soldier: the Peninsular War Journals of Lieutenant Charles Crowe of the Inniskillings, 1812-1814, edited by Gareth Glover
- Italia napoleonica: Dizionario critico, edited Luigi Mascilli Migliorini
Press review (external link)
- Investigative Genetics: "A rare variant of the mtDNA HVS1 sequence in the hairs of Napoléon's family"
EVENTS
On now and coming up
A selection of events taking place now or in the coming weeks, taken from our What's on listings.
Exhibitions
- Tarragona during the war with France, 1808-1814, Tarragona (Catalonie/Spain), [11/04/2011 - 03/07/2011]
Festivals
- Gathering of the Gruppo alpini di Rivoli Veronese, Rivoli Veronese, Italy [01/06/2011 - 02/06/2011]
Full details
NAPOLEON.ORG
The best of the month:
- Book of the month
- Painting of the month
- Objet d'Art of the month
- Article of the month
NAPOLEONICA.LA REVUE
Available free on Cairn.info
NAPOLEONICA ARCHIVES ONLINE
THE BIBLIOTHÈQUE MARTIAL-LAPEYRE FONDATION NAPOLEON LIBRARY
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