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Napoleon III and Italy: a masterful exhibition
A remarkable exhibition has just opened at the Musée de l'Armée in Paris. Tracing the construction of Italian unity, from the early movements of 1830 up to Rome's official designation as capital city in 1870, "Napoleon III and Italian Unity" also covers the role of Napoleon III and Franco-Italian relations - at times contradictory and often intense - during a period which proved crucial to the history of Europe as a whole.
Remarkable for the quality and diversity of the items on display, which include rare photographs (such as the political and intellectual protagonists, stunning landscapes, and early battlefield scenes), objects (uniforms - such as the one worn by Napoleon III at Solferino - weapons, and even the bomb used in Orsini's assassination attempt), diplomatic documents (the Villafranca peace treaty and the secret text agreeing to the reincorporation of Savoy into the French empire), a scale model of Rome, and magnificent paintings of Garibaldi, Cavour, Napoleon III, Napoleon-Louis (the emperor's brother who died in 1831), and the battles of Magenta and Solferino.
Remarkable also for its two-pronged approach: cerebral - with a clearly defined context enabling visitors to situate this defining episode in the wider political period - and aesthetic - an exhibition elegantly and coherently designed and presented.
One impressive example of the exhibition's rich quality is the room in which the organisers have installed the monumental scale model of Rome. Accompanied by period iconography and a series of detailed maps, the model allows the visitor to follow step by the step the siege of the city in 1849. Amongst these items can be found what is believed to be the first example of war photo-journalism, which used the salted paper printing technique, thereby enabling the reproduction and diffusion of these images.
The role played by newspapers, public opinion, artists, and intellectuals (including, notably, Dumas) in offering their support to the two camps is also emphasised. Music composed by Verdi, a committed advocate of the national movement, accompanies the visitor throughout the exhibition. "Napoleon III and Italian Unity" is brought to a close with the enigmatic statue of a young girl, leaning over the back of her chair and holding an open book, who is wearing a necklace which features an effigy of Garibaldi. An anti-censorship symbol, this piece from Pietro Magni also proved a surprising work of propaganda when it was initially exhibited, with pro-Garibaldi pages incorporated into the marble book.
This really is an exhibition for everyone, and individuals of all ages can enjoy this journey back in time - younger visitors can even take their own specially conceived, stimulating and entertaining trip through the exhibition. The Fondation Napoléon was particularly delighted to participate in the creation of the English-language guide that accompanies the exhibition.
The exhibition runs until 12 January, 2012: whether you're based in France or elsewhere, this is not an exhibition to be missed!
Irène Delage
Head of Documentation, Public Relations and IT
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NAPOLEON.ORG
Close-up on: the Mexican Campaign, 1862-1867
Following years of political instability and a financial crisis that had crippled the country, the president of Mexico, Benito Juárez, announced a suspension on all repayment on loans contracted with European powers. This declaration set in motion a wave of consternation and indignation that swept through Britain, France, and Spain, resulting in a suspension of diplomatic relations and the decision to launch a tripartite military expedition to force Mexico to restart repayments and - where possible - begin recouping the borrowed money at source. Behind this seemingly simple financial motivation, however, lay a far more complicated affair, one inspired by European imperialistic ethos, global geopolitical considerations, and religious devotion. Our close-up - featuring a detailed timeline, multiple biographies, and first-hand accounts of the campaign - unpicks this fascinating episode of the Second Empire which saw an Austrian archduke reign briefly as Mexican emperor.
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ARTICLE OF THE MONTH
"The Cinco de Mayo and French Imperialism", by Peter Hicks
The first battle of Puebla saw Mexican forces under General Zaragoza defeat a French force led by the Comte de Lorrencez. Peter Hicks settles down to unpick the background to the episode, the battle itself, and its implications. As he does so, he raises the question: should the victory - which is now celebrated as part of the Cinco de Mayo festivities - be really regarded as the defining moment in Mexican nationalism? This article is part of our close-up on: the Mexican campaign, 1862-1867.
The French article of the month is also on the Mexican expedition, and comes from Alain Gouttman.
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WHAT'S ON
Charles Dickens: 2012 bicentenary
2012 marks the bicentenary of Charles Dickens' birth, and to celebrate the life and work of this important literary figure, there are a number of exhibitions, talks, and other events taking place across the world. The Morgan Library & Museum, whose collection of Dickens manuscripts and letters is the largest in the United States, is currently hosting an exhibition dedicated to the writer's life, works, and literary and cultural legacy. Over in Condette, France, the Centre Culturel de l'Entente Cordiale's exhibition on the author, "Charles Dickens, The Inimitable", offers a French perspective on the man, and is set to come to an end this weekend.
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NAPOLEONICA. LA REVUE
Issue n° 11 out now
Having announced the latest edition of Napoleonica. La Revue and presented an overview of its contents last week, we have selected as this week's recommended reading Emilio Ocampo's article on the seemingly far-fetched attempt to rescue Napoleon from St Helena with a submarine device. One might initially dismiss this episode as nothing more than fabrication, the product of the Scottish novelist Sir Walter Scott's Romantic imagination: Ocampo sets out to explore the murky history of this little-known affair and comes across contemporary accounts that lend credence to Scott's assertion.
200 YEARS AGO
The Roi de Rome's first tooth
On 25 October, 1811, the Moniteur Universel announced to Paris that the Roi de Rome, the heir to the imperial throne, was teething:
"The Roi de Rome is in Saint-Cloud [...]: his first tooth has just come through. The teething has in no way affected his health, which remains very good."
Click here for our close-up on: the birth of the Roi de Rome.
150 YEARS AGO
Wilhelm I, King of Prussia, is crowned
Having briefly visited Napoleon III at Compiègne, Wilhelm I returned to Prussia and on 18 October, 1861, he crowned himself king in a ceremony in Königsberg. On 22 October, the Moniteur Universel reported on the crowning ceremony, attended by Maréchal Mac Mahon, France's ambassador to the kingdom, who before the event proper was decorated with the order of the Schwarzen Adler, the Black Eagle, Prussia's highest order of chivalry.
"The coronation ceremony took place today. From eight-thirty in the morning, a service was held and a Te Deum sung in the Catholic church. Maréchal Mac Mahon attended, accompanied by the entire French embassy, as well as other delegations from Catholic powers. There were also Prussians in attendance, enough to completely fill the church. The archbishop of Posen conducted [the service].
The official ceremony took place in the chapel of the Teutonic Knights [the Schloßkirche], part of the old castle; it was scheduled for ten o'clock. All the seats were taken long before this time. The gothic chapel forms a regular parallelogram, lit by five windows on each of its large sides. [...] The altar is of a simplicity and a gravity characteristic of the Protestant religion. Several insignia, the Prussian eagle, the royal crown, bear witness to the chapel's special purpose. [...] The religious ceremony completed, the king first, then the queen, left the church in the same pomp.
The chapel is separated from the main castle by a very large courtyard. This courtyard was to be the theatre for another ceremony no less impressive. More than 20,000 individuals had gathered, assembled in huge grandstands, as tall as the first floor, which had been erected [...]. In front of these was a platform, finished in red velvet with gold embroidery, in the middle of which stood an immense dais. Under this was the throne. [...] The king [...] took over. His liberal and patriotic address [...] electrified the assembled crowd [who] responded with enthusiastic and prolonged cries. There was something quite magnificent and satisfying in this reaction of an entire people. When the herald called out - once the official proclamation of the new reign [had been made] - "Long live the king, Wilhelm I!" this cry was taken up by the twenty-thousand voices assembled to witness this truly grandiose scene, [and they] hailed the new monarch. The same crowd, as one, sang the national anthem, magnificently accompanied by the trumpets of the royal horse guards."
Wishing you an excellent "Napoleonic" week,
Peter Hicks & Hamish Davey Wright
Historians and web-editors
THE NAPOLEON.ORG BULLETIN, N° 600, 21 – 27 OCTOBER, 2011
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© 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...
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
"Charles Dickens at 200", New York, USA [23/10/2011 - 12/02/2012]
Full details
- "Charles Dickens The Inimitable", Condette, France [28/05/2011 - 23/10/2011]
Full details
- "Napoleon III and Italy: birth of a nation 1848-1870", Paris, France [06/10/2011 - 06/10/2011]
Full details
Talks
- Book presentation: Mon cher Lucien: Lettere familiari a Luciano Bonaparte, Rome, Italy [27/10/2011]
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
All Saints opening hours
The library is situated at 148 boulevard Haussmann, 75008, Paris. Between 24 October and 3 November (inclusive), the library will be open on Tuesday and Wednesday 1.30pm - 6pm, and Thursday 10am - 3pm. It will be closed on Monday.
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