| |
|
|
|
|
| |
2002, BETTER THAN EVER!
In the words of Frank Sinatra, 2002 'was a very good year', for napoleon.org: visits to the new version of the site were up from 1,301,512 in 2001 to 1,721,729.
A very big THANK YOU to you all for your support and enthusiasm!
THIS MONTH'S BOOK
Napoleons Medaillen, by Lisa Zeitz and Joachim Zeitz
This sumptuous catalogue (in German) of the 146 medals produced during Napoleon's periods in power shows how the Consul/Emperor used medals as a means of glorifying his epic rise. That no ruler before him ever produced so many medals, shows how important this art was to Napoleon.
P.H.
ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY YEARS AGO
29 January, 1853, Napoleon III married Eugénie de Palafox, the Comtesse de Teba.
Despite the fact that the emperor's extended celibacy was beginning to prompt questions concerning his succession, the union was nevertheless a lovematch. Indeed, there was fierce opposition to it in the Bonaparte family, most notably from the Princesse Mathilde and her brother the Prince Jérôme.
During the official announcement to the united governmental bodies on 22 January, the Emperor made the following revealing speech: "The union which I am contracting is not in accord with earlier political traditions. [...] During the last reign... was not the country's pride was piqued when the heir to the throne sought fruitlessly [...] the alliance of a sovereign house, obtaining a no doubt accomplished princess, but one nevertheless from less exalted stock and of another religion."
Napoleon III then presented the new Empress with the following words: "she who has become the object of my preference is of the highest stock. French in her heart, by her education and through the memory of her father's blood shed for the Empire, she is Spanish and as such has the advantage of not having a family in France [to honour]. Catholic and pious, she will make the same prayers for me as for the happiness of France; gracious and good, she will live out, in the same state [...], the virtues of the Empress Josephine."
As for Eugénie, she wrote to her dear sister Paca, Duchesse d'Albe, on 22 January, "Today, I look with horror upon the responsibility which is about to weigh upon me... This is the first time that they have cried "Vive l'Impératrice". Please God that this never changes, but adversity will find me stronger and more courageous than prosperity."
[William Smith: Eugénie impératrice des Français. Bartillat, 1998, trans. P.H.]
TWO HUNDRED YEARS AGO
5 Pluviôse, An XI (25 January, 1803), on return from his mission, Sébastiani gave a report to the First Consul detailing how easy it would be for France to reconquer Egypt. The appearance of this report in the Moniteur dated 10 Pluviôse (an slip on the part of Bonaparte ?) caused indignation in Britain and led to the British digging in their heels and refusing to evacuate it troops from Malta.
6 Pluviôse, An XI (26 January, 1803), the jury for the sketches of the works celebrating the Peace of Amiens and the Concordat made their decision public. For medals they chose the artists Rembert-Dumarais (Peace of Amiens) and Andrieux (Concordat). The following artists received financial awards: for painting , Calais (law on worship), Chéry and Devoges (Peace of Amiens), for sculpture, Dardel (Peace of Amiens), Boizot (Concordat), for architecture (only on the theme of the Peace of Amiens), Damesne, Dédéban and Labadie.
7 Pluviôse, An XI (27 January, 1803), Valentin Haüy began giving a free course for the training of instructors for the blind, Rue Saint-Avoie, in the 3rd Arrondissement in Paris.
9 Pluviôse, An XI (29 January, 1803), the Ministre de la Marine gave a dinner at which the First Consul and his wife Josephine were present.
Journal de Paris, 12 Pluviôse, An XI
By a bill passed on 10 Pluviôse, An XI (30 January, 1803), Bonaparte granted the request of the Orléans Conseil municipal (town council) to start a subscription campaign for the repair of a monument in honour of Joan of Arc: "the illustrious Joan of Arc proved that there is no miracle that French genius cannot perform in circumstances where national independence is threatened".
Wishing you an excellent, Napoleonic, week!
Peter Hicks
Historian and Web editor
|
|
|
|
|
|
THIS WEEK:
Snippets
Banti's Napoleon arrives in Venice
Press review
- Contents of latest number of French History
Web sites
- A personal view of Saint Helena
Go to the Napoleonic Directory, then 'Web Sites', then 'Enthusiasts'
- Database of documents regarding America's Quasi War with France, 1791-1800
Go to the Napoleonic Directory, then 'Web Sites', then 'Databases'
What's on
- Fair: Napoleonic Fair, London
- Napoleon and Alexander I in Hildesheim (Germany)
- Exhibition: The first Italian Republic, 1802-1805
- Exhibition: Seat of Empire
The monthly titles
- Book of the Month: Napoleons Medaillen, by Lisa Zeitz and Joachim Zeitz
- This month's picture, Jupiter and Thetis by Ingres
- Article of the Month, Drouot, 'Sage of the Grande Armée', by Jacques Juillet
- In the Collectors Corner, The Roi de Rome's Lead Soldiers
<<
|
|
