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THIS WEEK IN THE LETTER
This week we bring you a sumptuous ball gown and train worn by Napoleon's second wife, Marie-Louise, when she was Duchess of Parma. Then, new to the site, there's a biography of the important Swiss soldier and military theorist, the Baron de Jomini. Following that we bring you news of the first number of the new magazine, Napoleon III. In “200 years ago”, we consider real estate transactions amongst the men of the regime, then the inauguration of the refurbished court theatre within the walls of the Tuileries palace. In “150 years ago”, we bring you the bicentenary of the famous Orsini assassination attempt on Napoleon III and Eugénie. In ‘Just published', there is a new book on life in the Napoleonic Netherlands and a republication of a book published in the 1980s on Napoleon's return from Elba.
Enjoy.
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THIS MONTH'S OBJECT
Marie-Louise's Ball gown and Train
This magnificent ball outfit, owned by the Museo Glauco Lombardi in Parma, Italy, was worn by the Empress Marie-Louise at the end of her life. It is made of silk and tulle and is notable for its magnificent embroidery.
Detail of the gown © Museo Glauco Lombardi, Parma
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NEW BIOGRAPHY ON THE SITE
Baron de Jomini, Swiss general and military theorist
Although perhaps less known than his Prussian contemporary, Clausewitz, Jomini had an extraordinary career and was hugely influential on military thinking, acting as military adviser not only to Napoleon and Alexander I but also to later Russian Tsars and even Napoleon III. He also wrote a great deal on military theory. Discover this extraordinary product of Switzerland…
General Antoine-Henri de Jomini © Wikipedia
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NAPOLEON III, LE MAGAZINE DU SECOND EMPIRE NOW ON SALE!
The new French Second Empire magazine Napoléon III, le magazine du Second Empire, produced in partnership with the Fondation Napoléon, went on sale on Wednesday 9 January. The aim of the magazine is bring to a wider public in France the history of Napoleon III and give a fresh view of Louis-Napoléon, his ideals, works and actions.
© SOTECA
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OBITUARY
We have learned of the death of Madame Françoise Garnier, wife of the historian winner of the 2006 Fondation Napoléon History Grand Prix. We send to Jacques and his children our deepest sympathy.
200 YEARS AGO
Real estate transactions in Paris at the beginning of 1808
In the middle of January 1808, after long negotiations, Talleyrand bought the very fine mansion belonging to Monsieur de Crawford, in rue de Varennes in Paris, Hôtel Matignon (today the French Prime Minister's residence). A police report noted: « the prince has also bought the small Hôtel de Verac, which adjoins Monsieur de Crawford's residence. These two mansions form one of the finest palaces in the capital. The prince will have spent more than three million before he can live there». (Bulletin du Ministère de la Police générale, 17 and 18 January, 1808).
Slightly earlier (12 January), another ‘party man', Marshal Davout, had bought the Hôtel Monaco (near the Invalides) from one of ‘yesterday's men', senator Sieyès. “This property forms part of the fief which H.M. has deigned to grant to the Marshal Davout.” (Bulletin du Ministère de la Police générale, 14 January, 1808)
New court theatre
On 9 January, 1808, the Italian players of the Théâtre de l'Impératrice inaugurated the new court theatre in the Tuileries Palace, giving a performance of an opera by the Italian composer Ferdinando Paër (b. Parma 1771, d. Paris 1839).
The court architect and designer of the theatre, Fontaine, noted the event in his diary. “They performed Griselda [ossia la Vertu in cimento], an Italian opera by Monsieur Paër, the famous composer who has been appointed director of the court theatre. The fine audience added much to the fine aspect of the auditorium, which most people found very beautiful. The emperor himself was struck by the theatre and asked Monsieur the Grand Maréchal send me the emperor's compliments on it.” (Journal de Pierre François Léonard Fontaine, 9 January, 1808)
150 YEARS AGO
The Orsini assassination attempt
On 14 January, 1858, when the Emperor Napoleon III and the Empress Eugénie were heading for the 'old' Paris Opéra (not today's Opéra Garnier), three nail bombs were thrown at their carriage as it went down Rue Le Peletier. The sovereigns were unhurt, but fifty-six bystanders were wounded, eight of whom died of their wounds. The Moniteur dated 15 January told the story as follows:
«This evening at half past eight, just when their majesties the Emperor and Empress were reaching the opéra, three explosions, caused by hollow projectiles [In fact, nail bombs, later named Orsini bombs, ed.], were heard. A considerable number of people were standing in front of the theatre. Some of the escorting soldiers and some soldiers from the Garde de Paris were wounded, two mortally. Neither the Emperor nor the Empress were hurt. A projectile went through the Emperor's hat, and general Roguet, his majesty's ADC, who was standing in front of the carriage, received a light wound to the back of his neck. Two footmen were wounded. One of his majesty's carriage horses was killed and the carriage windows were shattered by the projectiles …»
The story runs that on the following day, Napoleon III and Eugénie went without escort and in an open carriage to the Hôpital du Gros Caillou to visit the victims of the plot. This account of imperial sangfroid however smacks a little of propaganda. Why would the imperial couple travel in an open carriage in winter? The Empress remarked: «If we thought about all this, we would not sleep. The best thing is not to think about it and to trust to Providence».
The perpetrator of the attack was a certain Felice d'Orsini, an Italian revolutionary (with a past of active anarchy) who ardently desired the reunification of Italy. He was angry with Napoleon III for not having supported the Italian revolutions of 1848-49 (particularly the intervention of French troops in Rome in 1849 with the aim of reinstating the Pope) and hoped that the death of Napoleon III would bring about a revolution in France, and so, by domino effect, another in Italy. Orsini was aided and abetted by three accomplices, Pieri, Gomez and Rudio. All four conspirators were condemned and guillotined on 13 March, 1858.
Napoleon III reacted quickly to the assassination attempt, removing some of his collaborators from their posts and turned actively towards the cause of Italian independence from Austria.
Wishing you an excellent, Napoleonic, week.
Peter Hicks
Historian and Web editor
THE NAPOLEON.ORG BULLETIN, No 440, 11-17 January, 2008
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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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Got a problem with a link in the Bulletin? Go to the homepage: http://www.napoleon.org
NB FONDATION NAPOLEON LIBRARY
From Tuesday 8 January, 2008, the opening times of the library will be as follows: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, from 1 to 6pm, Thursday from 10am to 3pm.
During the French school holidays, the library will open on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 13-30 to 6pm.
THIS WEEK in the MAGAZINE
Just Published
- WELTEN Joost, Serving Napoleon's European Dream. Military conscription and the disruption of the rural community of Weert
- MACKENZIE Norman, The Escape from Elba: The Fall and Flight of Napoleon 1814-1815
Exhibitions:
- Symbols of Power: Napoleon and the Art of the Empire Style, 1800-1815, Boston, USA
- Brilliant Europe - Jewels from the European courts, Brussels, Belgium
- Indispensable nécessaires, Reuil-Malmaisons, France
- Gustave Courbet's works, Grand Palais, Paris, France
- "The trace of the eagle", the Invalides dome, Paris, France
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