The association between Napoleon and Italy is a strong one, particularly as the Emperor was a significant inspirer of Italian unification when, in 1805, he was crowned the first king of modern Italy in Milan cathedral. (The robes Napoleon wore for the ceremony may be viewed in Florence’s Stibbert museum).
True, the kingdom, which lasted until 1814, only covered the northern part of the peninsula and was largely a French dependency but it was an important step in the formation of the Italian Risorgimento, or reawakening of sentiments for the peninsula’s unification.
The association between Napoleon and Tuscany is even stronger. His sister, Elisa, became princess of our nearest city in Italy, Lucca, and in 1814 the Emperor of France, abdicated the throne and, by the treaty of Fontainbleau, was banished to the island of Elba (which we visited on a previous summer holiday).
This year the memory of the great but controversial military leader is particularly strong as it’s two hundred years since he died on May 5, 1821, of stomach cancer, on the remote island of Saint Helena where he had been exiled after his defeat in the battle of Waterloo.
We have followed the events and conferences of Lucca’s Napoleonic association for several years now. The topics covered range widely from such subjects as Napoleon’s favourite horse Marengo (now in Chelsea’s National Army Museum) to pageants, menus, dances, fashions and literary currents of his times.
We were, therefore, pleased to receive an invitation to the association’s autumn appointment with General Silvio Ghiselli and Colonel Vittorio Lino Biondi who will talk about specific aspects of Napoleon’s military history.
All interested persons are invited to the event which takes place on Tuesday 19 October at 5 pm at the headquarters of the Cassa di Risparmio di Lucca Foundation (Via San Micheletto n.3, Lucca),
The title of the conference is ‘From the mist of the Channel to the sun of Austerlitz’ and will concentrate on Napoleon’s campaign against the Third Coalition (1803-1805).
The event is free but places are limited and cannot be reserved. Use of a mask is mandatory and access is only with a ‘Green’ Passport showing that one has been fully vaccinated for Covid-19.
In this respect Italy makes a reassuring change from the UK where we have been staying. In London the wearing of masks in public transport and enclosed public spaces seemed to be at the discretion of the individual! Moreover, social distancing there appears non-existent, even in lifts and theatre and cinema seats. No-one ever asked me to show a Green passport either. No wonder the death rate from this ghastly disease is now beginning to rise again on the brexitanian island while Italy, so dramatically hit by the virus last year, has covid death rates now among the lowest in the world. (BTW the association has held a conference on vaccination in Napoleon’s empire. Stemming from Dr. Jenner’s discovery of the anti-smallpox vaccine inoculation was mandatory among sections of army personnel and also became fashionable among civilians, especially after a particularly serious outbreak of the disease in 1806.)
