We’re home from our March travels to Paris and Corsica. First, I had to catch up all I’d missed while away; now I’m struggling to prepare for our month-long St Helena voyage in May. Meanwhile, there’s tons more to write about Paris and Corsica. So stick with me—the adventure has just begun! One of my […]
Toothbrush and Slippers Read More »
I arrived in Corsica believing Napoleon had grown up poor within limiting confines. At twenty-six, how could he have dared to whisk an army across the snowcapped Alps? How could anyone with few worldly experiences have sailed off blithely to conquer Egypt? I wondered, as so many have, how this island boy of narrow prospects
Ajaccio’s cathedral, dedicated to the Virgin Mary and built in 1593, is steps from the Bonaparte house. Tradition says it was here on August 15, 1769, Letizia Bonaparte felt sudden labor pains and rushed home, giving birth to Napoleon on a first floor sofa before she could reach her upstairs bedroom. The church hasn’t changed
The Bonaparte’s country house in Milelli is less famous than the Ajaccio residence but to me more telling. Located in the hills above Ajaccio, it sits among rich olive trees, many old enough for Napoleon to have known them. Here, the family came in the summer months, fleeing the heat and mosquitoes of the coastline.
Milelli, Bonaparte Family’s Corsican Country House Read More »
In Corsica, the most famous house is the Maison Bonaparte in Ajaccio where Napoleon was born on August 15, 1769. According to tradition, his mother, Letizia Ramolino was praying in the nearby cathedral when she felt severe labor pains. She hurried home, only making it to a first floor parlor where she gave birth to
Maison Bonaparte, Napoleon’s birthplace Read More »
Ajaccio, Corsica, is a lovely place, on a vast Mediterranean bay, full of Italian exuberance and French style. It’s a bit run-down here and there, but that only adds to the authenticity. We arrived on its patron saint’s feast day and were treated to a solemn religious parade and marching band. The museums were closed for the
First Day in Napoleon’s Hometown Read More »
Nine years in impoverished Corsica followed by six years in countrified Brienne couldn’t have prepared fifteen-year-old Napoleon for the Paris Ecole Militaire. He must have been overwhelmed when he first saw the grand buildings of Paris, especially his new home at L’Ecole Militaire where he would learn to be an artillery officer. How did he
Ecole Militaire, Paris Read More »
Napoleon first became famous for routing the British navy out of Toulon in 1793. This is the view (without the cars) that he would have had in 1795 during his second great exploit, routing protesting Frenchmen in the streets of Paris. He’d been charged with stopping royalist insurgents who were bent on bringing down the
Grapeshot at Saint-Roch Read More »
Finding Napoleon at the Louvre was harder than I expected. After unsuccessfully searching their website, I wrote in advance for a list of Napoleon-related paintings: no response. I queried several agencies for a specialized guide: no luck. So, when we arrived, we headed straight for the Information Desk. Did I know about the Coronation painting
Not Finding Much Napoleon at the Louvre Read More »
Malmaison, the country mansion Josephine chose while Napoleon was on his Egypt campaign, provides my first glimpse into a personal residence. The couple lived here and in the Tuileries Palace in Paris from 1800 to 1802, while Napoleon was First Consul, his stepping stone to absolute French ruler. After their divorce, Josephine retired to Malmaison,
