“Monaco et les Napoléon(s)”: new exhibition reveals little-known ties between Monaco and Bonapartes
The exhibition features nearly 200 works that together tell the story of a century of intertwined destinies between the former Imperial family and the Grimaldis.
On Thursday 10 July, Prince Albert II opened a new exhibition entitled “Monaco et les Napoléon(s). Destins croisés” (intertwined destinies) at the Grimaldi Forum.
The exhibition, led by Louis Ducruet, includes almost 200 rare objects, some of which are being shown to the public for the first time. They trace the political, cultural and family ties between the Napoleonic dynasty and the Grimaldis.
The unique exhibition, under the patronage of Prince Albert II, reveals a little-known but essential story: “We want visitors to discover a story that is as new as it is fascinating,” explain the exhibition’s curators Pierre Branda, Scientific Director of the Fondation Napoléon, Thomas Fouilleron and Thomas Blanchy, Director and Deputy Director respectively of the Prince’s Palace Archives and Library. “The different encounters are not just anecdotes or personal stories, but the entire history of Monaco. The 19th century is told through their relationship, and the Principality as we know it today emerges through that same relationship.”
The exhibition begins with an unlikely chance encounter between Napoleon I and hereditary Prince Honoré V on the beaches of the Gulf of Juan on 1 March 1815. The curators describe the scene: “Napoleon set sail from Elba on 26 February 1815 with the intention of taking back the French throne. When he landed he came across the Prince of Monaco, who was on his way down from Paris to take back the Principality following the Treaty of Paris.” Alexandre Dumas mentioned this meeting in one of his books.
An ambitious scenography
The exhibition has a symbolic layout inspired by the geometry of the Legion of Honour, which was created by Napoleon in 1802 and influenced the Monegasque Order of Saint Charles in 1858. The tour of the exhibition takes in a central installation with seven themed rooms. Each space has its own specific colour palette, to recreate the corresponding historical context. Visitors start off in a room that evokes the night-time encounter between Napoleon and Prince Honoré V, then move on to a navy-blue space with military motifs that recall Napoleon’s campaigns. The green room takes us to bucolic Malmaison, where Napoleon and Josephine lived. The golden room sparkles with the splendour of the courts of Napoleon III and Charles III, while the red room celebrates Franco-Monegasque diplomatic discussions. The violet room reveals the ties between the Grimaldi and Beauharnais families, in particular the friendship between Albert I and Empress Eugénie. The visit ends in an azure-blue room that symbolises Monaco’s renaissance. Over the space of a century, the Principality went from being an annexed territory to a prosperous State. The curators wanted there to be “several levels of interpretation” to the exhibition. “You don’t need to be a Napoleonic history buff or even a Monegasque history buff to take this exhibition in,” they say.
Exclusive items
“Over 180 works are on display, making for a truly exceptional collection. It’s rare to have so many items to tell the story of the 19th century through the lens of Monegasque and Napoleonic history,” says Pierre Branda. “Joséphine’s jewellery, prestigious snuffboxes, founding documents, personal objects, thrones and regalia, emblematic works of art – everything required to make the exhibition a genuine event.”
It includes a rare uniform belonging to Napoleon, from 1815. It is his uniform as Colonel of the Guard Infantry, displayed alongside the red uniform belonging to Prince Honoré V. The curators stress that “of the 200 masterpieces on display, a third have never been seen by the public”. This is also thanks to contributions from the David and Mikhail Yakobashvili collection, enthusiasts of decorative art and rare objects who, over a period of over twenty years, have put together an impressive collection of works ranging from the 16th to the 20th century. Their pieces account for around 30% of the items on display.
Visitors will see unique treasures such as the fabulous bird clock from the Iakobachvili collection, similar to the one that Joséphine cherished at Malmaison. The exhibition also features prestigious snuffboxes decorated with imperial portraits, jewellery belonging to Joséphine, including a set with malachite cameos, the travelling case given by Napoleon I to Stéphanie de Beauharnais and a sumptuous Odiot silverware set with the Grimaldi coat of arms.
From Honoré V to Albert I
The exhibition reveals how this part of history spans more than a century, from 1793 to 1920. In 1793, the French Republic annexed Monaco as part of the Alpes-Maritimes département. The princes were deposed and became French citizens. The future Prince Honoré V became a soldier under the Consulate and the Empire, and was awarded the Légion d’Honneur and the rank of captain in 1807. It was not until the fall of the Empire that the Principality recovered its 1792 borders. In 1809, Honoré V was appointed equerry to Empress Joséphine and took over the administration of the stables at Malmaison after she was spurned. He was made Baron of the Empire in 1810. At the same time, his descendant Charles III was part of Napoleon III’s new court, frequenting the aristocratic salons and receptions at the Tuileries. These society events enabled him to develop a genuine relationship of esteem with Napoleon III and Eugénie.
The exhibition reveals a fascinating historical paradox. On 2 February 1861, Napoleon III enabled Monaco to survive thanks to the Franco-Monegasque treaty. In exchange for relinquishing Menton and Roquebrune, Charles III obtained four million francs and recognition of his sovereignty. This treaty brought about Monaco’s economic rebirth, as it provided for the Principality to be accessible by road and rail. In 1866, Charles III gave his name to the new casino district: Monte-Carlo. Empress Eugénie became something of a godmother to Prince Albert I and facilitated his marriage in 1869 to Marie-Victoire Hamilton, granddaughter of Stéphanie de Beauharnais. After 1870, Monaco extended the imperial festivities of the Second Empire. The lyric theatre built by Charles Garnier established Monaco as the little Paris of the Riviera. The story ends symbolically in 1920 with Eugénie’s death on Cap Martin, a former Monegasque possession, perfectly illustrating these intertwined destinies.
This exhibition is the fruit of a collaboration between the Fondation Napoléon, the Prince’s Palace Archives and the Museum Collection of the Arts of David and Mikhail Iakobachvili. It features exceptional loans from the Château de Malmaison, the Château de Compiègne and previously unseen private collections. A scientific catalogue adds to the visitor experience.
Practical details
- Open every day from 10am-8pm, late night opening on Thursdays until 10pm.
- Prices: €14 (reduced rate €11), free for under 18s
- Tickets and information on the exhibition website.