{"id":424,"date":"2017-02-13T09:30:55","date_gmt":"2017-02-13T09:30:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/lucius-romans\/?p=424"},"modified":"2017-02-07T14:56:35","modified_gmt":"2017-02-07T14:56:35","slug":"paris-and-rome-napoleon-and-classical-antiquity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/lucius-romans\/2017\/02\/13\/paris-and-rome-napoleon-and-classical-antiquity\/","title":{"rendered":"Paris and Rome \u2013 Napoleon and Classical Antiquity"},"content":{"rendered":"<ul class=\"kent-social-links\"><li><a href='http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/lucius-romans\/2017\/02\/13\/paris-and-rome-napoleon-and-classical-antiquity\/&amp;t=Paris and Rome \u2013 Napoleon and Classical Antiquity' target='_blank'><i class='ksocial-facebook' title='Share via Facebook'><\/i><\/a><\/li><li><a href='http:\/\/twitter.com\/home?status=Paris and Rome \u2013 Napoleon and Classical Antiquity%20https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/lucius-romans\/2017\/02\/13\/paris-and-rome-napoleon-and-classical-antiquity\/' target='_blank'><i class='ksocial-twitter' title='Share via Twitter'><\/i><\/a><\/li><li><a href='https:\/\/plus.google.com\/share?url=https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/lucius-romans\/2017\/02\/13\/paris-and-rome-napoleon-and-classical-antiquity\/' target='_blank'><i class='ksocial-google-plus' title='Share via Google Plus'><\/i><\/a><\/li><li><a href='http:\/\/linkedin.com\/shareArticle?mini=true&amp;url=https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/lucius-romans\/2017\/02\/13\/paris-and-rome-napoleon-and-classical-antiquity\/&amp;title=Paris and Rome \u2013 Napoleon and Classical Antiquity' target='_blank'><i class='ksocial-linkedin' title='Share via Linked In'><\/i><\/a><\/li><li><a href='mailto:content=https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/lucius-romans\/2017\/02\/13\/paris-and-rome-napoleon-and-classical-antiquity\/&amp;title=Paris and Rome \u2013 Napoleon and Classical Antiquity' target='_blank'><i class='ksocial-email' title='Share via Email'><\/i><\/a><\/li><\/ul><p><span style=\"color: #ffffff\"><em>This month Dr Diana Rowell, an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Kent, reveals how Paris and Rome contain a Napoleonic view of the Classical Past. Diana is the author of Paris: The &#8216;New Rome&#8217; of Napoleon I published by Bloomsbury in 2012. The University of Kent has postgraduate centres in both Paris and Rome<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffffff\">Timeless, chic, romantic, magnificent \u2013 these are but a few of the adjectives that spring to mind when attempting to define <a style=\"color: #ffffff\" href=\"http:\/\/next.paris.fr\/english\/presentation-of-the-city\/the-history-of-paris\/rub_8125_stand_32751_port_18748\">Paris<\/a>, a city of many layers that has witnessed untold turmoil over the centuries, but managed somehow both to maintain a unique beauty and an air of magic, and its place as international hub of <a style=\"color: #ffffff\" href=\"http:\/\/www.louvre.fr\/en\">culture<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffffff\"><a style=\"color: #ffffff\" href=\"http:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/lucius-romans\/files\/2017\/02\/Screen-Shot-2017-02-07-at-2.50.10-PM.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-431\" src=\"http:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/lucius-romans\/files\/2017\/02\/Screen-Shot-2017-02-07-at-2.50.10-PM.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"922\" height=\"310\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/lucius-romans\/files\/2017\/02\/Screen-Shot-2017-02-07-at-2.50.10-PM.png 922w, https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/lucius-romans\/files\/2017\/02\/Screen-Shot-2017-02-07-at-2.50.10-PM-300x101.png 300w, https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/lucius-romans\/files\/2017\/02\/Screen-Shot-2017-02-07-at-2.50.10-PM-768x258.png 768w, https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/lucius-romans\/files\/2017\/02\/Screen-Shot-2017-02-07-at-2.50.10-PM-660x222.png 660w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 922px) 100vw, 922px\" \/><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffffff\"><em>Panorama of Paris (The City of Light) from the Tour Montparnasse. Image: Benh Lieu Song via commons.wikimedia.org.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffffff\">A number of years before crowning himself Emperor in 1804, Napoleon was already dreaming of a day when he would rule France and transform Paris into the most beautiful city imaginable:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffffff\"><em>\u201cIf I were master of France, I would make Paris not only the most beautiful city to exist and the most beautiful city to have existed, but also the most beautiful city that could exist.\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffffff\">As his visions became increasingly ambitious, so he began to imagine still greater things for the capital of his empire: a beautiful city, yes, but also an unrivalled locus of culture and power that would challenge the best of them, including classical Rome (<em>click <a style=\"color: #ffffff\" href=\"http:\/\/www.openculture.com\/2015\/03\/rome-reborn-take-a-virtual-tour-through-ancient-rome-320-c-e.html\">here<\/a> for a virtual tour of the ancient city<\/em>).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffffff\">Napoleon was fascinated by antiquity (and the world of the Romans, in particular); and when the ideology of Republican Rome no longer served his purpose, he turned to the Rome of the great emperors, that mighty imperial metropolis that once had ruled the <a style=\"color: #ffffff\" href=\"http:\/\/www.roman-empire.net\/maps\/empire\/extent\/rome-modern-day-nations.html\">world<\/a>! <em>Click <a style=\"color: #ffffff\" href=\"http:\/\/www.forumromanum.org\/history\/morey23.html\">here<\/a> (and follow links) for details, and <a style=\"color: #ffffff\" href=\"http:\/\/www.pbs.org\/empires\/romans\/special\/timeline_01.html\">here<\/a> for a great timeline and more! \u00a0<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffffff\"><a style=\"color: #ffffff\" href=\"http:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/lucius-romans\/files\/2017\/02\/Screen-Shot-2017-02-07-at-2.49.54-PM.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-430\" src=\"http:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/lucius-romans\/files\/2017\/02\/Screen-Shot-2017-02-07-at-2.49.54-PM.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"866\" height=\"670\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/lucius-romans\/files\/2017\/02\/Screen-Shot-2017-02-07-at-2.49.54-PM.png 866w, https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/lucius-romans\/files\/2017\/02\/Screen-Shot-2017-02-07-at-2.49.54-PM-300x232.png 300w, https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/lucius-romans\/files\/2017\/02\/Screen-Shot-2017-02-07-at-2.49.54-PM-768x594.png 768w, https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/lucius-romans\/files\/2017\/02\/Screen-Shot-2017-02-07-at-2.49.54-PM-660x511.png 660w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 866px) 100vw, 866px\" \/><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffffff\"><em>Panini, G.P. Roma Antica, c.1757. Oil on canvas. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Image: Google Cultural Institute via commons.wikimedia.org. Note the representation of celebrated structures such as the Arch of Constantine, the Colosseum and Trajan\u2019s Column, as well as famed antiquities, including the Laoco\u00f6n.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffffff\">From antiquity, architecture has been employed as a powerful political tool; and an emblem of modernity and change. The monumental landscapes of <a style=\"color: #ffffff\" href=\"http:\/\/www.metmuseum.org\/toah\/hd\/romr\/hd_romr.htm\">Republican<\/a> and <a style=\"color: #ffffff\" href=\"http:\/\/www.metmuseum.org\/toah\/hd\/roem\/hd_roem.htm\">Imperial<\/a> Rome were brimming with structures that were able to <a style=\"color: #ffffff\" href=\"http:\/\/employees.oneonta.edu\/farberas\/arth\/arth200\/politics\/roman_imp_sculpt.html\">convey messages<\/a> via their visibility, form, function(s), composition, longevity, and their associated imagery, inscriptions and space.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffffff\">As the epicentre of Rome, the <a style=\"color: #ffffff\" href=\"https:\/\/books.google.co.uk\/books?id=kYr4AAAAQBAJ&amp;pg=PA130&amp;lpg=PA130&amp;dq=roman+capitol+moment+when+man+came+closest+to+god&amp;source=bl&amp;ots=R4Bgo1Bt2G&amp;sig=aLUe3t_OEkpFfVrS98fxajJ-2Fo&amp;hl=en&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=0ahUKEwig2Jm9wOfRAhVpJsAKHXbJDmcQ6AEIHTAA#v=onepage&amp;q=roman%20capitol%20moment%20when%20man%20came%20closest%20to%20god&amp;f=false\">Capitol<\/a> (Temple of Jupiter) serves as a perfect example and, of course, it was not dissimilar in its fundamental role as such, to its <a style=\"color: #ffffff\" href=\"https:\/\/www.loc.gov\/exhibits\/uscapitol\/s6.html\">modern namesake <\/a>in Washington D.C. Like the Romans (and their forebears), we are acutely aware of the force and symbolic appeal of architecture: imagine, for a moment, the recent inaugural ceremony and transferral of power from Obama to Trump, without the eye-catching <a style=\"color: #ffffff\" href=\"https:\/\/www.visitthecapitol.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/documents\/content\/brochure\/2652\/capitol-dome-restoration-projecten.pdf\">dome<\/a> and neoclassical fa\u00e7ade of the <a style=\"color: #ffffff\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aoc.gov\/nations-stage\/inauguration-us-capitol\">U.S. Capitol<\/a> as stage.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffffff\"><a style=\"color: #ffffff\" href=\"http:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/lucius-romans\/files\/2017\/02\/Screen-Shot-2017-02-07-at-2.49.42-PM.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-429\" src=\"http:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/lucius-romans\/files\/2017\/02\/Screen-Shot-2017-02-07-at-2.49.42-PM.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"922\" height=\"462\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/lucius-romans\/files\/2017\/02\/Screen-Shot-2017-02-07-at-2.49.42-PM.png 922w, https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/lucius-romans\/files\/2017\/02\/Screen-Shot-2017-02-07-at-2.49.42-PM-300x150.png 300w, https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/lucius-romans\/files\/2017\/02\/Screen-Shot-2017-02-07-at-2.49.42-PM-768x385.png 768w, https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/lucius-romans\/files\/2017\/02\/Screen-Shot-2017-02-07-at-2.49.42-PM-660x331.png 660w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 922px) 100vw, 922px\" \/><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffffff\"><em>U.S. Capitol Building, Washington D.C. Image: Martin Falbisoner via commons.wikimedia.org. Building began in 1793, and since then the U.S. Capitol has been \u2018built, burnt, rebuilt, extended and restored\u2019.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffffff\">What of an instantly recognisable and ideologically-charged Parisian landmark? The <a style=\"color: #ffffff\" href=\"http:\/\/en.parisinfo.com\/what-to-see-in-paris\/monuments\">Eiffel Tower<\/a> is possibly the first attraction to be ticked off the average \u2018been there, seen that\u2019 list! As impressive as it is, Gustave Eiffel\u2019s towering mass of iron does not stir the blood in quite the same way as certain other Parisian structures. The Arc de Triomphe, for instance, is not only right up there as a must-see (<em><a style=\"color: #ffffff\" href=\"http:\/\/en.parisinfo.com\/what-to-see-in-paris\/monuments\">re-click above<\/a><\/em>), but both it and the ground upon which it was built, possess deeply symbolic overtones and passion-filled <a style=\"color: #ffffff\" href=\"https:\/\/books.google.co.uk\/books?id=UbE3Tb0mhh0C&amp;pg=PA47&amp;lpg=PA47&amp;dq=this+wall+enclosing+paris+had+all+of+paris+grumbling&amp;source=bl&amp;ots=WfFr7rYFcb&amp;sig=PjuXlR3HoNzVySA3nNw-P83NsM4&amp;hl=en&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=0ahUKEwjzm-ubm-rRAhVrC8AKHbmBBgMQ6AEIIjAB%23v=onepage&amp;q=this%20wall%20enclosing%20paris%20had%20all%20of%20paris%20grumbling&amp;f=false\">pasts<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffffff\">Whatever our perception of the Arc de Triomphe, it is hard not to be left with an indelible impression of this world-famous colossus that stands proudly at the summit of the Champs-\u00c9lys\u00e9es. And although Napoleon was never able to parade in triumph beneath his monumental arch (at least not in the way that antiquity\u2019s famed <em><a style=\"color: #ffffff\" href=\"https:\/\/books.google.co.uk\/books?id=kYr4AAAAQBAJ&amp;pg=PA2&amp;lpg=PA2&amp;dq=triumphator+entrance+ritus&amp;source=bl&amp;ots=R4BhjYAC6D&amp;sig=-_IZXXOD-wD1H8waBAQX4_JX1mQ&amp;hl=en&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=0ahUKEwiJz4fQzPTRAhVDg5AKHU5vB38Q6AEIHzAA%23v=onepage&amp;q=triumphator%20entrance%20ritus&amp;f=false\">triumphators<\/a> <\/em>had entered Rome), it doubtless remains the most enduring testament to his military feats and symbol of the First Empire\u2019s power.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffffff\"><a style=\"color: #ffffff\" href=\"http:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/lucius-romans\/files\/2017\/02\/Screen-Shot-2017-02-07-at-2.49.30-PM.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-427\" src=\"http:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/lucius-romans\/files\/2017\/02\/Screen-Shot-2017-02-07-at-2.49.30-PM.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"910\" height=\"680\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/lucius-romans\/files\/2017\/02\/Screen-Shot-2017-02-07-at-2.49.30-PM.png 910w, https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/lucius-romans\/files\/2017\/02\/Screen-Shot-2017-02-07-at-2.49.30-PM-300x224.png 300w, https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/lucius-romans\/files\/2017\/02\/Screen-Shot-2017-02-07-at-2.49.30-PM-768x574.png 768w, https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/lucius-romans\/files\/2017\/02\/Screen-Shot-2017-02-07-at-2.49.30-PM-660x493.png 660w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 910px) 100vw, 910px\" \/><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffffff\"><em>The Arc de Triomphe de l\u2019\u00c9toile, Paris. <\/em><em>Image: Diana Rowell. Although the first stone was laid in 1806 (on Napoleon\u2019s birthday: 15 August), the structure was not completed until 1836 (well after Napoleon\u2019s death in 1821).<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffffff\"><em><a style=\"color: #ffffff\" href=\"http:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/lucius-romans\/files\/2017\/02\/Screen-Shot-2017-02-07-at-2.49.09-PM.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-428\" src=\"http:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/lucius-romans\/files\/2017\/02\/Screen-Shot-2017-02-07-at-2.49.09-PM.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"908\" height=\"1050\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/lucius-romans\/files\/2017\/02\/Screen-Shot-2017-02-07-at-2.49.09-PM.png 908w, https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/lucius-romans\/files\/2017\/02\/Screen-Shot-2017-02-07-at-2.49.09-PM-259x300.png 259w, https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/lucius-romans\/files\/2017\/02\/Screen-Shot-2017-02-07-at-2.49.09-PM-768x888.png 768w, https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/lucius-romans\/files\/2017\/02\/Screen-Shot-2017-02-07-at-2.49.09-PM-886x1024.png 886w, https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/lucius-romans\/files\/2017\/02\/Screen-Shot-2017-02-07-at-2.49.09-PM-660x763.png 660w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 908px) 100vw, 908px\" \/><\/a>\u00a0<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffffff\"><em>Napoleon\u2019s Arc de Triomphe was inspired (in part) by the Arch of Titus (c. 81-2 CE). Single-fornix triumphal arch: Forum Romanum, Rome. Image: Diana Rowell.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffffff\">Napoleon\u2019s iconic arch and the imperial capital\u2019s other Rome-inspired projects will come into their own in later blogs, but for the moment it might be an idea to return briefly to the great man himself! <a style=\"color: #ffffff\" href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Napoleon-I\">Napoleon Bonaparte <\/a>(<em>n\u00e9<\/em> Napoleone di Buonaparte), a quiet and reputedly aloof youth with a strange Corsican accent, rose from nowhere to become master of France. An amazing feat to say the least, but perhaps more incredible still was his evolution from hero of the <a style=\"color: #ffffff\" href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/event\/French-Revolution\">French Revolution <\/a>to a sovereign whose rule found certain parallels with that of the most \u2018absolute\u2019 of French monarchs. To top it all, Napoleon was the nation\u2019s first post-revolutionary ruler!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffffff\"><a style=\"color: #ffffff\" href=\"http:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/lucius-romans\/files\/2017\/02\/Screen-Shot-2017-02-07-at-2.48.46-PM.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-426\" src=\"http:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/lucius-romans\/files\/2017\/02\/Screen-Shot-2017-02-07-at-2.48.46-PM.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"846\" height=\"1058\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/lucius-romans\/files\/2017\/02\/Screen-Shot-2017-02-07-at-2.48.46-PM.png 846w, https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/lucius-romans\/files\/2017\/02\/Screen-Shot-2017-02-07-at-2.48.46-PM-240x300.png 240w, https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/lucius-romans\/files\/2017\/02\/Screen-Shot-2017-02-07-at-2.48.46-PM-768x960.png 768w, https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/lucius-romans\/files\/2017\/02\/Screen-Shot-2017-02-07-at-2.48.46-PM-819x1024.png 819w, https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/lucius-romans\/files\/2017\/02\/Screen-Shot-2017-02-07-at-2.48.46-PM-660x825.png 660w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 846px) 100vw, 846px\" \/><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffffff\"><em>Gros, A.-J. <a style=\"color: #ffffff\" href=\"http:\/\/waterloo200.org\/200-object\/bonaparte-at-the-pont-darcole-antoine-jean-gros\/\">Bonaparte on the Bridge of Arcole<\/a>, c.1796\/7. Oil on Canvas. Palace of Versailles. Image: The Yorck Project via commons.wikimedia.org. An embellished portrayal of Bonaparte as a dynamic and victorious Republican general at the Battle of Arcole (1796).<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffffff\"><em>\u00a0<\/em><em>Click <a style=\"color: #ffffff\" href=\"https:\/\/www.napoleon.org\/en\/history-of-the-two-empires\/paintings\/napoleon-i-on-his-imperial-throne\/\">here<\/a><\/em> <em>for Ingres\u2019 \u2018Napoleon on his Imperial Throne\u2019 (1806): an excellent example of how he was portrayed once his transformation from glorious hero of the Revolution to grandiose imperial emperor had taken place.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffffff\">Just how the ever-enigmatic Napoleon managed to achieve this, and did so without losing his head to the guillotine (or yes, even being <a style=\"color: #ffffff\" href=\"https:\/\/paperspast.natlib.govt.nz\/newspapers\/UHWR19370402.2.17\">blown up<\/a>), is a burning question that continues to baffle, and is far too complex a topic to be treated here! This said, the constantly changing nature of his rule, with the concurrent transformation of his capital, not only makes for an exciting read, but also allows us a unique glimpse into how Napoleon (and his entourage) strove to reshape Paris as a new and a singularly powerful \u2018Rome\u2019.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffffff\">Vital to this relationship, is an understanding that Napoleon was far from alone in his plans to relocate \u2018Rome\u2019 in Paris. The respective \u2018Romanisation(s)\u2019 of Paris under <a style=\"color: #ffffff\" href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Henry-IV-king-of-France\">Henry IV<\/a> and <a style=\"color: #ffffff\" href=\"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/history\/historic_figures\/louis_xiv.shtml\">Louis XIV<\/a> are fine examples of this phenomenon, as are the visions of the French revolutionaries for a city that would reflect their staunch anti-monarchical beliefs, and draw on Republican, rather than Imperial, Rome. The contrasting \u2018Roman\u2019 landscapes of Paris had an enormous impact on the Napoleonic capital which, in turn, influenced the <em>re<\/em>-fashioning of the city as a \u2018new Rome\u2019 during the Second Empire: with the aid of <a style=\"color: #ffffff\" href=\"http:\/\/www.museumofthecity.org\/project\/haussmann-and-revival-of-paris\/\">Baron Haussmann<\/a>, Napoleon III built and personalised existing structures; and created wide boulevards and a symmetrical network of roads that changed the face of Paris. <em>Click <a style=\"color: #ffffff\" href=\"https:\/\/www.napoleon.org\/wp-content\/themes\/napoleon\/annexes\/jeunes-historiens\/11-ans\/genealogie\/en\/\">here<\/a> for Napoleon\u2019s family tree, and see how his nephew, Napoleon III, and other well-known Bonapartes, fit in!<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffffff\"><strong><em>\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>Having long believed in the merits of research into the reinvention of Paris as a \u2018new Rome\u2019 under Napoleon, I was delighted to come across the press release for <em><a style=\"color: #ffffff\" href=\"http:\/\/www.carnavalet.paris.fr\/sites\/default\/files\/pk_napoleon_and_paris.pdf\">Napol\u00e9on et Paris: r\u00eaves d&#8217;une capitale<\/a><\/em> and to notice his unfinished urban dreams referred to as \u2018an underestimated step towards Haussmann\u2019s remodelling of Paris\u2019! This compelling exhibition (8 April \u2013 30 August 2015) focussed on his grandiose plans \u2013 both realised and visionary \u2013 for Paris as show-piece of the First Empire; and was held at the <a style=\"color: #ffffff\" href=\"http:\/\/www.carnavalet.paris.fr\/en\/museum-carnavalet\">Mus\u00e9e Carnavalet<\/a> to coincide with the premature fall of that empire two centuries previously.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffffff\">\u2018Napoleon and Paris\u2019 have also found their place across the Atlantic at the Museum of History in Gatineau, Canada: the exhibition (16 June 2016 \u2013 08 January 2017), aptly named <em>Napoleon and Paris<\/em>, has only just closed its doors to the public and, as a reduced version of its somewhat grander Parisian counterpart (above), it is well worth a <a style=\"color: #ffffff\" href=\"http:\/\/www.historymuseum.ca\/napoleon\/\">click<\/a> for details!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffffff\">Equally captivating is <em><a style=\"color: #ffffff\" href=\"http:\/\/www.bgc.bard.edu\/images\/content\/1\/7\/17416.pdf\">Charles Percier: Architecture and Design in an Age of Revolutions<\/a> <\/em>which is on view at the Bard Graduate Center Gallery; and includes exhibits that were instrumental in shaping the \u2018Roman\u2019 character of Napoleonic Paris. Those unable to get to New York might be interested to hear that the same exhibition will be held at the Ch\u00e2teau de Fontainebeau from 18 March \u2013 19 June of this year!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffffff\">The scene has been set for Napoleon and for his nephew, Napoleon III, but what of Napoleon II, and why do we hear relatively little about him? The simple answer is that he died prematurely and, other than \u2018reigning\u2019 for a few days as an infant, he was never to rule France as son and heir of Napoleon.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffffff\">Once in possession of the Eternal City itself however, and ever eager to boost his profile and that of his empire, Napoleon was in a position to name his new-born son the <em><a style=\"color: #ffffff\" href=\"https:\/\/www.napoleon.org\/en\/history-of-the-two-empires\/articles\/the-roi-de-romes-birth-is-announced-in-the-moniteur-21-march-1811\/\">roi de Rome<\/a><\/em>. This was a hugely symbolic act which, albeit indirectly, ensured that Napoleon II would play a part in his father\u2019s ambitious schemes to conquer the universe.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffffff\"><em>\u00a0<\/em>If you would like to explore a fascinating world of power relations in which Napoleon sought tirelessly to recreate an imperial metropolis of unparalleled magnitude that would embody his rule, then please take a look at this blog every so often \u2013 whether a student with a keen interest in receptions of the past, or someone who wants to acquaint themselves with an alternative Paris (or Rome) that\u2019s off the normal tourist radar, I hope it will have something for you!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffffff\"><strong>Napoleon Bonaparte: Timeline<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffffff\">*1769, 15 August: birth of Napoleon Bonaparte in Ajaccio, Corsica.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffffff\">*1784, 30 October: Bonaparte enrols at the \u00c9cole Militaire in Paris.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffffff\">*<a style=\"color: #ffffff\" href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/list\/the-12-months-of-the-french-republican-calendar\">Revolutionary Year<\/a> VIII, 18-19 Brumaire (9-10 November 1799): a coup d&#8217;\u00e9tat by Bonaparte begins the period of the Consulate.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffffff\">*Revolutionary Year VIII, 28 Pluvi\u00f4se (17 February 1800): legislation on the administrative organisation of France establishes the posts of Prefect of the Seine D\u00e9partement and Prefect of Police.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffffff\">*Revolutionary Year IX, 3 Niv\u00f4se (24 December1800): an assassination attempt by royalists on Rue Saint-Nicaise.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffffff\">*Revolutionary Year XI, 1 Flor\u00e9al (21 January 1802): a decree orders acquisition of the land to be used for the future Rue de Rivoli, Rue Castiglione, and Rue and Place des Pyramides, which are opened up in 1804.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffffff\">*Revolutionary Year XI, 28 Brumaire (19 November 1802): the Mus\u00e9e du Louvre is reorganised and placed under the direction of Vivant Denon.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffffff\">*Revolutionary Year XIII, 11 Frimaire (2 December 1804): crowning of Napoleon I at Notre Dame. On 5 December the army swears loyalty to the emperor on the Champ-de-Mars.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffffff\">*July 1806-August 1808: erection of the Arc de Triomphe on Place du Carrousel.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffffff\">*1810, 1\u20132 April: Napoleon marries Marie-Louise.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffffff\">*1810, 15 August: unveiling of the Vend\u00f4me Column.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffffff\">*1811, 20 March: birth in Paris of Napoleon&#8217;s son Napol\u00e9on-Fran\u00e7ois-Joseph-Charles, King of Rome and heir to the imperial throne.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffffff\">*1812, 22\u201323 October: attempted coup d&#8217;\u00e9tat by General Malet.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffffff\">*1813, 15 August: The Canal de l\u2019Ourcq is opened to navigation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffffff\">*1814, 30 March: the Battle of Paris. On 31 March the anti-Napoleon coalition forces enter the city.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffffff\">*1814, 4 April: Napoleon abdicates at Fontainebleau in favour of the King of Rome. On 6 April he abdicates unconditionally.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffffff\">*1815, 1 March: Napoleon disembarks at Golfe-Juan. Beginning of the Hundred Days.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffffff\">*1815, 1 June: at the &#8220;Champ de Mai&#8221; gathering, the nation swears loyalty to Napoleon.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffffff\">*1815, 18 June: Battle of Waterloo.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffffff\">*1815, 22 June: Napoleon abdicates again, declaring his son emperor under the name Napoleon II. On 29 June he leaves Malmaison and sets out for Rochefort; there he surrenders voluntarily to the English, who deport him to St Helena.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffffff\">*1821, 5 May: Napoleon dies on St Helena.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffffff\">*1840, 15 December: Napoleon&#8217;s remains are brought to Les Invalides in Paris.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffffff\">*1861, 2 April: Napoleon&#8217;s coffin is placed in the tomb designed by Visconti.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffffff\">*1864: the former Rue Militaire becomes the boulevards des Mar\u00e9chaux.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffffff\">*1871, 16 May: the Vend\u00f4me Column is pulled down.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffffff\">*1875, 26 December: the statue of Napoleon is put back on the restored Vend\u00f4me Column.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffffff\"><em>Timeline: Exhibition Catalogue for \u2018Napoleon and Paris: Dreams of a Capital\u2019, held at the Mus\u00e9e Carnavalet, 8 April \u2013 30 August 2015.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffffff\"><strong>Bibliogaphy and further reading \/ viewing<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffffff\"><strong>\u00a0<\/strong>Claridge, A. 2010. <em><a style=\"color: #ffffff\" href=\"https:\/\/www.questia.com\/library\/80949742\/rome-an-oxford-archaeological-guide\">Rome: An Oxford Archaeological Guide<\/a><\/em> (Oxford: Oxford University Press).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffffff\">Forrest, A. 2011. <em><a style=\"color: #ffffff\" href=\"http:\/\/www.historytoday.com\/blog\/2012\/06\/napoleon\">Napoleon<\/a><\/em> (London: Quercus).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffffff\"><em>\u00a0<\/em>Garric, J.-P. ed. 2016. <em><a style=\"color: #ffffff\" href=\"https:\/\/www.napoleon.org\/en\/magazine\/publications\/charles-percier-architecture-and-design-in-an-age-of-revolutions\/\">Charles Percier: Achitecture and Design in an Age of Revolutions<\/a><\/em>, catalogue for the exhibition held at the Bard Graduate Center Gallery, 18 November 2016 \u2013 5 February 2017 (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press). <em>The exhibition has been extended to 12 February 2017<\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffffff\">Gott, T., Huguenaud, K. eds. 2012. <em><a style=\"color: #ffffff\" href=\"https:\/\/www.napoleon.org\/en\/magazine\/publications\/napoleon-revolution-to-empire\/\">Napoleon: Revolution to Empire<\/a><\/em>, catalogue for the exhibition held at the National Gallery of Victoria, 2 June \u2013 7 October 2012 (Melbourne: NGV Publications). <em>Click <a style=\"color: #ffffff\" href=\"http:\/\/www.ngv.vic.gov.au\/media_release\/napoleon-revolution-to-empire\/\">here<\/a> for additional information.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffffff\">Kleiner, D. E. 2014. <em><a style=\"color: #ffffff\" href=\"https:\/\/books.google.co.uk\/books?id=OYLgAgAAQBAJ&amp;printsec=frontcover&amp;source=gbs_ge_summary_r&amp;cad=0%23v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false\">Roman Architecture: A Visual Guide<\/a><\/em> (New Haven &amp; London: Yale University Press). <em>If you fancy \u2018attending\u2019 a lecture or two by the author, click <\/em><em><a style=\"color: #ffffff\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/playlist?list=PLBCB3059E45654BCE\">here<\/a>!<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffffff\">Leith, R. A. 1991. <em><a style=\"color: #ffffff\" href=\"https:\/\/books.google.co.uk\/books\/about\/Space_and_Revolution.html?id=1vt8QgAACAAJ&amp;redir_esc=y\">Space and Revolution: Projects for Monuments, Squares, and Public Buildings in France 1789-1799<\/a><\/em> (Montreal: McGill-Queen\u2019s University Press).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffffff\">Rowell, D. 2012. <em><a style=\"color: #ffffff\" href=\"https:\/\/books.google.co.uk\/books?id=UbE3Tb0mhh0C&amp;pg=PR5&amp;lpg=PR5&amp;dq=new+rome&amp;source=bl&amp;ots=WfFr9oXLbf&amp;sig=oyyIpnhx1P66Rg-5MePd5jq8uxE&amp;hl=en&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=0ahUKEwiM16WAk-_RAhVjF8AKHSnBAcA4HhDoAQg3MAU%23v=onepage&amp;q=new%20rome&amp;f=false\">Paris: The &#8216;New Rome&#8217; of Napoleon I<\/a><\/em> (London, New York: Bloomsbury).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffffff\">Zanker, P. 1988. <em><a style=\"color: #ffffff\" href=\"https:\/\/www.scribd.com\/doc\/244977855\/Zanker-Paul-The-Power-of-Images-in-the-Age-of-Augustus-pdf\">The Power of Images in the Age of Augustus<\/a> <\/em>(Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press).<\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"kent-social-links\"><li><a href='http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/lucius-romans\/2017\/02\/13\/paris-and-rome-napoleon-and-classical-antiquity\/&amp;t=Paris and Rome \u2013 Napoleon and Classical Antiquity' target='_blank'><i class='ksocial-facebook' title='Share via Facebook'><\/i><\/a><\/li><li><a href='http:\/\/twitter.com\/home?status=Paris and Rome \u2013 Napoleon and Classical Antiquity%20https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/lucius-romans\/2017\/02\/13\/paris-and-rome-napoleon-and-classical-antiquity\/' target='_blank'><i class='ksocial-twitter' title='Share via Twitter'><\/i><\/a><\/li><li><a href='https:\/\/plus.google.com\/share?url=https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/lucius-romans\/2017\/02\/13\/paris-and-rome-napoleon-and-classical-antiquity\/' target='_blank'><i class='ksocial-google-plus' title='Share via Google Plus'><\/i><\/a><\/li><li><a href='http:\/\/linkedin.com\/shareArticle?mini=true&amp;url=https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/lucius-romans\/2017\/02\/13\/paris-and-rome-napoleon-and-classical-antiquity\/&amp;title=Paris and Rome \u2013 Napoleon and Classical Antiquity' target='_blank'><i class='ksocial-linkedin' title='Share via Linked In'><\/i><\/a><\/li><li><a href='mailto:content=https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/lucius-romans\/2017\/02\/13\/paris-and-rome-napoleon-and-classical-antiquity\/&amp;title=Paris and Rome \u2013 Napoleon and Classical Antiquity' target='_blank'><i class='ksocial-email' title='Share via Email'><\/i><\/a><\/li><\/ul>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This month Dr Diana Rowell, an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Kent, reveals how Paris and Rome contain&hellip; <a class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/lucius-romans\/2017\/02\/13\/paris-and-rome-napoleon-and-classical-antiquity\/\">Read more <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Paris and Rome \u2013 Napoleon and Classical Antiquity<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":40877,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[18592,152666],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/lucius-romans\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/424"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/lucius-romans\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/lucius-romans\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/lucius-romans\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/40877"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/lucius-romans\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=424"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/lucius-romans\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/424\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":432,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/lucius-romans\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/424\/revisions\/432"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/lucius-romans\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=424"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/lucius-romans\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=424"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/lucius-romans\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=424"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}