Napoleon I 1769-1821

First an artillery officer in 1785 and then General in 1793, he later became First Consul thanks to the Coup of Brumaire (November 1799). In May 1804, he became Emperor of the French under the name of Napoleon I, and was the architect of France’s recovery following the Revolution before setting out to conquer Europe, which led to his downfall.

Right from the start of his reign Napoleon planned to re-establish Versailles, which had been abandoned by the successive Revolutionary powers, as one of the residences of the newly restored crown. After requesting plans from his architects, he abandoned the idea due to the high predicted costs and turned his attention instead to the renovation of the Grand Trianon and Petit Trianon in order to stay there with his family.

The work was very successfully finished under the leadership of the architect Trepsat, at the time of the declaration of the Emperor’s re-marriage to the daughter of the Emperor of Austria, the Archduchess Marie Louise of Austria, in 1809. The Petit Trianon, which was initially placed at the disposal of the Emperor’s favourite sister, Pauline Borghèse, was refurnished for the new Empress.

During the restoration of the Grand Trianon commissioned by General De Gaulle in the 1960s, the condition during the First Empire, the only one which was almost fully intact, was chosen for the refurbishment of the apartments.

Places renovated by Napoleon