Napoleon at the Grimaldi Forum, when the imperial eagle meets the Monegasque crown.
Ouch Grimaldi Forum, The summer began with an unexpected dialogue between two family histories that seem to be far apart, yet the 19th century brought them closer: those of the Bonaparte and Grimaldi families. Nearly two hundred rare pieces, some of which had never set foot in a museum, tell the story of this century of encounters and exchanges of influence between imperial France and the small principality.
Nitot & Fils
Or, beads, malachite, maroquin camé,
shell
Napoléon Foundation
© Fondation Napoléon/ Patrice Maurin
Berthie
At the dawn of the French Revolution, Monaco disappeared from the European map for a time. The princes of the Roche family then embraced the Napoleonic era, sharing the tumult of the battlefields and the splendor of the court. Malmaison, the refuge of Joséphine, became a place of remembrance for this discreet alliance, while legend has it that Napoleon himself crossed the prince’s path on his return to France in 1815. Alexandre Dumas would tell this story, adding a touch of romance to this family chronicle.
After the fall of the Second Empire, the principality enjoyed a new prosperity. Connected by the canal and the railway, it attracted travelers and aristocrats, opening a casino and an opera house designed by Charles Garnier. In this «little Paris» on the sea, the shadow of the Bonapartists persisted; Napoleon III sealed a decisive political alliance in 1861, while Empress Eugénie maintained a relationship of godmother to daughter with Prince Albert I, even going so far as to favor his marriage to Marie-Victoire Hamilton, a descendant of Napoleon I’s adopted lineage.
The exhibition reveals this network of loyalties and influences through the prism of objects: jewels by Joséphine, pipes, and portraits from private collections, as well as Monegasque silverware worthy of the most beautiful imperial tables. The rooms evoke the palaces as well as the intimacy of their occupants. At the edge of a showcase, the bird-shaped pendulum from the Iakobachvili collection, a twin of the one that Joséphine cherished in La Malmaison, illustrates the ingenuity and decorative poetry of the time.
Throughout the visit, the Grimaldi ceremony reveals itself to be shaped by the Bonapartist heritage. The Order of Saint Charles, created in the image of the Legion of Honor, bears witness to this. Between politics, art, and private life, this story woven in two voices is read in every object. The collections of the Princely Palace, the Napoleon Foundation, and several French museums have lent their treasures to this meeting.
Until August 31, 2025, Monaco thus offers to travel through a century where the steps of the Grimaldis and the Napoleons met, and where the small Mediterranean principality found a part of its imperial influence in the shadow.
Featured photo: Presentation tray with portrait of the First Consul Napoleon Bonaparte
Joseph-Étienne Blerzy and Etienne-Lucien Blerzy (ornaments makers) Jean-Baptiste Isabey (miniature artist) Paris, 1799-1804
Or, diamonds, painted ivory, glass 2.8 x 8.8 x 6.2 ©Museum Collection of Arts – David and Mikhail Iakobachvili
