Napoleon at Villa Manin
It was 27 August 1797 when Napoleon entered the gates of the Villa Manin for the first time. Come in and discover the story that changed the destiny of Italy and Europe
‘Too big and rich even for a doge’ exclaimed Napoleon on seeing it.
Villa Manin was in fact the country residence of Lodovico IV, from 1789 Doge of the Venetian Republic and destined by Napoleon to be the last.
And it was in this villa that one of the episodes that changed the destiny of Italy and Europe took place: the signing of the Treaty of Campoformio.
Napoleon was perhaps the most illustrious guest of Villa Manin. He stayed there from 27 August to 22 October: nowhere else in Italy did he stay longer. Here he was also joined in September by his wife Joséphine de Beauharnais. An elegant and refined woman, she had won the young leader’s heart the year before and Napoleon took advantage of every moment to isolate himself with her in the villa’s many rooms.
“The sacrifice of our fatherland is consumed: all is lost” were the words with which Ugo Foscolo commented on the treaty that sanctioned the end of the Republic and the betrayal of patriotic illusions.
Through captivating multimedia installations, you will be able to immerse yourself in a crucial night in Italian history and hear from the living voice of the condottiere his version of events.
