Handwritten endorsement, signed “Np,” at the top of a letter addressed to him as “Sacred Imperial and Royal Majesty." The letter, in Italian, one page, 10 x 16, dated August 16, 1811, signed by four Venetian dignitaries in which the merchants express profuse thanks and profound gratitude to Napoleon for having made "loyal Venice" a free port and have erected a statue to him. In part (translated): “May Your Majesty deign to allow the Chamber of Commerce to place at Your august feet a statue…May the venerable representation resist the destructive force of time and maintain itself firmly and eternally like the glory and the name of the H E R O which it represents!…our remotest descendants Will inherit all the happiness which the Free Port will bestow…a gift from the greatest and most beneficent of Monarchs.” Endorsed in the upper left, “Returned to Count Aldini (Minister of Foreign Affairs) to draft a reply. Trianon, 28 August 1811, Np.” In fine condition, with intersecting folds, and some scattered light creases and wrinkles. Accompanied by a printed image of the statue.
When the War of the First Coalition came to a close in 1797, Napoleon stood victorious. After five years of battle, Austria signed the Treaty of Campo Formio, ceding Belgium to France and recognizing French control of the Rhineland and much of Italy. The ancient Republic of Venice was partitioned between Austria and France, losing its independence forever.
The statue referred to in this letter was unveiled in St. Mark’s Square on Napoleon’s birthday in 1811, the day before this letter was written, and remained on display until Austria took control of the city in 1814. Created by Domenico Banti, the eight-foot-tall marble sculpture depicts the ruler as Caesar holding a globe in his left hand. It was then, as it remains today, incredibly controversial as many Venetians disdained the ruler for taking their independence. After being sold at Sotheby’s in 2002, it was donated to Venice’s Correr Museum where a large group protested by holding a mock trial of Napoleon, accusing him of looting the city’s artistic and historical patrimony. A beautiful endorsement accepting the honor bestowed upon him, which for many Venetians continues to serve as a reminder of their lost independence. Pre-certified John Reznikoff/PSA/DNA and RR Auction COA.
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