L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2016 www.italoamericano.org 17 L'Italo-Americano LA VITA ITALIANA TRADITIONS HISTORY CULTURE Dear readers, February, the month we celebrate lovers, I thought I would focus on a romance with an Italian connection, that of Josephine and Napoleon Bonaparte, conqueror of Italy. Napoleon Bonaparte, (1769- 1821) was born in Corsica, a French island in the Mediterranean Sea, about 100 miles south of Genoa. At the age of 16, Napoleon became the head of his family upon the death of his father. He was educated for the Army at a Cadet School and at the Paris École Militaire. In the provinces he worked his way up the military ladder and by age 26, was the commanding general of the army in Paris, the year he met Josephine, age 32 widow of a guillotined French aristocrat and mother of two adolescent children, Eugene and Hortense. When Napoleon met Josephine and fell in love, her name was Rose. Because other men before him had possessed Rose, he insisted on calling her by a new name that no other man had ever whispered in her ear. He recalled her Josephine. *** It seems that, fearing an armed uprising, the French Revolutionary government rounded up the arms of French citizens in late 1795. Among the confiscated weapons was the sword of Visconte Alexander Beauharnais, a General and recently guillotined husband of the widow, Madame Rose Beauharnais. *** The late General's sword was prized by Rose and her fourteen- year old son Eugene. Determined to retrieve the sword of his father, young Eugene Beauharnais went to see the commanding general of the army in Paris, twenty-six-year-old Napoleon Bonaparte. Bonaparte was impressed by the lad's devotion to his father's memory and immediately returned the cherished sword. In a few days Eugene's mother called on Bonaparte to thank him for returning the sword to her son. Thirty-two years old and mother of two children, Madame Rose Beauharnais was a seductive woman. Bonaparte, single and unacquainted in Paris, was captive by her beauty and charm. When she invited him to visit in her home, the general eagerly accepted. Bonaparte visited the alluring Rose, but was shy and inhibited in her presence. A native of the island of Corsica, he felt uncouth in the company of this sophisticated Parisienne. After his first few visits to Madame Beauharnais, he lost his nerve and stopped calling on her. Rose was experienced in affairs of the heart; in addition to having been married, she had enjoyed a number of love affairs. She was aware of her strong appeal to the awkward and bashful young general. When he stopped calling at her house, she sent him an encouraging note: "You no longer come to see a friend who is fond of you. You have completely deserted her. You are wrong, for she is affectionately attached to you. Come tomorrow to lunch with me". Although Rose knew that Bonaparte was strongly attracted to her, she did not realize what a torrent of passion she was unleashing when she wrote that enticing note to him. In a short time he was feverishly in love with her and wanted to take complete possession of her. *** Josephine allowed herself to be swept along by Napoleon's ardor for her. In February, 1796, only four months after they had met, Josephine and Napoleon announced their plans to be married. A civil ceremony was performed in a public building with only a few friends in attendance. The newlyweds spent their wedding night in Josephine's home. Two days after his wedding Napoleon set off for the southern part of France where he took command of the French Army of Italy. In Italy Napoleon proved himself to be a consummate general, who was not only a master strategist and tactician, but also an inspiring leader of men. He won victory after victory against the armies of northern Italy and Austria. *** Well, as they say dear readers, "you can't win 'em all" … soon, Napoleon began to complain in his letters to Josephine about the dearth of her letters to him. She had written only two in a month. He lived for her letters; they sustained him. As the summers of 1796 approached, Napoleon became less concerned about the lack of letters from Josephine and more anxious about when she would join him in northern Italy. He fully expected she would lose no time in coming to him in Milan. But when she made no plans to leave Paris, Napoleon's gnawing doubts about her devotion and loyalty became acute. Soon after Napoleon's departure to take command of the Army of Italy, Josephine had been beguiled by a lieutenant in her husband's army. The lieutenant's name was Hippolyte Charles. At the time they became lovers, Josephine was thirty- three; Hippolyte was twenty- three. Josephine's infidelities in Paris, while her husband was engaged in heroic military feats in Italy, was acceptable behavior in her fashionable social circle. In July, 1796, Josephine finally made arrangements to travel to her husband's side in Italy. Traveling with her was Napoleon's rival: Lieutenant Hippolyte Charles. When Josephine arrived at Napoleon's headquarter in Italy, she found that war had called him away. It took Napoleon three days of furious riding to get to his reunion with Josephine. Josephine spent half of 1796 and most of 1797 in Italy, staying in Milan and others cities where she was safe from the Austrians. Napoleon joined her whenever he could between battles. *** In December, 1797, Napoleon and Josephine returned to Paris in separate coaches. When Napoleon arrived he expected to find Josephine already there, but she did not show up until several weeks later. She was taking her time with Hyppolite as her traveling companion. While Josephine's indiscretions were widely known and gossiped about, and Napoleon's mistrust of her increased, he still loved her and wanted to believe in her devotion to him. It was his vanity which deceived him. He could not help but be vain; after his Italian campaign he was the idol of France. The name of the street on which he lived was changed to Rue de la Victoire. Josephine shared his glory. She was called "Our Lady of Victories". *** Josephine had heard that Napoleon intended to divorce her, but she was confident of her continued power over him. When she heard about his arrival in France she set out to meet him in Paris. She ran upstairs to the bedroom. Finding the bedroom door securely locked, Josephine knocked sharply on it and called out to Napoleon inside. She told Napoleon that her enemies had filled his ears with lies about her, all lies! She collapsed outside the threshold of the bedroom, sobbing uncontrollably. The latch in the door clicked. Then the door slowly opened. There stood Napoleon Bonaparte in his nightshirt. Josephine flung herself upon him, and his arms enveloped her. The following morning all was well. Because she failed to produce an heir for Napoleon, he eventually divorced Josephine and replaced her with Marie Louise of Austria, who gave him the son he wanted. There were many women in Napoleon's life, hundreds of them, but among all these women, Josephine stood out supremely in Napoleon's estimation. She was, he said, "incomparable". Napoleon Bonaparte

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