Monsieur the architect in chief of historic monuments,

King Louis-Philippe decided in 1831 to place a statue of Napoleon the Great on the summit of the Vendome column. The work of sculptor Jean-Marie Seurre, this bronze statue is 3.50 metres high. Particularly well-rendered, it is a strikingly accurate image of the Emperor in his overcoat and his uniform of the Chasseurs of the Guard, wearing his legendary hat. Later, Napoleon III considered that a statue of such value was too high a risk balanced at such a height. He had it moved to the roundabout at Courbevoie. The president of the Republic, Armand Fallières, in 1911, thinking that Napoleon deserved the Courtyard of Honour of Les Invalides, gave the statue the emplacement where it is today, about to be moved for reasons of security. Its weight putting the gallery in danger of collapse, it is appropriate, in our opinion, to make a lighter copy of the statue for the Courtyard of Honour and to replace the original on a granite base, in front of the pyramid of the Louvre, facing the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel, in the imperial and royal axis.

This proposition is equally sent to the Minister of Culture and to the Head of State, and will be the object of a petition, notably among the Napoleonic associations.

While awaiting your reply, we pray you to approve, Monsieur the architect in chief of historic monuments, the expression of our sincere salutations.

Paul-Napoleon Calland
President of the Bonapartist Movement.

« PRESIDENCY
OF THE
REPUBLIC

The Chief of the Cabinet of the President of the Republic.

Paris, the 8th JUNE 2011.

Monsieur the President,

« The President of the Republic has well received the correspondance by which you transitted to him a copy of your letter addressed to Monsieur Benjamin MOUTON, architect in chief of historic monuments, concerning the bronze statue of Napoleon the Great.

Be assured of the attention given to your action, which I have not failed to forward to Monsieur Frédéric MITTERRAND, minister of culture and of communication.

You will be maintained directly informed, by his care, of the sequel susceptible to be accorded to your intervention.

I pray you to approve, Monsieur the President, the expression of my best sentiments.

Guillaume LAMBERT. »

The petition mentioned above via Nicholas Stark’s blog :http://napoleonstark.wordpress.com/2011/07/26/napoleonic-petition/