ITALY: ROW RAGES OVER WHETHER A STATUE OF NAPOLEAN BONAPARTE SHOULD RETURN TO VENICE
Record ID:
584718
ITALY: ROW RAGES OVER WHETHER A STATUE OF NAPOLEAN BONAPARTE SHOULD RETURN TO VENICE
- Title: ITALY: ROW RAGES OVER WHETHER A STATUE OF NAPOLEAN BONAPARTE SHOULD RETURN TO VENICE
- Date: 10th January 2003
- Summary: (EU) VENICE, ITALY (JANUARY 10, 2003) (REUTERS) 1. VARIOUS GONDOLAS BOBBING IN HARBOUR (2 SHOTS) 0.10 2. VARIOUS STATUE OF FRENCH EMPEROR NAPOLEON BONAPARTE (3 SHOTS) 0.30 3. PAN: LAWYER MARIO D'ELIA WALKING ACROSS ST. MARK'S SQUARE 0.39 4. SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) LAWYER MARIO D'ELIA SAYING: "We are against this, because Napoleon for the Republic of Venice, and for Venice, was a negative figure. He destroyed the Republic of Venice, he betrayed it against the wish of the directorate and stole the treasures of Venice from the St. Mark's Basilica, pictures, statues, four beautiful statues of horses that he took back to Paris. We believe it is not appropriate that this statue of Napoleon returns to Venice." 1.08 5. VARIOUS ST. MARK'S SQUARE (2 SHOTS) 1.19 6. MV: GONDOLAS IN CANALS; GONDOLA ROWING DOWN CANAL (2 SHOTS) 1.37 7. PAN: ST. MARK'S SQUARE 1.44 8. MV/SV: INTERIOR OF BUILDING/ FRENCH HISTORIAN JEROME ZIESENISS WALKING (2 SHOTS) 1.58 9. SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (French) JEROME ZIESENISS SAYING: "It's a part of the history of Venice which returns after two centuries. It was commissioned by Venetian merchants to thank Napoleon for making the city a tax-free port which was good for commerce. It was sculpted by a Venetian from the Canova school, it was taken to the United States at the end of the nineteenth century. It returns now, thanks to the French association that raises funds for Venice and the cultural foundation." 2.28 10. WIDE OF CANAL WITH GONDOLAS 2.32 11. SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) VENETIAN RESIDENT CARLA D'ESTE SAYING: "We mustn't forget that, where this statue is supposed to go, there used to be a church. Our things were destroyed with an unimaginable violence - this is completely out of order to anyone who has any sense." 2.44 12. SV: STATUES ON BUILDING 2.47 13. SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) VENETIAN RESIDENT CRISTINA ZACCHI SAYING: "As a Venetian resident, I just don't want to see this statue of Napoleon in Venice. Napoleon in Venice has left very bad memories." 2.57 14. WIDE OF GRAND CANAL AND GONDOLAS AT DUSK 3.00 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 25th January 2003 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: VENICE, ITALY
- Country: Italy
- Reuters ID: LVABCG0AXF7BXXDFCU5CB86PFG2T
- Story Text: Some 200 years after conquering Venice, Napoleon
Bonaparte will soon face trial in the city, accused of
stealing some of its artistic treasures, and worse.
There are definitely troubled waters in the lagoon city
of Venice as a stormy debate blows into full force over
whether to display a statue of the French emperor Napoleon
Bonaparte.
The 2.5-metre (8.2-feet) white marble statue by Domenico
Banti represents Napoleon, bare-chested and muscular,
extending his right hand imperiously and holding a globe in
his left hand.
Whilst the current battle rages, the rather young looking
and athletically built statue of one of the most popular
French heroes stands rather forlornly in a basement a few
kilometres from the centre of town.
The plan to return the statue has raised hackles among
some Venetians who see Napoleon as a tyrant who robbed the
city of its independence before looting it and destroying some
its architectural gems.
The offended Venetians want to send the firm message of
'Not tonight Napoleon' by putting the emperor on mock trial in
March and galvanising the anti-Napoleon sentiment against what
they see as the latest attack on their city.
"We are against this, because Napoleon for the Republic of
Venice and for Venice was a negative figure," said lawyer
Mario D'Elia, who is organising the trial.
"He destroyed the Republic of Venice, he betrayed it
against the wish of the directorate and stole the treasures of
Venice from St. Mark's Basilica, pictures, statues, four
beautiful statues of horses that he took back to Paris,"
D'Elia said, pointing to where the statues used to stand in
St. Mark's square.
"We believe it is not appropriate that this statue of
Napoleon returns to Venice' he said.
Fighting in Napoleon's corner is French historian Jerome
Zieseniss who heads the association that jointly bought the
statue and brought it back to Venice.
"It's a part of the history of Venice which returns after
two centuries," Zieseniss said.
"It was commissioned by Venetian merchants to thank
Napoleon for making the city a tax-free port which was good
for commerce," he explained.
"It was sculpted by a Venetian from the Canova school, it
was taken to the United States at the end of the nineteenth
century. It returns now, thanks to the French association that
raises funds for Venice and the cultural foundation,"
Zieseniss said.
The statue originally stood on St Mark's square from 1811
until 1814, when Venice fell to the Austrians and it was
removed.
Historians then lost track of the statue until it
resurfaced at Sotheby's auction house in New York last year,
where it was jointly bought by a French association that
raises funds for Venice and by the cultural foundation of a
Venetian bank.
Their intention, approved by Venice's municipality, was to
display the work at the Correr Museum, which is dedicated to
the city's history and housed in the 'Napoleonic Wing', a
structure built on St Mark's Square on Napoleon's orders.
But most Venetians are not happy about the emperor's
return.
"We mustn't forget that where this statue is supposed to
go there used to be a church," said a rather angry Venetian
resident, Carla D'Este.
"Our things were destroyed with an unimaginable violence -
this is completely out of order to anyone who has any sense,"
D'Este said.
"As a Venetian resident, I just don't want to see this
statue of Napoleon in Venice. Napoleon in Venice has left very
bad memories' said another resident, Cristina Zacchi.
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