The documentary Napoleon, in the name of art, directed by Giovanni Piscaglia and narrated by the actor Jeremy Irons, will be released on cinema screens tomorrow (Tuesday), meeting the viewer inside the Milan Cathedral and in the rooms of the Braidense library in Milan.
As he suffered the anguish of exile before his death on the remote island of St Helena, we read in his memoirs that Napoleon thought that posterity would admire him not only for his battles, but for bringing culture and beauty to the people, for creating the state school system and the modern idea of a universal museum, owned by all, open to the common people. From this facet of his life Napoleon. In the name of art.
The starting point of the film is the coronation of Napoleon as King of Italy on 26 May 1805 in Milan Cathedral. It represents a moment of encounter between the Emperor and the overwhelming importance of past centuries: the Greco-Roman world, the Renaissance and even the Lombard heritage, represented by the Iron Crown that Napoleon wore at the end of the ceremony.
