Legacy of Napoleon's artistic plunder on show in Rome

Plunder to patrimony

Napoleon assembled his Louvre-bound stash over the course of several military campaigns between 1796 and 1814.

The success of his 1796-97 Italian campaign enabled Napoleon to exact an enormous tribute in the form of artworks from Pope Pio VI under the Treaty of Tolentina.

An 1811 decree ordered the transfer to the French crown of all paintings and artworks held in public buildings in Rome and around.

Five years later, after Napoleon's political-military career ended with defeat in the Battle of Waterloo, most of the "borrowed" artworks were sent back to Italy.

Many languished in storage until, years later, they were sought out as founding exhibits for what are now some of Italy's leading museums, including the Brera in Milan and the Gallerie dell'Accademia in Venice.

"What the Italians had initially seen as something damaging was transformed by the mystery of history into awareness of this wonderful heritage that we are still enjoying to this day," says De Simoni.