#viceroy of Italy

[captainknell]

Happy birthday to Eugene de Beauharnais! September 3, 1781

[charlesreeza]

The Coat of Arms of Viceroy Don Claudio Lamoral of Ligne, 1674-75, marble, Sicilian workmanship - at Museo di Palazzo Bellomo, Syracuse, Sicily

I think that is the most rampant lion I have ever seen.

Photos by Charles Reeza

[josefavomjaaga]

Found something funny 😀! Apparently the Russian Orthodox Church (sic!) made a cartoon Eugène!

(For context: the legend about Eugène having a vision of this Russian saint dates from the time his son Maximilian lived in Russia, or even a generation later. And the last part is of course a blatant lie or a misunderstanding; Eugène never converted to the Orthodox faith; Auguste would have gone crazy at the mere idea. Let alone that in 1824 Munich something as exotic as a Russian orthodox priest would not have been available. That's why poor Eugène still stands in a Catholic church until today.)

[auguste-marmonts-only-fan]

Letters between Napoleon and Marmont (all they do is fight)

Auguste de marmont is one of the emperors oldest friends but how did they treat each other during times of personal conflict?

Dear readers, take a nice cozy seat and get some popcorn becouse this is going to be LONGGGGG and juicy

But before we start:

What are they talking about: Marmonts governing being too expensive

Who is talking?: Auguste de Marmont , Napoleon Bonaparte and Minister of war: Henri-Jaques Guillame-Clarke

LET THE PETTINES BEGIN :

MINISTER OF WAR TO MARMONT

Paris, March 7, 1808. General, accounts have been submitted to His Majesty that the war treasurer of the Kingdom of Italy, who is in the army commanded by you, was forced, according to your orders, to pay in advance from the funds intended for the salary and living expenses of the Italian troops, the sum of four hundred seventy-three thousand two hundred and eighty-two francs for the costs of artillery, engineering, provisions and various other expenses. His Majesty has ordered me to inform Your Excellency that he does not approve of your conduct on this occasion. It is my duty to warn you that the funds for artillery, engineering works and the supply of headquarters are determined by the decrees of His Imperial Majesty the Prince Viceroy of Italy, and that they cannot be exceeded until new orders are issued. The Emperor, who keeps a watchful eye on all the expenses of the army, noticed that the expenses of the Dalmatian army are considerable and that this army costs more than another army twice as large. Paris, March 20, 1808. His Majesty wishes that the administration of the army with which you command to be more orderly and that it doesn't damage the treasury

So, in short: these provinces are more trouble than they are worth

MARMONT TO NAPOLEON

Zadar, March 30, 1808. Sire, two days ago, I received a letter from the Minister of War expressing your majesty's displeasure regarding various provisions regarding Italian funds and the administration of the Dalmatian Army. Since the object of all my endeavors is to carry out your Majesty's intention and your esteemed goodness, I am deeply grieved by the reproaches addressed to me. I sent the minister a clear and simple description of the real situation, and I dare say that he removes every excuse and the slightest accusation.Removed from Your Majesty for almost three years, denied the pleasure of making war, while almost the entire army fought before your eyes, in a cruel distance and painful inactivity, I find the only consolation in the thought that here in this neglected service assigned to me, I do everything in my power to serve you as best as possible Your Majesty, that's why nothing is more painful for me than to lose hope by assuring you that all my actions have always been aimed at this goal.

Oh no....he's pulling the "but I did it for you!" card

MARMONT TO MINISTER OF WAR

30. March 1808 I have just received the letter which Your Excellency had to force on me on the 7th of March, in which he expresses His Majesty's displeasure at the use of Italian funds. �� I believe that even a clear and simple description is not enough to justify me, and I earnestly ask you to present my letter to His Majesty.From the entry of the French into Dalmatia until the month of May, the Italian government did not give a single penny for the needs of the artillery in Dalmatia. Since Zadar did not have any weapons, it was necessary to do everything, build everything, and despite the considerable costs, this fortified place still does not have adequate weapons. Since the monthly funds were approved only from June 1807, it was necessary to find a way to pay for the work done in the previous sixteen months. The works on the fortifications that were carried out before or after my arrival on the fortresses in Hvar, Šibenik and Knin were in accordance with the provisions of His Majesty which were known to the chief of the engineering units. The execution of these works required weaponry, and since the artillery had no means, it was necessary to acquire them. That's all about the artillery works in Dalmatia. Prince Eugène sent me a letter on August 2, here are a few passages: 》His Majesty instructs me to write to you that it is his wish that you not evacuate Dubrovnik, but rather that you strengthen its heights.《 He wrote to me on July 26:

》The Emperor orders me to write to you that he cares very much about the position of Ston to order General Poitevin to trace the mighty fortress in that position and to hasten the works. The emperor wants this fortress to cross the Pelješac peninsula in a way, etc., etc. that you must build a fortress on the Holy Cross, a fortress on the island of Lokrum《

On September 8, he wrote to me:

》His Majesty orders me to write to you that you must work day and night on the fortresses of Dubrovnik and Ston.《 The Duke of Neufchâtel wrote to me on July 8, 1807:

》Dubrovnik must remain definitively annexed to Dalmatia; you must, therefore, continue to determine and refine it as best as possible.《 His Majesty's wishes were quite clear and obvious; and in defiance of my request and persistent requests for the establishment of the Dubrovnik Arzava, nothing was given in 1806 except seventy-seven thousand francs, of which six or seven thousand had already been spent before my arrival, and only nineteen thousand three hundred francs since acquisition in 1807 until today, although it took more than three hundred thousand francs to execute (and only provisionally) the orders issued to me. I captured the Boke forts. It was necessary to arm the Kotor. There were no special funds for this purpose, despite everything I asked and said. However, the works were urgent. Only a few days ago, His Majesty honored me by writing to me: 》I presume that measures have been taken to protect him from force of a squadron of twelve to fifteen ships of the line if it reaches Kotor or Dubrovnik. Please answer this question《

After this letter, I considered it my duty to increase the defense facilities of the anchorages in Dubrovnik and Herceg-Novi, and these are currently underway. So much for engineering work .The fact is that no funds were opened for artillery works in Dalmatia until June 1807, and that at this moment not even a quarter of the funds needed by the engineering units for the execution of urgent works ordered in the state of Dubrovnik and Albania were approved. And yet it was necessary to ensure the costs for both,

During the war with the Russians, our communications through the sea channels were completely blocked. The troops therefore had to move by land road. This traffic was made more difficult by the two strong rivers of Neretva and Cetina, on which there were no means for an organized crossing, it was necessary to build bridges on ships over them; without a doubt, it would be unforgivable if, in the case of the siege of Dubrovnik, I could not come to the rescue due to the impossibility of crossing these rivers. My possible march can not be compared with the march of General Molitor. He arrived in Split and Ston by sea, he would never have been able to help Dubrovnik if the Russians had already blocked the canals, as they did later and from where they never left for the whole of 1807 until peace.

As for the siege supply, since we built a powerful fortress on Hvar, since we equipped the defense of Ston, since we fortified Knin and since I had to guard against Austria, since Hvar could be blocked, as after all was a full six months, it was necessary to provide supplies in those places for the crews that defended them.

As for Your Excellency's remark that His Majesty thinks that the Dalmatian army costs more than another one that would be twice as strong, I would like His Majesty to deign to explain his opinion. I am aware that there is no more order in any army than in this one, for I have carefully supervised all the offices of administration; in this matter, I can only provide the supreme issuer of payment orders, Aubernon, with satisfactory evidence. If His Majesty wishes to compare the business transacted before my arrival, with those afterward, he will find that the administration has gradually become more economical by about thirty percent.

When I arrived, in July 1806, a meal of meat cost the state thirty-four cents: today, it stands at twenty-two cents and three quarters. At the same time, a meal of bad bread cost forty-one cents, and today, excellent bread costs twenty-seven to twenty-eight cents. Extraordinary purchases are paid in units of cash on sight and as military pay at the cost of a fifteen cents as determined by His Majesty to be reduced when possible. Somewhat more significant expenses were the only ones intended for the port across the sea, I thought I could order it in order to ease the financial toll to the recruits from Italy who were overworked, exhausted from the difficult journey and weakened by long-term illnesses that they overcame that summer: this kind of expenditure will not be repeated in the future.

Another expenditure which may seem considerable, and which I submitted to you, was made due to officers sent to Constantinople, officers and couriers sent to the Grand Army during 1807, artillerymen sent towards Constantinople, officers sent all over Turkey to draw up itineraries and carried out reconnaissance; this expenditure could not have been less, all these journeys having been expressly ordered, the report sent to your Excellency contains the names of the persons entrusted with these missions as well as the expenses for each of them individually.

I never received an extraordinary salary, nor did I have my own funds, that's why I could only and exclusively take the money for the mentioned expenses from the army treasury and that legitimately because I was authorized to do so by a letter from the Duke of Neufchâtel, which I had the honor of sending you the transcript itself.

The overrun of the treasury in the Dalmatian Army only happened at the end of the summer of 1806; then its administration depended on the Italian one; no distribution of funds was made and that is why all the services suddenly failed and that is why there was a terrible mess everywhere.

For the last fifteen or sixteen months, since Minister Dejean has been directly allocating funds, everything has been going smoothly and properly because he foresees all our needs and takes care of them.

I earnestly wish that His Majesty would demand detailed accounts of the administration of the Dalmatian Army; I dare to believe that there will be reason to be satisfied; if he deigns to observe that, owing to good administration, this army has never had more than seven hundred patients in the hospitals at one time, and that the mortality has almost entirely declined, although nine thousand boys have passed through the hospital during the year, he will see that the provisions were well, if the supervision had been constant, we would have achieved the most important of all savings — saved human lives.

Furthermore, since my first goal, my most ardent desire, is to accurately execute His Majesty's decisions, I earnestly beg you to tell me how I must govern myself in the future when the execution of the orders I receive is not in accordance with the available means.

Well uh......that was alot

NAPOLEON TO MARMONT

Bayonne, May 8, 1808. Mr. General Marmont, the salary of the Dalmatian Army has been stopped because you spent four hundred thousand francs from the treasury for the expenses. It can't go on like this. The cashier made a big mistake in obeying your order. Since the Treasury pays the expenses, this service can not operate so irregularly. You have no right to exceed the cash register under any pretext. You must request loans from the minister. If he does not approve them, you must not enter into the costs,

Bayonne, May 16, 1808. Mr. General Marmont, there is too much disorder in the administration of my army in Dalmatia. You allowed the cash register to be overdrawn by more than four hundred thousand francs. However, you had a loan of four hundred thousand francs available for engineering and artillery work. That's a considerable sum, and how come you didn't have enough? Dalmatia is costing me a lot; there is no order, and all of this introduces a mess into financial operations that we are no longer used to. The treasurer is responsible for all these sums; I ordered until he was recalled; you must hurry and send all the necessary papers to settle the accounts. However, all this does not justify the expenses incurred. You have no right to dispose of a single pair if the minister has not made it available to you. When you need a loan, you have to request it

OH SHIT BONEY CUT HIM OFF

so how did Marmont respond to this?

BY WRITTING A TEN PAGE LETTER OF COURSE .

Yes TEN whole pages, but sadly my book copy didn't want to translate all of that so they just put this message lol:

(Since in this extensive ten-page letter, Marmont mostly repeats, but in a more polite tone, the reasons for the cost overruns that he had already exhaustively stated in the previous letter to the Minister of War dated March 30, 1808, we did not consider it necessary to translate)

MINISTER OF WAR TO MARMONT

Paris, September 26, 1808. General, I presented to His Majesty the details sent to me by Your Excellency regarding the use of funds taken from the treasury of the Italian troops to meet the expenses of the engineering and artillery of the army you command.His Majesty established that the works of the engineering services stemmed from the order that he actually sent to Your Excellency that they were conditioned by the immediate needs of the army. It also determined that the costs for these works should be borne by the Kingdom of Italy. Accordingly, it ordered that the costs in question remain borne by Italy. He informed His Imperial Majesty the Viceroy about the Emperor's decisions, and it seems that the issue of the mentioned expenses has been completely settled. The scope of my ministry includes only advances for extraordinary expenses that have already been incurred and special funds that Your Excellency requested for possible future expenses. I informed the Emperor about this, but he still hasn't informed me of his intentions. As soon as I receive His Majesty's decision, I will hasten to inform Your Excellency.

The issues? Solved? No way....

Saint-Cloud, 20. October 1808. Mr. General Marmont, regardless of the account you have placed on me, it is necessary that you correspond directly with the Minister of War and that you account to him for all affairs, not through your Chief of General Staff but directly. This provision refers to the king of Spain and Naples and the viceroy of Italy, who are the commanders of my armies.

"DUDE, everyone is getting sanctioned....chill out"

MINISTER OF WAR TO MARMONT

Paris, October 21, 1808. Mr. Duke, by special order of His Imperial Majesty, I have the honor to inform Your Excellency of the Imperial decisions regarding the relations that must exist in the future between the supreme commanders of the armies and the Minister of War. His Majesty has decided that Your Excellency, in his capacity as Supreme Commander of the Dalmatian Army, will in the future write about all official matters directly to me, and not through the Chief of the General Staff; which does not mean that the General Staff will not equally provide all the necessary explanations in detail and send me reports as usual. His Majesty instructs me on this occasion to inform Your Excellency that your responsibility will be covered, only if you write to me as Minister of War. The Emperor also adds that regardless of whether Your Excellency wrote to him directly, Your responsibility will not be covered by that, so in no case can Your Excellency not write to the Minister, even if he writes to the Emperor. These new provisions will strengthen and multiply my relations with Your Excellency, which will be even more pleasant for me, and I will do my best to prove it to you. I sincerely believe that Your Excellency will act in the same way and thus instill in our contacts a confidence that will make them useful for the good of the service to our mutual satisfaction.

And they are finally finished ..... 7 months later

I love these assholes so much 💖

TL;DR : Marmont being extra ☹️

(This is how I looked while reading)

[useless-catalanfacts]

Bellpuig Mausoleum: tomb of Ramon Folc de Cardona-Anglesola (1467-1522). Located in the Sant Nicolau de Bellpuig church in the small town of Bellpuig, Ponent, Catalonia.

Ramon Folc III was a Catalan noble born in Bellpuig, who served as an admiral and later as a viceroy of Sicily and viceroy of Naples. He was part of the Cambrai League of allies against the Kingdom of Venice, commanded the Potifician army when it sieged Bologna after this city had rebelled against the Pope, restored the Medici to Florence, and expelled France from Northern Italy, among other events. When he was viceroy of Naples, he managed to convince the king Ferdinand the Catholic not to introduce the Inquisition to the Kingdom of Naples. 

Ramon Folc III died when he was viceroy of Naples. His tomb was sculpted by one of the most important Neapolitan artists of the time: Giovanni Merliano da Nola. The artist sculpted this marble monument based on a triumph arch and allegories of Ramon Folc’s virtues.

The tomb was built in Naples, taken down piece by piece, and carried on a ship and later on a carriage all the way from Naples to Bellpuig, Ramon Folc's hometown.

Photo by Luciano Pedicini. Info: Damià Amorós Albareda / Cultura i Paisatge.

[a-mysterious-wisp-of-mist]

Interlude: A prince on the march

One good thing about being dead is the fact that, under normal circumstances, you do not really get tired or hungry anymore, meaning that you need little rest and can cover a lot of ground in quite a short time.

That’s what Eugène realizes once he has crossed the river Lot. He notices that he gets closer to the limits of Murat’s domain as he sees dawn breaking. By the time the sun has fully risen over the horizon, afterlife Cahors has disappeared behind him, and he finds himself on a small footpath leading into some unknown forrest. The mountainous region seems friendly enough. Smell of resin fills the air, with the sun glistening on tiny creeks and wagtails wading through the shallows.

Monsieur Goya has not left him any directions on where to find him but Eugène has already understood that those might not do him much good anyway. Travelling through these parts seems quite unrelated to compasses, maps and milestones. Eugène assumes – and he may be right or wrong about this – that reaching a certain point here has a lot to do with imagination and intention, probably willpower as well.

Eugène does have the intention to seek out Monsieur Goya, make no mistake. He has not yet given up on the idea of his portrait. But now – especially now that the alluring paints donated by Marshal Soult are not under his nose anymore – he also feels tempted to just go explore a little. To see the unknown, discover new places, meet new people, make new friends.

I should have loved to be a sailor, he thinks, not for the first time.

Maybe it’s this rather vague intention of his why his road does not lead him to Monsieur Goya’s house right away. Instead, he follows the path into the forrest and onto a rather large clearing. A small circus seems to be resting there, only three or four waggons, the horses grazing nearby.

There’s a juggler on the rooftop of one of the waggons, practicing his art. He’s incredibly good, the balls circling over his head so quickly Eugène finds it impossible to even only count them. The man seems to carry a mask, the mask of a fox, and, somehow, he also seems eerily familiar.

It’s only when the juggler jumps off the roof onto the ground, doing a somersault in the process, and somehow still juggling the balls, that Eugène realizes that the man’s mask seems to have melted onto his face. And it’s only when the juggler adresses him in a familiar voice that Eugène recognizes him.

Why, if this isn’t our beloved prince, our dear Viceroy of Italy, the charming Son forever in search of a Father. He whom everybody loves and nobody respects.

Fouché!

Indeed. Though, from somebody renowned for his politeness, I should have expected a different form of salutation.

I beg your pardon, Your Excellency. I have been rather surprised by your appearance. You have taken up a new profession in this afterlife?

The man in the fox mask pretends to drop one ball, only to catch it at the very last moment, and shrugs.

A man has to make a living somehow. Even if he’s dead. It’s not like I have a mother married to an emperor. Or other friends in high places making sure I will survive no matter what happens. It’s also not as if you have gone out of your way to help me, when I had to leave France and asked for your support, back in the days, is it?

Eugène remembers. Clearly. And as Fouché treats him in such a hostile way, he sees no reason to be less confrontational.

There was no way I could in good conscience suggest to my father-in-law to allow you into his country, Monsieur le Duc d’Otrante. Not after all the scheming, double-dealing and betrayal you had committed. If you allow me to be frank, I even find it hard to believe to see you in freedom like this. There must have been thousands of people in France praying for you to go to hell.

The juggler laughs.

Adorable! The puppy is baring his milk teeth. Well, my prince, it may not have occurred to you yet but heaven and hell are fleeting concepts, depending a lot on personal preferences. Maybe I am in hell, who knows? Or maybe I have been to hell and have run from it? I could tell you, of course, but if I did, would you believe me?

He stretches out one open hand, and all the juggling balls drop into its palm, melting into a single one that he casually puts in his pocket.

But I am in fact delighted at this meeting. It’s rare for us to come across our old acquaintances from our living days, almost as if those do not want to have anything to do with us. And I say ‚us’ because I am not alone. Come, let me take you to our impresario. You may find another familiar face in him.

He is right. This time Eugène has no problems recognizing Monsieur Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord, despite the man’s rather shabby, worn-out habit of colourful fake silk, and a horrible wig of shrill pink colour. Talleyrand even wears thick layers of make-up and powder. He looks like a mixture of a Pierrot and a cheap whore, sweetish perfumes included. Eugène bows, somewhat baffled.

Monsieur de Talleyrand.

Your Imperial Highness. Or was it Royal Highness? Ah, what does it matter. Neither of them has been very high, in truth, have they?

Talleyrand’s voice has grown hoarse, and Eugène suspects that hidden under all the make-up is the face of an old man, even if the body looks young and healthy – with one peculiarity: The clubfoot that has troubled Monsieur de Talleyrand so much during his lifetime has turned into a hoof.

I see that death has stripped you of your former good manners, Prince de Benevent. Nevertheless, it has been good to learn that even a version of you exists in this afterlife. But as I have no desire to see myself insulted any further by the two of you, please allow me to wish you a good day and to take my leave.

Yes, go, go. If it had been anyone but you I might at least have asked him to join our troupe. As you can see, we are still quite in need of attractions. Monsieur Metternich is in one of the waggons though. He aspires to become a knife thrower, yet so far his attempts to frame a female assistant with knifes have had dire consequences. Truth be told, we are desperate enough to still hire him or anyone else for the arena. But, as you should be aware yourself, unfortunately nobody is as little suited for the limelight as you.

That need not be a bad thing. - The juggler has taken to practicing again, the balls circling over his head in a flurry of coulors, reminding Eugène of a rainbow, or of a painter’s palette. - Unfortunately neither the prince nor his sister, despite all she claimed, ever learned to truly embrace this.

A pair of eyes empty of all emotion stare at Eugène from behind the fox mask.

Becoming invisible is a most powerful thing, little prince. Aspiring to be nothing… maybe you should have learned in time to make the most of it?

How would he have done that though? Nothing and its sister, Everything, are too powerful concepts for one like him to grasp.

Eugène has had enough. He bows briefly, because that is what one does, then he quickly leaves the weird circus troupe without even trying to search out its third member. He hopes that those three old traitors indeed will turn each others’ hours in this afterlife to hell.

But knowing them, they still will find a way to thrive, and to start mischief.

Eugène breathes a sigh of relief when the circus waggons have disappeared behind a line of trees. With new determination, he continues his way to find Monsieur Goya.

.~.~.

((OOC: This is merely an introduction post. A while back on the discord rp server, it was mentioned that we do not have many antagonists in these afterlifes. Maybe this circus troupe can fill that void if need be. Whoever wants to use them in an rp scenario is free to do so. They probably have the means to go from one place to another really quickly, and may show up in different masks or professions as well.))

[artbyfemme]

Sofonisba Anguissola🧑🏻‍🎨

1532 -1625. Italy/Spain (above is a self portrait)

Sofonisba Anguissola was an Italian Renaissance Mannerist Painter born in Cremona, Northern Italy. Her family was a poor noble family of Greek decent who supported their children’s talents. Sofonisba had 5 sisters, Elena, Lucia, Europa, Anna Maria, and Minerva, and 1 brother, Asdrubale. 4 of her sisters became artists like her, Elena, who became a nun and stopped painting, Anna Marie and Europe gave up art after marriage, and Lucia died young. Minerva became a writer and Latin scholar, her brother studied music and Latin.

When Sofonisba was 14 she apprenticed with Bernardino Campi before he left. After that she studied with Bernardino Gatti aka IlSojaro. At 22 Sofonisba went to Rome were she was mentored by Michelangelo (of Sistine Chapel fame). At 26 she was scouted by king Philip II of Spain to become court painter, lady in waiting and tutor to his 3rd wife, Elizabeth of Valois and her daughters Isabella Clara Eugenia and Catalina Micaela who were amateur artists. Sofonisba spent 14 years in residence in Madrid, Spain.

At almost 40ish Phillip decided that Sofonisba should get married. He provided her with a dowry and arranged a marriage with Fabrizio Mocada Pignatelli, son of the Viceroy of Sicily. He didn’t mind her painting and they were married until his death I 1579 of mysterious causes. During those times Sofonisba supported her remaining family and King Phillip gave her a pension of 100 ducats (maybe $15,000 US today)

After her husband’s death Sofonisba fell in love with a shops captain and sea merchant Orazio Lomellino. In 1620 they were married against her brother’s wishes. She had no kids with either of her husbands. As she got older she began to lose her vision and used her money to help other artists. She died in 1625 at 93 in Palermo.

There is a crater in Mercury names Anguissola after her.

(Below is elderly Sofonisba from 1619 on the right is Sofonisba c.1560 both are self portraits)

Source for info and images is Wikipedia

[t0rschlusspan1k]

Jusepe de Ribera, Magdalena Ventura with Her Husband and Son, 1631, Museo Fondación Duque de Lerma, Toledo, Spain.

The Guardian: The Bearded Woman of Abruzzi: a 17th-century hero of gender fluidity

[...] Ribera’s painting Magdalena Ventura, also known as La mujer barbuda – The Bearded Woman – shows its subject breastfeeding her baby. This is Ribera’s none too subtle way of showing us that Ventura is anatomically a woman, for there is no sign of that in her face. Her huge, black beard makes her look like an Old Testament patriarch. Her facial features too are heavy and powerful, in other words they conform to common assumptions of what looks “masculine.” Her body is big and muscular, her hands strong and hairy. Her clothes are finely coloured but gender-neutral – again, they evoke a Biblical prophet. Ventura’s husband, standing behind her right shoulder, looks less of a man than she does. His beard is smaller, his physique slighter. Ribera captures the fact that he is overshadowed by his wife’s fame, for Magdalena’s defiance of 17th century images of womanhood made her a celebrity in Italy. She came from Abruzzi where, according to the inscription on a stone slab in Ribera’s painting, she gave birth to three sons before her beard suddenly grew when she was 37 years old. In the painting she is 52. Ribera painted her in Naples, where he worked as a court artist. The city was under Spanish rule and Ribera, born in 1591 in Valencia, mixed a Spanish sense of gravity with the courageous realism Caravaggio had introduced to Naples a quarter of a century earlier. The Viceroy of Naples, fascinated by the fame of “The Bearded Woman of Abruzzi”, commissioned Ribera to paint this mysterious masterpiece. The inscription calls Magdalena Ventura a “great wonder of nature”. That says a lot about how she was seen. Ventura crossed boundaries and broke down categories. Today, we might see this as a conscious and radical defiance of oppressive norms. In the 17th century it made her a curiosity, perhaps even a monster. There was no concept of social progress, let alone of gender revolution. The order of nature was God-given and unchanging. There was no idea of evolution either in the forms of animals or the customs of human beings. Yet there were manifest exceptions to the order of things: hybrid beasts, cross-bred plants, prodigious births, and bearded women. Ribera portrays Ventura with a calm and sombre naturalism. He also gives her great dignity. She is a unique being in his eyes: someone who is neither one thing nor another, and yet whose humanity outshines what looked to contemporaries like freakishness. This painting embodies what makes Ribera such a moving and memorable artist: his tender, compassionate eye for the real world. He is one of the stars of the National Gallery’s exhibition Beyond Caravaggio, which is well worth seeing this Christmas or when it tours to Dublin and Edinburgh in 2017. Yet even by his standards or those of Caravaggio, this is a radical work of realism. It puts truth before all conventions of beauty. Art in Ribera’s day saw women as goddesses and saints, martyrs and nudes. Here a woman with a man’s beard and a man’s face stands breastfeeding her baby. Ribera sees beyond the conventions of art and the assumptions of his time – if someone does not fit our expectations, their uniqueness has to be recognised for what it is. Ventura is a fact. She is real. Here she stands. In her absolute originality, Ribera sees not just some freak of nature but the wonder and enigma of individuality itself. Magdalena Ventura broke every law of her world – and Ribera immortalised her for doing so.

(Jonathan Jones)

[archduchessofnowhere]

Eugène de Beauharnais to his wife Auguste of Bavaria on occasion of their eight wedding anniversary:

14 January, 1814 I only need to think of this day, my dear Auguste, to know that Providence protects my life. What happiness, what charms I owe to this 14 January which united my destiny to that of the most beautiful, of the best, of the most virtuous of women. It’s to spare your modesty that I avoid repeating this truth to you; because everyday I feel it and I would like to be able to love you even more, to love you as much as you deserve it. Goodbye, my good friend, may we both live to celebrate fifty years of marriage. And may Heaven above all be good enough not to call one of us without the other!

Auguste's reply to Eugène:

15 January, 1814 Isn’t my fortune enviable? I am the happiness of the one I would sacrifice my life for…; all my illusion is focused on belonging to the best of men; if it were possible, I would love him even more. And because God has been this far so good to us, I hope that he will call us to him together; even so, I pray to him daily to not let me live for more time than you.

ON THIS DAY, IN 1806, EUGÈNE DE BEAUHARNAIS, VICEROY OF ITALY, MARRIED PRINCESS AUGUSTE OF BAVARIA IN A RELIGIOUS CEREMONY. They'd had a civil wedding the day before. Eugène was the son of Empress Josephine and her first husband Alexandre de Beauharnais. Auguste was the eldest daughter of King Maximilian I of Bavaria and his first wife Princess Auguste Wilhelmine of Hesse-Darmstadt. Bavaria had only been recently elevated to the rank of kingdom thanks to Napoleon, and Auguste's hand in marriage for his step-son (whom he adopted the day of the civil ceremony) had been one of his conditions.

Although originally a political union, the marriage turned out to be a happy one. Eugène and Auguste had seven children, among them Queen Josephine of Sweden and Empress Amelie of Brazil.

[empirearchives]

Surtout de Table (Table centerpiece) Pierre-Philippe Thomire, ca. 1810

Stated to have been a present from Napoleon to his stepson Eugène de Beauharnais, possibly at the time of the latter's wedding, a surtout de table by Thomire appears in the inventory of Eugène's possessions he shipped to Munich after the fall of Napoleon. Thomire produced this large, complex work meant to dazzle with reflected light and candlelight while including classical references that would have been recognized by the important heads of state.

The motifs including swans—popular with Eugène's mother, Josephine—appear in Eugène's house called the Hôtel Beauharnais, suggesting the surtout de table might have been intended for use there. It undoubtedly accompanied Eugène when Napoleon appointed him viceroy of Italy.

Pierre-Philippe Thomire, the designer and maker of this gilt-bronze work, became “Gilt bronze maker to the Emperor” in 1809. He is responsible for several similar examples made for Napoleon to give to his mother, sisters, and a few of his marshals. Recent examinations of Eugène’s inventories have revealed more than one surtout among his possessions.

Source: Cooper Hewitt, SURTOUT DE TABLE: SUSTENANCE OF POLITICAL POWER by Sarah D. Coffin

[roehenstart]

Archduke Anton Viktor of Austria (1779-1835) by Leopold Kupelwieser.

He was the last elected Elector of Cologne and Bishop of Münster, but was unable to hold the offices. He later became Grand Master of the Teutonic Order and Viceroy in Italy. 

[askgeraudduroc]

what do you think of the duc of istrie (bessieres) and the viceroy of italy (eugene)? are you friends with each other?

Omg they are my best friends! "Besties" as how you modern people says!!! ^7^

[silvestromedia]

Saint of the day August 19

ST. MAGNUS, MARTYR IN LATIUM-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnus_of_Anagni#:~:text=Magnus%20fled%20to%20Rome%20to,near%20Fabrateria%20Vetus%2C%20in%20Latium.

St. Andrew the Tribune, The "Great Martyr," and the leader of converts in the Roman army, his men faced a battle with a Persian host. Calling upon Christ for aid, the Romans were victorious. Andrew and some of his troops became Christians as a result and were discharged from military service. they were arrested by the military governor and executed in the Taurus Mountains of Cilicia. .Aug. 19 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Stratelates#:~:text=Andrew%20Stratelates%2C%20also%20known%20as,Orthodox%20Church%20on%2019%20August.

Bl. Peter Zuniga, Roman Catholic Priest and Martyr of Japan. A Spaniard from Seville, he grew up in Mexico, where his father was the sixth Viceroy of the Spanish colony. Upon his return to Spain, he joined the Augustinians, and, after ordination, he requested to be sent to Japan and the missions there. Going first to the Philippines in 1610, he was later assigned to Japan, arriving there in 1620. Two years later, he was arrested and, with Blesseds Louis Flores, Joachim, Firayama, and the captain and crew which had transported them, was put to death. The crew was beheaded while the others were burned alive. Feastday Aug. 19 https://www.augustinian.org/saints-1/september-28

Bl. Bartholomew Monfiore, Bl. James Denshi, Bl. Paul Sanchiki, Roman Catholics and martyrs of Japan. Japanese crew members of Blessed Joachim Firayama's ship. Arrested for his Christian faith, he was beheaded at Nagasaki. Feastday Aug. 19 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/205_Martyrs_of_Japan

Bl. John Foyamon, Roman Catholic Martyr of Japan. A scribe on the ship carrying Blessed Peter Zufliga, he was beheaded at Nagasaki with Blesseds John Yano and John Nangata. Feastday Aug. 19 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/205_Martyrs_of_Japan Bl. Thomas Koyanangi, Roman Catholic Japanese martyr. Arrested as a passenger on the ship of Blessed Joachim Firayama-Diz, he was beheaded at Nagasaki, Feastday Aug. 19 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/205_Martyrs_of_Japan

Bl. Michael Diaz, A martyr of Japan. He was a Spanish merchant on board the Japanese ship carrying Blessed Joachim Firayama. Michael and others were arrested by Protestant Europeans who turned them over to the Japanese authorities. Everyone on the ship was martyred at Nagasaki. Aug. 19 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/205_Martyrs_of_Japan

St. Mochta, 535 A.D. Bishop of Ireland. He was born in Britain but was brought to Ireland as a child. There he became a disciple of St. Patrick. During a visit to Rome, Mochta was made a bishop by Pope St. Leo I. He founded Louth Monastery with twelve companions and was probably consecrated by St. Patrick. He died at the age of ninety, the last known disciple of St. Patrick. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mochta

St. Sebald, 770 A.D. Patron Saint of Nuremberg. Hermit, missionary, and a patron saint of Nuremberg. Most likely an Anglo-Saxon from England, he arrived on the Continent and became a hermit near Vicenza, Italy, and then participated in the missionary enterprise of the times, assisting in the work. of St. Willibald in the Reichswald. Many miracles were attributed to him, including turning icicles into firewood. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sebaldus

St. Credan, 780 A.D. A Benedictine abbot of Evesham, England, in the reign of King Offa of Mercia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Credan

ST. JOHN EUDES, PRIEST, FOUNDER OF THE EUDISTS, https://www.catholicapostolatecenterfeastdays.org/feast-days-and-solemnities/st-john-eudes#:~:text=Jesus%20and%20Mary-,St.,and%20the%20Blessed%20Virgin%20Mary.

ST. SIXTUS III, POPE, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Sixtus_III

[rosie-of-beauharnais]

my handsome son 🤭

François Gérard, Portrait of Eugène de Beauharnais as viceroy (detail)

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 1.6 (before 1910)

1066 – Following the death of Edward the Confessor on the previous day, the Witan meets to confirm Harold Godwinson as the new King of England; Harold is crowned the same day, sparking a succession crisis that will eventually lead to the Norman conquest of England. 1205 – Philip of Swabia undergoes a second coronation as King of the Romans. 1322 – Stephen Uroš III is crowned King of Serbia, having defeated his half-brother Stefan Konstantin in battle. His son is crowned "young king" in the same ceremony. 1355 – Charles IV of Bohemia is crowned with the Iron Crown of Lombardy as King of Italy in Milan. 1449 – Constantine XI is crowned Byzantine Emperor at Mystras. 1492 – The Catholic Monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella enter Granada at the conclusion of the Granada War. 1536 – The first European school of higher learning in the Americas, Colegio de Santa Cruz de Tlatelolco, is founded by Viceroy Antonio de Mendoza and Bishop Juan de Zumárraga in Mexico City. 1540 – King Henry VIII of England marries Anne of Cleves. 1579 – The Union of Arras unites the southern Netherlands under the Duke of Parma (Ottavio Farnese), governor in the name of King Philip II of Spain. 1641 – Arauco War: The first Parliament of Quillín is celebrated, putting a temporary hold on hostilities between Mapuches and Spanish in Chile. 1661 – English Restoration: The Fifth Monarchists unsuccessfully attempt to seize control of London, England. The revolt is suppressed after a few days. 1721 – The Committee of Inquiry on the South Sea Bubble publishes its findings, revealing details of fraud among company directors and corrupt politicians. 1724 – Sie werden aus Saba alle kommen, BWV 65, a Bach cantata, for Epiphany, is performed the first time. 1781 – In the Battle of Jersey, the British defeat the last attempt by France to invade Jersey in the Channel Islands. 1809 – Combined British, Portuguese and colonial Brazilian forces begin the Invasion of Cayenne during the Napoleonic Wars. 1838 – Alfred Vail and colleagues demonstrate a telegraph system using dots and dashes (this is the forerunner of Morse code). 1839 – The Night of the Big Wind, the most damaging storm in 300 years, sweeps across Ireland, damaging or destroying more than 20% of the houses in Dublin. 1847 – Samuel Colt obtains his first contract for the sale of revolver pistols to the United States government. 1870 – The inauguration of the Musikverein in Vienna, Austria. 1893 – The Washington National Cathedral is chartered by Congress. The charter is signed by President Benjamin Harrison. 1900 – Second Boer War: Having already besieged the fortress at Ladysmith, Boer forces attack it, but are driven back by British defenders. 1907 – Maria Montessori opens her first school and daycare center for working class children in Rome, Italy.

[alittlebitoftruthcan]

‘What do you know about Italy and the Italian people?’

I know everything about the Italian people. My first Western sannyasins were Italians; they introduced me to the West. I have thousands of sannyasins in Italy. They have a special quality to them; they are the most lively people on the earth, most earthly, most loving, most nonserious.

To me, seriousness is sickness, and nonseriousness is a religious quality.

I don’t know anything about Italy because I have never been there. But to know the people is to know their land, is to know the earth where they have been born, is to know the trees, is to know the rivers and the mountains—because they carry the taste of their atmosphere with them. Italy must be a very living, very alive, very young, youthful country.

One thing I know was that in the past Italy had one of the biggest empires in the world—the Roman empire. The Romans were the only people on the whole earth who were pagans—and I love pagans.

A pagan is a person who does not believe in hocus-pocus gods, in heaven or hell, who does not bother about what is going to happen after death, who lives here and now, squeezing the juice of every moment to its fullest. The pagan knows how to live. And one who knows how to live automatically knows how to die. His life is beautiful, his death is beautiful.

But a calamity happened… The Roman emperor ordered the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The order was executed by his viceroy in Judea, Pontius Pilate. He was not interested at all in crucifying Jesus Christ, but the Jews were demanding it, and it had become such a big problem that he was not ready to lose the empire to save a single man. But he was not aware about the dialectics of existence, the dialectics of history. He crucified Jesus, not knowing that his own country would become the citadel of Christianity. Pontius Pilate crucified Jesus. He continued to crucify other Christians, and the ultimate result was that the whole of the Roman people started feeling guilty: ‘We are crucifying innocent people. These people may have crazy ideas, but everybody has the right to have crazy ideas. They are not harming anybody. They are talking about God; they are talking about the only begotten son of God—so let them talk…’ But because the Christians were crucified, the pendulum moved. People became more and more sympathetic to the innocent people who were being murdered, and the ultimate result was that Rome became the very citadel of Christianity.

The day Jesus Christ was crucified by the order of the Roman emperor, unknowingly he had crucified the whole of the Roman civilization. Italy became Christian out of guilt, not out of any conversion. So they are superficially Christian; they pay tribute to the pope, but basically they are pagans. The real Romans, the authentic, real human beings… I am not going to Italy to meet the Christians, I am going to discover the pagans who have been lost behind the facade of Christianity.

I am a pagan, and my sannyasins are pagan. We believe only in reality, not in fictions.

My going to Italy is significant. Losing the pagans from the world has been an immense loss. We have lost some song, some dance from human life. Some dimension has completely closed. Italy needs to be freed from Christianity; only then will it find its soul, its original face.

— Osho (Socrates Poisoned Again After 25 Centuries)