by Leona Lochet
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Then the route goes by MouansSartoux (M rue Donat-Mero) to Grasses where Napoleon bivouacked on 2-3 March, and continues through Saint Vallier-de-Thiey (M place de la Liberation), Escragnolles ("Auberge Napoleon" on N 85 where Napoleon rested) then Seranon where one can still see the ruins of the modest Chateau de Brondet where the Emperor spent the night of 2 March. From there the Emperor went through Logis-du-Pin, (On R 85, "Auberge du Logis-du-Pin" where he halted. Castellane, Barreme (see Grande rue where he spent the night of 3 March, and finally Digne where he had lunch at the Hotel du Petit-Palais. We arrive at Malijai where we find the Chateau Napoleon where he spent the night of 5 March.
From there he went through Sisteron (Hostellerie du Bras d'Or) where he had lunch on the afternoon of 5 March, La Saulce, La Tourronde and Gap where he spent the night at the Hotel Marchand. On the next day, 6 March, he went through Les Barraques-de-Saint-Bonnet (M on the road), La Guingette, Corps where he spent the night in the Hotel du Palais de Justice. On 7 March, Napoleon advanced on Laffrey where the famous Pre de la Rencontre
(Meadow of the Encounter) is located. At the entrance of the meadow there is a monument
with several inscriptions, one which says [1]:"In that meadow, on March 7, 1815, at about 3:00 p.m Napoleon I disembarked from the island of Elbe and on his way to Paris by forced marches faced a battalion of the 5th of the Line, harangued it and convinced it to join him."
In the middle of the meadow is a
rock, not far from where the historical
encounter took place, where one can find a
mounted statue of Napoleon by
Fremiet. On the cemetery wall is a another
inscription:
The 5th Line Battalion rallied to Napoleon.
From there he went through Tavernolles, on
D 5, where Napoleon had dinner in the local
inn and went to sleep in Grenoble where he
spent 7-9 March.
His next stop was in Bourgoing on N 85,
where he slept on 10 March at the Hotel
Cesar et du Parc. On the 11th,, he reached
La Guilliotiere (a small borough now part of
Lyon) where he had lunch at the Hotel de
l'Aigle, (105-107. Grande Rue de La Guillotiere) before he went to Lyon [3]
where he spent 10-12 March in the Palais St. Jean.
From then on, the Imperial party appears to
have picked up the pace. On 13 March
Napoleon is in Villefranchesur-Saone, where, it
is reported, some 50,000 welcomed him
enthusiastically. He had lunch in the old Hotel
de Ville (city hall) and continued his journey to Tournus (on N 6). There, on 14 March, at
the Hotel du Palais-Royal, he stopped with
Cambronne, Drouot and Bertrand.
On 15 March, the Emperor spent the night
at the Hotel St.Louis et de la Poste where the
room in which Napoleon spent the night still
exists. The 16th was a long journey and
Napoleon stopped at La Pierre-Ecrite (32 kms
north of Autun on N 80) where on the front of
the old Relais de la Poste one can read: "In
that house Napoleon returning from Elba
stopped on 16 March 1815."[4] From there
he went to Saulieu where he spent the night at
La Borne Imperiale, now an excellent
restaurant, which happens to be, one of our
favorite spots (see part two of this article).
Napoleon, like us, must have liked Saulieu,
because he sojourned there three times in his life, the first time on 10 January 1801, the second time on 7 April 1805 and finally on 16 March 1815.
The next day, 16 March, he was in Avallon where he spent the night on the Hostellerie de la Poste, Place Vauban, where the bedroom that Napoleon occupied still exists. On the
entrance, above the door, is the inscription: "On his way back from Elba, Napoleon I,
sojourned in that hotel."
Then it was Auxerre on 17 and 18 March, where he established his Headquarters in the
Prefecture. From there, on 19 March, he established his Headquarters on 22 Grande Rue, where now
the inscription reads: "Napoleon, on his way back from Elba, spent the night in this
room."
After stopping at Fontainebleau and Juvisy-sur-Orge, Napoleon finally arrived in
Paris on the eve of 20 March.
[1] French text: Dans cette priarie, le 7 mars
1815, vers 3 heures de l'apres-midi, Napoleon Ier, debarque de l'ile d'EIbe et gagnat Paris par
marches forcees se heurta a un battallion du Ve de ligne, le harrangua et, entraina a sa suite.
[2] French text: Soldats. Je suis votre Empereur.
ne me reconnaissez-vous pas? S'il en est un parmi vous qui veuille tuer son general. Me
voila!!! 7 mars 1815.
[3] It is claimed that the city of Lyon is watered (in that case a poor translation of the French word arrosa) by three rivers: the Rhone, the Saone and the Beajolais.
[4] Lyon claims to be the gastronomic capital of France, with Burgundy a close second.
[5] French text: "En cette maison, l'Empereur Napoleon de retour de l'ile d'Elbe, s'est arrete le 16 mars 1815."
Related:
The Waterloo Campaign |