Napoleon & the Empire of Fashion

Napoleon'due south gravity-defying 325km road

(Paradigm credit:

Richard Pardon

)

The Route Napoleon gives visitors the run a risk to put themselves in the boots of the emperor, deep dive into Gallic civilisation and unlock the beauty of unspoiled natural landscapes.

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Things weren't looking good for Napoleon Bonaparte in early 1815. The former emperor of France had been in exile on the small Mediterranean island of Elba for well-nigh a twelvemonth, he was separated from his young family and his finances were dwindling. There were as well rumours about his impending banishment to an even more remote isle in the centre of the Atlantic.

Instead of waiting for fate, the Corsican took matters into his own hands: escaping by gunkhole and travelling to France. He landed at Golfe-Juan on the Côte d'Azur on February 28 with 700 loyal men and started marching towards Paris over hard terrain to avert arrest. Despite beingness alleged an enemy of the state and having a price on his caput, he reached his destination in less than ii and a one-half weeks. Not only that but by the fourth dimension he got to the French capital, he had raised an army and retaken control of the country – against all odds.

This return is remembered as i of the greatest comebacks of all time and the path Bonaparte took through the Alpes to Grenoble – before continuing on to Paris – has also gained a certain notoriety. Known every bit the Route Napoleon, this 200-mile (325km) route attracts visitors from all over the globe who come hither to follow the emperor's footsteps and retrace a journey that changed the course of European history forever.

A national treasure"The Route Napoleon is a French national treasure," explained Jérôme Viaud, the mayor of Grasse, a town all-time known for its perfume industry also as being 1 of the chief stop-offs on the Bonaparte'southward journeying. "It stretches from the Mediterranean Sea all the way up to the Alpes mountains, boasting an incredible multifariousness of landscapes, architecture, civilisation and history. There'southward no meliorate manner to go a snapshot of our fascinating but complex land, and I invite visitors to come experience it for themselves."

The region of Castellane is the drop-off bespeak for the Gorges du Verdon coulee (Credit: Marco Groppo/EyeEm/Getty Images)

Viaud is also president of the A.N.E.R.N (Action Nationale des Elus pour la Road Napoleon), an association defended to linking the 42 villages, towns and cities crossed by this famous road. Among the listing are several highlights such equally Valluris, a seaside resort loved past jetsetters and artists such equally Pablo Picasso; Cannes, the French Riviera town that hosts the famous international picture festival; Castellane, the drop-off betoken for the Gorges du Verdon canyon; the commune of Sisteron, with its medieval jewel of a citadel; Gap, once voted the sportiest city in France; and Grenoble, the capital of the French Alpes.

"The aim of the association is to link all these places through the mediums of history and storytelling," Viaud said. "Rather than taking the motorway, we want to encourage visitors to go deeper into the French and European past past post-obit this slower road and discovering these wonderful places. The all-time bit is yous don't have to follow it step-by-step; we suggest people to drop in and out as they desire – taking the opportunity to go lost in some of these wonderful surroundings."

Far from waning, Viaud believes the entreatment of the emperor is as strong as it e'er was. In a recent survey carried out by his clan, 74% of tourists they spoke to placed Bonaparte every bit the nigh of import figure in French history.

"The Road Napoleon is a French national treasure," said Jérôme Viaud, the mayor of Grasse (Credit: Richard Pardon)

"The image of the emperor is even so very good in France today," he added. "He remains a very popular character and inspires interest, as well every bit respect. When I speak to people, they are very much in awe of Napoleon, his personality, his power and what he represents in terms of order, which is something society is peradventure defective today."

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"For me, Napoleon is fascinating because he went against the grain and accomplished things that others idea were incommunicable – like his comeback. His political influence is still felt all throughout the French system, whether it's the decentralisation of power to the academic and merits systems. He even set up the foundations for the modernistic Route Nationale highway network, which is even so in identify today – so it'southward only plumbing fixtures we should celebrate this route named subsequently him."

Global significance

Despite being a very controversial and problematic effigy (past, for example, re-instating slavery and having misogynistic views), Bonaparte has had an enduring charisma that influenced the world. His journeying back to power non merely changed French republic but it also sent stupor waves much further afield.

"Napoleon'south return had a global touch," said Kate Astbury, a professor of French studies at the University of Warwick who has securely investigated the effects of his rule on society and civilisation. "The war against him stretched all over becoming more than just a battle between Britain and France. Other European nations were brought in, and it too has a very direct effect on places like the Caribbean, which becomes a hotbed of activity during this era."

Napoleon I's return from the Isle of Elba: passing through Grenoble (March 1815) – Paris, Fondation Napoléon (Credit: Photo 12/Alamy)

Bonaparte's mind-bending comeback too stirred upward questions of sovereignty – otherwise known equally the potency to govern. Other European rulers were particularly worried when the people of France welcomed him dwelling. He didn't take royal blood nor any existent legitimacy for his groundwork in a fourth dimension where monarchs were believed to get their power from God.

"In Britain, the caricaturists love his return, too, equally he is making fool of the erstwhile monarchs," Astbury explained. "Secretly, many people are delighted he is back breaking the boring one-time condition quo. Then when he is finally defeated at Waterloo, a few months after his escape, crowds flocked to see exhibitions of his possessions and were fascinated by what he represented. He chop-chop becomes a bit of a cult figure."

Natural Beauty

Today, the modern N85 road (the official name of the Route Napoleon) doesn't quite follow the exact path Bonaparte took in 1815. Back when the emperor made his journey, there wasn't a single tarmac route to follow, but rather a succession of tracks and pathways, as well as some cross-state excursions in some parts.

To get closer to what Bonaparte experienced himself, the best way is to set off past foot. There are quite literally thousands of pathways and hikes to follow that take walkers through quaint villages, ancient farmland, impressive geological formations and Unesco-protected natural parks and forests. The full general climate is too very balmy, which makes hiking very pleasant at well-nigh times of the yr.

"The South-East of France is a wonderfully diverse and interesting part of the world to explore by foot," explained Andrea Bacher, a mountain guide who specialises in the Verdon Gorges canyon and the region of Castellane. "I've been working here for more than 30 years, and I still discover something new each time I head out. The natural landscape is especially rich, and because a lot of this terrain is hard to access, many things haven't really changed in thousands of years."

The Gorges du Verdon canyon is pop among hikers, climbers, h2o sports enthusiasts and nature lovers (Credit: Renan Gicquel/Getty Images)

The Gorges du Verdon canyon is a particularly popular destination for hikers, climbers, water sports enthusiasts and nature lovers. It's an monumental rift through a high plateau which slices down to a bright turquoise river, offering up a glimpse of how the region's electric current geology came to exist. Information technology is besides a oasis for wild fauna, boasting many owned establish species and a broad range of wild animal species – many that are rare.

"A lot of visitors are very excited when they see the spectacular wildlife – peculiarly the vultures," explained Bacher. "These birds were reintroduced to the surface area back in the 1990s and their numbers have grown rapidly. Information technology'southward quite a sight when they soar overhead, their gigantic bodies cast quite a shadow, and because of their shape and plumage, people often mistake them for eagles – which nosotros also have living in the region and are a star attraction."

Eagles are also a link back to Bonaparte, as it was this bird that he chose to represent his empire, taking cues from the Romans. Golden standards (flag poles mounted by a statue) depicting the French Imperial Eagle were handed out to his regiments for battle. Sadly, the popularity of these animals and their habitat in the summer months is linked to conflict today. However, Bacher says that inconsiderate visitors are leading locals to reconsider mass tourism and find more than sustainable approaches to business.

Visitors come to come across vultures flying over the Gorges du Verdon coulee (Credit: Raymond Salmon/Getty Images)

"Since the pandemic, we are experiencing bug during the height of the season," she said. "The number of visitors, especially French nationals, has greatly risen during the middle of summertime, and the infrastructure here is struggling to cope. Large camping ground cars blocking upward the narrow village roads are a real problem, every bit is illegal parking, camping and littering. We would recommend people to come out of flavour if they tin – things are cheaper, less busy and altogether better for the ecosystem. Coming by public transport would likewise be good."

A driver's sky

Motoring enthusiasts will all the same argue that driving remains the best way to experience the Route Napoleon, with the modern stretch of tarmac – rather than the route'south purple history – being the major allure.

"It truly has to be the greatest driving road in France," explained Richard Pardon, a Great britain-based automotive lensman who specialises in high-performance vehicles. "From dramatic corners carved into the cliffside, to open sweeping sections that run through a forest, the Route Napoleon has it all. It's a bucket list bulldoze with 180-degree switchbacks, hairpins, tunnels, bridges and quaint villages platonic for a luncheon stop, that offering views out onto deep gorges filled with gleaming water."

Pardon offset visited Route Napoleon in 2015 and was blown away by the gravity-defying road he discovered. He has since made frequent trips down to the South of France to capture dramatic driving pictures for magazines and luxury car manufacturers.

"I've shot hither five times now, but information technology still never gets quondam," he said. "The landscape changes from N to South, each vista equally beautiful as the rest. Whereas most mount passes are normally tight and technical, the Route Napoleon flows. It showcases the characteristics of a car, all whilst taking in the stunning scenic views. That's not to say a local in a Fiat Panda won't put your Lamborghini to shame around one of the narrow twisty sections."

The Route Napoleon is a bucket list drive through France (Credit: Richard Pardon)

As a photographer, Pardon usually looks for breathtaking roads, bathed in practiced light and with adept sightlines, that are tranquility plenty to work on safely. For him, the Route Napoleon has everything and tin showcase a variation of landscape in a curt distance, which helps convey the sense of journey through pictures. The good weather besides makes information technology a year-round destination.

"At that place's a particular stretch of road just off Route Napoleon that runs to a small ski resort, and in the summer months, information technology's almost deserted with long sweeping switchbacks that ascent upward and over the mount until you reach a woods. It's ideal for automobile-to-car photography, so much and then that the iconic Aston Martin DB5 versus Ferrari 355 James Bail auto chase in GoldenEye was filmed here."

Interestingly, James Bond's creator Ian Fleming was fascinated by the French emperor and oft referenced Bonaparte and his rival, British general Arthur Wellesley, in his piece of work. Nearly Bail baddies in fact all suffer from a Napoleonic complex – otherwise known as a desire to rule the earth.

Regardless of whether y'all consider the French ruler a hero or a villain, it's like shooting fish in a barrel to understand why retracing this stretch of road is incredibly revealing nearly Bonaparte and those who followed him. And whether yous come downwardly for the history, the culture, the nature or the tarmac: it'south all worth the visit. Simply attempt not to get any ideas about global domination…

The Open Road is a commemoration of the world's most remarkable highways and byways, and a reminder that some of the greatest travel adventures happen via wheels.

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