Napoleon 1er

Napoleon Bonaparte (1769–1821): The Emperor enjoyed hunting in the Forest of Saint-Germain. The Château de Maisons—the estate of his loyal friend Marshal Lannes—was the setting for his brief, friendly visits.

Even after the Marshal’s death, Napoleon continued to visit his widow, the Duchess of Montebello. In 1840, nineteen years after his death, his remains were brought back to Les Invalides by boat, traveling up the Seine. Jacques Laffitte and a crowd of local residents paid him a final tribute from the riverbank.