Napoleon and the Common Law
Napoleon and the Common Law in Malmaison office
« Ma vraie gloire n’est pas d’avoir gagné quarante batailles ; Waterloo effacera le souvenir de tant de victoires ; ce que rien n’effacera, ce qui vivra éternellement, c’est mon Code Civil ».
Napoléon Bonaparte
1804 March 21st Napoléon made the 36 articles of the Civil Code – also known as "Code Napoléon" – to be adopted by the Council of State. Cambacérès, assisted by four qualified jurists – Tronchet, Portalis, Bigot de Préameneu and Malville – wrote these texts, most of which being still in force today.
Previously only the Roman Law and the Canon Law constituted the usual legal instruments.
These texts dealt with the persons, the goods and the different modifications of the property, expressing the liberal and individualistic evolution of the French society after the Revolution. Their radiance beyond our frontiers was such that 1960 more than 70 states over the world had taken them as a pattern for their own legal system.
150 years before the Treaty of Roma (founding the Economical European Community) and 200 years before the Treaty of Maastricht (establishing the Political European Union) were signed, Napoléon succeeded in creating the future United States of Europe, outlined during the Continental Blockade…The Civil Code was supposed to be the cement of the new Europe, conquered and unified by Napoléon.
Les Etains du Prince illustrate in pewter that historical event, which takes place in the working environment of the Emperor. The armchair and the desk of Mahogany wood and bronze are identical to the works of the brothers Jacob, the favourite cabinet-makers of the Empire. Are present the Minister of the Police Fouché and the Minister of Foreign Relations, Great Chamberlain Talleyrand. The famous red book (final Civil Code) is laid on the splendid piece of fourniture, the original of which can be seen in the Museum of Rueil-Malmaison.
