Napoleon Bonaparte (1769 - 1821) as Emperor Napoleon 1 of France reviewing the Grenadiers of the Imperial Guard on 1 June 1811 in Paris, France. An engraving by Augustin Burdet from an original painting by Auguste Raffet. Napoleon’s argument for religious freedom would outlast his empire and become a norm across Europe (HULTON ARCHIVE/GETTYIMAGES)
The greatest test in the history of the modern Catholic Church began at 2 a.m. on July 6, 1809. That’s when French troops swarmed the Quirinal Palace in Rome. The midnight arrest of Pope Pius VII at the hands of troops under the ultimate command of Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte was a watershed event in history, argues Ambrogio A. Caiani in his book “To Kidnap a Pope: Napoleon and Pius VII.”
Napoleon Crossing the Saint-Bernard Pass, 20 May 1800, 1801-1802, Musee de l’Histoire de France, Versailles, France. The midnight arrest of Pope Pius VII at the hands of troops under the ultimate command of Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte was a watershed event in history, argues Ambrogio A. (VCG WILSON/CORBIS VIA GETTYIMAGES)
Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
