Transfer of the Imperial Canoe of Napoleon I from Paris to Brest
Musée national de la Marine
Transfer of the Imperial Canoe of Napoleon I from Paris to Brest
With a length of 19,04 meters and height of 5,45 meters, the Imperial Canoe of Napoleon I is one of the masterpieces of the collections of the national maritime museum. It is also the only boat of this type that France has kept in its integrity.
In order to get it out of the Palais de Chaillot, where it has been exposed since 1945, an enormous breach was made into the wall.
The Canoe was rotated to the nearest millimeter to leave the place and reach Brest, where it stayed from 1814 to 1943.
This operation was carried out as part of the renovation of the national Maritime museum in Paris.
Historic reminder
Built at the request of Napoleon I in 1810, the Canoe ensured the travel of the Emperor and his successor Napoleon III. A masterpiece in its own right, made of various woods, it is endowed with a figurehead representing Neptune and a large crown supported by four cherubs.
The Canoe was shipped to Brest from 1814 to 1943, when it was decided to transfer it to Paris, under the protection of the German authorities, in the new Naval Museum settling in the Palais de Chaillot. After more than a week of travel, the unthinkable happens: the doors of the Palace are too narrow! After two years of negotiations, an enormous breach is finally made into the wall to let it pass.