A handwritten letter from Napoleon denying his involvement in the kidnapping of Pope Pius VII in 1809 will be auctioned soon, coinciding with Pope Francis's funeral. Pius VII was taken by French troops and imprisoned by Napoleon for five years. The letter, addressed to Jean-Jacques-Regis Cambaceres, reveals Napoleon's feigned ignorance, claiming he learned of the Pope's detention only days later. The event significantly impacted Napoleon’s reign and influenced church relations in France. Auction estimates are €12,000-€15,000.
"It was without my orders and against my will that the Pope was taken out of Rome; it is again without my orders and against my will that he is being brought into France."
"This arrest is one of the events that will define Napoleon's reign, at a political and religious level," says Jean-Christophe Chataignier.
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