Napoleon House Bar - New Orleans, LA (A Ruler's Hideout)

500 Chartres St.

New Orleans, LA 70130

29.955847,-90.065178

www.napoleonhouse.com

            Hearing the name of our next location, one doesn't need to be a Harvard graduate to realize who this home is named after. However, do not be fooled, as the illustrious Napoleon Bonaparte did not live here, although if things would have gone as planned, this could have long been the residence of the pint-sized ruler.
            The Napoleon House is situated in the heart of the French Quarter and dates back for centuries. The original home was initially built in 1794 but was refurbished and expanded in 1814. The remodeling and enlargements were to house Nicholas Girod, the sixth mayor of New Orleans from 1812 to 1815.
            During this time frame, a very significant event was taking place in Belgium. On Sunday, June 18, 1815, a French army under the command of Napoleon Bonaparte was defeated by the armies of the Seventh Coalition, comprising of an Anglo-allied army led by the Duke of Wellington, combined with a Prussian army under the command of Gebhard von Blücher. Following his defeat, European powers were not going to take any chances on Napoleon's possible return, so they exiled him to the island of St. Helena; a barren, wind-swept island located in the South Atlantic Ocean. With Mayor Girod catching wind of the defeat and exile of Napoleon, he comprised a plan to rescue the fallen leader from his desolate prison.

Cabildo Museum - New Orleans, LA (The Napoleon Death Mask)

701 Chartres St.

New Orleans, LA 70130

29.957564,-90.063751

            Strolling through Jackson Square and your attention is immediately drawn to the famous St. Louis Cathedral. Walking nearby to admire the intrauterine architecture, you can't help but notice the two large buildings that sit to the left and right of the cathedral. The building to the right is the Presbytere, which we will get to later. The other older and more significant building is the historical Cabildo.
            The present Cabildo was built in 1795 to house the legislative and administrative council which ruled Spanish Louisiana. Two earlier government buildings sat on this spot and had been destroyed during both fires in 1788 and 1794. The Cabildo was designed by Gilberto Guillemard, who also would design the St. Louis Cathedral and the Presbytere. The building took the name of the council for whose use it was built and continued as the seat of the government of Louisiana for the eight remaining years of Spanish rule. During the brief period of French rule, the building was given the French variant of its name, Maison de Ville.