Dawn: at the former royal military school of Brienne-le-Château, Napoleon's life is told through play

The three giant posters reveal the idea that the directors of these three films about Napoleon I had of the Emperor. In chronological order, the patriotic visions of Abel Gance and Sacha Guitry, released in 1927 and 1955, contrast with the fictionalized version by the British Ridley Scott , which has raised the hackles of many historians for its inaccuracies and chronological arrangements .

From the beginning of July until Sunday, September 21, the Napoleon Museum in Brienne-le-Château (Aube) is offering, for the third consecutive summer, the opportunity to go beyond these cinematic visions thanks to temporary and thematic exhibitions around the man who was a student at the town's royal military school from 1779 to 1784, that is, from the age of 10 to 15. After the Playmobil in 2023 and the comic strip in 2024, the life of the emperor is thus presented around the verb to play.

"With these temporary exhibitions, our aim is to approach the history of Napoleon from a non-academic perspective. Games in all their forms lend themselves particularly well to this," explains Angélique Duc, the development manager at the Briennois museum.

Drawing on its own collection, as well as loans from other institutions and individuals, the Brienne-le-Château Museum offers various display cases and representations that speak volumes about the legacy Napoleon Bonaparte left on French history. "We cover 200 years of Napoleonic imagery," continues Angélique Duc. The armies of tiny tin soldiers, meticulously aligned, were, for example, more than just toys: "They led little boys to believe that they would eventually become soldiers. Girls, on the other hand, played with dolls."

Alongside the traditional Playmobil figure of Napoleon on his white horse, a cup-and-ball game stands out. Yet it's an exceptional piece, on loan from the Museum of the Legion of Honor and Orders of Chivalry. It belonged to the King of Rome, son and heir of Napoleon I and his second wife, Marie-Louise of Austria.

In addition to cinema and theater, music also occupies a special place in this exhibition. "Victory, by singing, opens the barrier; Liberty guides our steps...": this is how the "Chant du départ" begins. This revolutionary song, written in 1794 by Marie-Joseph Chénier and set to music by Étienne Nicolas Méhul, was made the national anthem by Napoleon in 1804. Although the Emperor preferred it to "La Marseillaise," the tune has managed to transcend the ages, even since 1815. In 1974, Valéry Giscard d'Estaing made it his campaign anthem for the presidential election. Once elected, he regularly played it along with La Marseillaise during official ceremonies.

Among other ways to perform: theater. Most people under 20 (or even 30...) don't know this, but Serge Lama played the lead role in a musical comedy dedicated to Napoleon. First performed at the Théâtre Marigny in Paris on September 20, 1984, it ran for over 1,000 performances.

Without revealing all the gems this temporary exhibition contains—Caran d'Ache's shadow theater will amaze young and old alike—it's worth noting that the Musée Napoléon also invites its visitors to play for themselves, thanks to a specially designed corner. Are you familiar with Bouillotte, a type of 19th-century poker, and Reversis? These card games were very popular during the time of Napoleon I. The museum's brains also created Napouilleux, a Napoleonic version of the traditional Pouilleux.

Two years ago, more than 4,000 visitors crossed the threshold of the Napoleon Museum in Brienne-le-Château, housed in the building of the former military school, to discover the scenes depicting the main aspects of his life in Playmobil mode. Last year, the comic strip also attracted its share of curious visitors. The 2025 version follows the same path. Or how to attract a new audience by telling the story differently.

Practical: The exhibition "Napoleon, let's play, toys" is on display at the Napoleon Museum in Brienne-le-Château until Sunday, September 21, 2025. The museum is open every Tuesday to Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and from 1:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. Free admission to the temporary exhibition. For the museum, full price: 9 euros. Reduced price: 4.5 euros. Free for children under 10 years old. More information on the museum website.