Tra utopia e ricerca del consenso: fuochi e apparati effimeri di epoca napoleonica a Milano tra il 1801 e il 1803

Abstract

 Public celebrations under Napoleon were political operations of propaganda and diplomacy, aimed to represent power and assert new values. In Milan, public festival also expressed a utopian vision of the city, with ephemeral structures that foreshadowed a new urban layout and a new society. Through critical analysis of archival sources and by examining and comparing different festive events from 1801 and 1803, including fascinating firework displays, this paper explores the vision behind these projects and how they evolved over the years, highlighting their utopian energy. The focus lies on the audience perceptions, along with the symbolism of the celebration. The aim is to understand the performative event in full – not only the desire to create consensus but also its aim to build a new identity. This analysis will allow reflection on the dichotomy between the ephemeral vs. the permanent and the historian’s responsibility to perpetuate the latter through time.