Joachim Murat

Joachim Murat was one of Napoleon Bonaparte’s most important Marshals. He married the Emperor’s younger sister Caroline. Murat and his wife were important and influential collectors, who resided at first in the Hôtel de Thélusson, a magnificent neoclassical mansion built in the 1780s by the architect Ledoux. In 1805 they acquired the Élysée Palace, today the residence of the President of the French Republic, carrying out extensive renovations and furnishing it with great care. The palace was finished in late 1806. Architects Vignon and Thibault were in charge of the renovation, while the furnishings and carpentry were entrusted to the Jacob-Desmalter workshop. The bronze pieces were furnished by Ravrio, and the textiles tapestries by Boulard. All were selected for the exceptional quality of their creations and for their reputation. However, the Murats did not long enjoy their luxurious mansion, for after the Emperor’s brother Joseph was crowned king of Spain, Murat replaced him on the throne of Naples, from 1808 to 1815. Yet again, the Murats became known for the renovation and the decoration of their residences in Naples; they gathered together an important collection of Italian paintings, objets d’art, and bronze furnishings which they ordered in Paris. In 1815, Murat was driven out of Naples by the Austrians and the British. He fled to Corsica, where he was captured and executed. After his death, the majority of his collection was sold at auction. It was acquired by Marquis Emilio Tortora Brayda di Belvedere for his homes in Molfetta and Manfredonia.