The states and territories that Napoleon Bonaparte conquered each received a specific status. Some of them became allies of the French emperor and did not change their internal structure and monarchs. In some, Napoleon appointed his relatives or military leaders as new rulers, while others were included into the French Empire.
A special status was granted to the territory of present-day Northern Italy, which Napoleon conquered when he was a republican general in 1797. The French were driven out of the country as a result of the victorious campaign of Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov. Three years later, after seizing power in France, Napoleon regained control over this region.
In 1802, Napoleon proclaimed himself president of the Italian Republic. The adoption of the imperial title in France forced him to change the state system in Italy as well. In 1805, it was transformed into the Kingdom of Italy.
Napoleon Bonaparte himself was solemnly crowned in Milan Cathedral on May 26, 1805, with the famous Iron Crown of Lombardy. It was used for the coronation of Holy Roman Emperors as Kings of Italy.
The actual ruler and viceroy of Italy was Napoleon’s stepson Eugène de Beauharnais. Under his command, the troops of the Italian Kingdom took part in the campaign against Russia in 1812 and, in particular, in the Battle of Borodino.
In memory of the Milan coronation of Napoleon, a commemorative medal was minted in Paris in 1805. Dominique Vivant Denon, the first director of the Louvre, personally designed it. He had previously accompanied Napoleon on the Egyptian campaign, where he led the scientific side of the expedition.
The obverse of the bronze medal features the profile of Napoleon in a laurel wreath. It is bordered by the inscription NAPOLEON EMPEREUR (“Emperor Napoleon”). Under the profile is the inscription DENON DIR, that is, “Director Denon”. This inscription indicates that Denon designed the medal. The Iron Crown is depicted on the reverse side. The medal is attached to the preserved order ribbon with white-red-green vertical stripes. These are the national colors of Italy.
