History read through the palace ceremonial: fans, buffets, quadrilles and cotillons. From the codes of conduct, to food, to clothes, from the Regency of Jane Austen to the Empire of Elisa Bonaparte Baciocchi, “Ballo a Palazzo” is the program of 5 animated conferences-laboratory on History, customs and society created thanks to the association “Napoleon and Elisa: from Paris to Tuscany “and held by Margarita Martinez on the occasion of the bicentenary from the installation of the duchess Maria Luisa di Borbone in Lucca (1817-2017).
Fans, buffets, squares and cotillons: history read on the label. The Palazzo Ducale di Lucca, which was the seat of the government of Elisa Bonaparte Baciocchi and of Maria Luisa di Borbone, becomes a historical laboratory to live and learn about customs and traditions of the court, and of society, in the first decades of the nineteenth century. These are 5 animated laboratory-conferences held by Margarita Martinez, organizer of Napoleonic dances at the international level. The five meetings will develop many themes, to read the story through the customs of the court, in particular the Napoleonic one that was characterized by a very rigid code dictated by the Emperor in person and in force at the Paris court as in all the Napoleonic courts . The initiative was also born following the success of the public collected by the “Spectacle of Napoleonic dances” and the afternoon dedicated to the “Fandango” by Luigi Boccherini, which were held in the last two years.
And among the themes we had to face, we could not miss the food!
Can there be a party without food? “Le Buffet Froid – food to watch” is the central meeting in the “Ballo a Palazzo” workshop-conference cycle.
Tuesday, March 20 from 17 to 19 at the Palazzo Ducale (Sala Maria Luisa) is held the third rendez-vous, dedicated to food and drink but above all to their social and political significance.
“In the Balli of this type – explains Margarita Martinez, organizer of Napoleonic dances at international level – the table is an essential part of the set design: it must be beautiful to look at, rich and colorful.The buffets are organized in order to have more floors, at the bottom the food available to guests, in high pretend food, of sugar, as an ornament.You eat after the dance, but for those who do not dance there is always a table with punch and champagne, which spread in this period “.
“The absolute protagonist of his time is Antonin Carême, great chef of the Empire, with his extraordinary sweets of cotton candy, but we will also talk about the differences between French and Russian service, and in particular of Elisa Bonaparte Baciocchi and the food served to her dances at Palazzo Vecchio in Florence “.
The “Ballo a Palazzo” initiative is always realized on the occasion of the bicentenary from the installation of the Duchess Maria Luisa di Borbone in Lucca (1817-2017), whose commemorative events are supported by the City of Lucca, the Province of Lucca, the Foundation Cassa di Risparmio di Lucca and the Banca del Monte di Lucca Foundation.