Napoléon I's Bedroom

During the French Revolution, the Palais Rohan became Strasbourg's City Hall. In view of its considerable maintenance costs, the town council presented it to Napoleon, who accepted the gift. As it was ideally located on the route of the Emperor's military campaigns to central Europe, he stayed there on four occasions. His wife Joséphine made two long stays there, in 1805 and 1809.
Napoleon occupied the ground floor of the building and a former private room of the Prince-Bishop became the Emperor's bedroom. This is an intimate, comfortable room of modest dimensions. The Empire style furniture brought there in 1807 was produced by Jacob Desmalter, cabinet-maker to the Emperor. The bed is in its original location. The seating furniture, also made by Jacob Desmalter, comes from the Empress's reception room on the first floor of the palace. This set of furniture harmonises surprisingly well with the Louis XV style woodwork decor, that has remained in place, and the rocaille ornamentation of the ceiling cornice with its four corner cartouches displaying allegories of Philosophy, History, Astronomy and Fine Arts.