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Manuscript DS in French and Italian, signed “Np,” one page, 8 x 12.5, [April 26, 1802]. Document in Italian concerning the disbursement of funds to Pope Pius VII, in part (translated): "The Pope, to whom the generosity of the First Consul has ordered reimbursement of expenses incurred for the maintenance of French troops from 1 Fructidor until now, and which are recorded with the preferential and depreciative liquidations and approvals of Minister Cacault, with a view to depleting the treasury and the lack of proper procedure, I implore the execution of this order. I beg the generosity of soul who gave it. Chief authorizing officer Michaud has agreed to the maximum amount of reimbursement ordered by the First Consul, but I do not have sufficient funds in the treasury. I therefore implore the kindness of the First Consul to have the necessary funds for reimbursement delivered to the chief authorizing officer through the Minister of War."
In the left margin, Napoleon Bonaparte pens his handwritten endorsement in French: "Referred to the Minister of Foreign Affairs so that Citizen Cacault may indicate whether the orders…the funds that were donated and the commitments made to the Pope since Fructidor have been fulfilled." In very good condition, with complete archival backing to reinforce tears and losses, and small areas of paper loss affecting some of the primary text.
This very rare document stems from the critical months following the ratification of the Concordat of 1801, when Napoleon Bonaparte, as First Consul, sought to normalize relations between post-Revolutionary France and the Catholic Church after a decade of estrangement. The reimbursement of expenses to Pope Pius VII for the maintenance of French troops in papal territory was not merely an administrative matter, but a deliberate political gesture intended to demonstrate France’s renewed respect for ecclesiastical authority and international obligations. Such payments formed part of Napoleon’s broader effort to restore stability and public order within France and across Europe.
Napoleon’s handwritten endorsement reveals his characteristically direct supervision of diplomatic and financial affairs. By referring the matter to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and demanding confirmation from the French envoy to the Holy See that promised funds had in fact been delivered, Napoleon signals the importance he initially attached to honoring commitments made to the Pope.
The document thus offers an early glimpse into Napoleon’s personal involvement in shaping the relationship between France and Pope Pius VII—an alliance that would later culminate in Napoleon's coronation as emperor, and ultimately unravel in dramatic fashion with his excommunication from the Church.
