To mark the bicentenary of Émile Ollivier's birth, specialists in the Second Empire gathered at the château to explore the personality of Napoleon III's head of government, a romantic and visionary politician who continues to inspire us.

Chaired by Professor Éric Anceau, a historian specializing in the Second Empire, Napoleon III and the Émile Ollivier question, an exceptional day dedicated to history and political science marks the bicentenary of Émile Ollivier's birth.

This rich program, led by a dozen academics and experts on the XIXᵉ century and the Second Empire, proposes twelve major themes to retrace the life and thought itinerary of this complex and little-known figure.
The balance he sought between private and public life, his idealism nourished by a deep spirituality, and his progressive vision of society form the common thread of this encounter. These talks explore the many facets of Émile Ollivier: the man in his private sphere, the young lawyer and member of parliament, the politician, the lover of the arts, the academician.

These reflections also shed light on pivotal moments of his era, such as his vision of Church-State relations, his analysis of Napoleon III's coup d'état, and the mechanisms that led to the 1870 war.

Alongside the symposium :
- A bookshop - Signing sessions
- Catering facilities
- Temporary exhibition: Émile Ollivier in the spotlight Presentation of a unique series of original caricatures. July 1 to 17 and September 1 to October 31