From 25 May to 31 May, Liria Palace is organising a themed tour of 50 works. It seeks to memorialise this important woman, who was Empress of France and sister to the Duchess of Alba, through art works from her estate held at Liria Palace.

The pieces displayed are linked to the Second French Empire and include pictorial works by artists as prominent as Winterhalter and Madrazo in addition to Sèvres porcelain, sculptures, decorative art, furniture and documents. Together, they give visitors a deeper understanding of the personality of this distinguished, cultured, modern influential woman; a trailblazer who was, in many ways, ahead of her time. The tour is conducted in small groups by a guide in English, French or Spanish.

Born in Granada in 1826, Eugenia de Montijo was a Spanish aristocrat and Empress Consort of the French on marrying Napoleon Bonaparte’s great-nephew, Emperor Napoleon III, in 1853.

A fervent catholic, Eugénie de Montijo played a central role in the society and politics of her era, acting as regent on various occasions. She opposed the French intervention in Italy, defending papal powers.  She also instigated the French invasion of Mexico in support of Emperor Maximilian I of Mexico in order to bring the spread of Protestantism from the United States to an end. Her influence was also key in the construction of the Suez Canal.

With respect to art, she encouraged the development of the haute couture industry in France and the creation of the so-called Napoleon III style, based on the inspiration of artistic models from the past. She was a patron of writers, poets and painters of the period and a great advocate of the vulnerable, funding nursing homes, orphanages and hospitals. She even supported Louis Pasteur in his research on rabies.

Following the demise of Napoleon III, Eugenia went into exile in England and occasionally stayed at Liria Palace as she was related to the House of Alba. She died there in 1920 at the age of 94.