Alexandre de Laborde facts for kids
Comte Louis-Joseph-Alexandre de Laborde (born September 17, 1773 – died October 20, 1842) was a French expert in old things, a politician who believed in freedom, and a writer. He was also a member of an important French academy, the Académie des Sciences morales et politiques, where he focused on how countries manage their money.
Contents
Biography
Early Life and Adventures
Alexandre de Laborde was born in Paris. He was the fourth son of a famous banker, Jean-Joseph de Laborde. When the French Revolution started, his father sent young Laborde to Vienna. There, he joined the Austrian army. He became an officer on December 10, 1789, when he was just seventeen, thanks to the help of Emperor Joseph II.
He was first stationed in Olmuz. In October 1791, he became a captain in a cavalry regiment. The next year, he fought against the French Revolutionary forces near the borders of the Austrian Netherlands and Luxembourg. He was known for being kind to French soldiers who were captured or hurt.
In 1795, he took a long break. He first visited his mother and sister in Switzerland, then his brother in London. He later rejoined the Austrian army and became a squadron leader.
After traveling through Germany, Holland, and Italy, he was finally allowed to return to France in 1797. This happened after the Treaty of Campoformio was signed. He then started working for the French foreign office, under the protection of Talleyrand. His family also received money related to his father's business in Haiti.
Working with Napoleon
In 1800, Laborde worked with Lucien Bonaparte, Napoleon's brother, during his time as ambassador in Madrid. This led to the Treaty of Aranjuez in March 1801. When they returned, Lucien met Alexandrine Jacob de Bleschamp and married her in June 1803. This made Napoleon unhappy because he didn't approve of the marriage.
During this time, Laborde used his free time to work on two big books about Spain. He gathered artists and writers, including his friend Chateaubriand. These books were the Itinéraire descriptif de l'Espagne (1809) and the Voyage pittoresque et historique en Espagne (1807–1818). The Voyage pittoresque had about nine hundred engravings, but it cost him a lot of money.
Because of his family's needs, Laborde decided to rejoin Napoleon's government. In 1808, he became an auditeur to the Conseil d'État. Napoleon found him helpful in Madrid. Laborde was made a chevalier of the Légion d'honneur in 1809 and became a count (comte de l'Empire) in 1810.
Because Laborde knew German well and had experience in Austria, he was chosen to be part of a group that asked for the hand of Archduchess Marie Louise for Napoleon. He traveled through Austrian lands, which gave him ideas for his book Voyage pittoresque en Autriche, published later in 1821.
Back in France, he was put in charge of settling the accounts of the Grande Armée. He also led the department for bridges and highways in Paris (1812). He suggested many improvements, like public baths and fire stations, which were built later.
Laborde also had an idea to create a full list of France's old buildings and historical sites. He tried to get help from government officials, but it didn't work out at the time. However, his idea later led to the appointment of Prosper Mérimée as inspector-general of historical monuments in 1834.
He became a member of the Institut de France in 1813 and an officer of the Légion d'honneur the same year. Even though his expensive publications cost him a lot, he remained an important person in society. He was close to Queen Hortense and might have written some songs for her.
He was also the mayor of Méréville from 1805 to 1814.
After Napoleon: The Restoration and Louis-Philippe
In 1814, as an officer in the national guard, Laborde helped arrange the surrender of the Garde Nationale to the Russians. During the Hundred Days (when Napoleon returned), Laborde stayed in England. Louis XVIII later made him a colonel and a chevalier of the Order of Saint-Louis.
He joined the Académie des inscriptions et belles-lettres in 1816. From 1818 to 1824, he served in the National Assembly. He disagreed with putting Ferdinand VII back on the throne of Spain in 1823. This gave him time to travel for four years through Italy, Greece, Turkey, Palestine, and Egypt with his son Léon de Laborde.
He later became a Deputy and the Prefect of the Seine in 1830. He supported Louis-Philippe during the July Revolution of 1830 and became a general in the Garde nationale and an aide to the king. The king sent him to Spain as an ambassador. From 1831 to 1837, he served as a Deputy for the Seine, and in 1837, for Seine-et-Oise.
Laborde spent most of the money his father left him and didn't have much by the time he died in Paris in 1842.
Major Works
Laborde wrote many books, showing his wide range of interests. His works, especially those about Spain, helped people in Europe see Spain in a new, artistic way. His travel guide, Itinéraire descriptif de l’Espagne, was even useful during Napoleon's invasion of Spain.
- Description d’un pavé en mosaïque découvert dans l’ancienne ville d’Italica (1802)
- Description des nouveaux jardins de la France et de ses anciens châteaux (1803–1815)
- Lettres sur les sons harmoniques de la harpe (1806)
- Voyage historique et pittoresque en Espagne (4 volumes, 1807)
- Discours sur la vie e la campagne (1808)
- Itinéraire descriptif de l’Espagne (5 vol., 1808; second edition in 1809)
- Voyage pittoresque en Autriche (3 volumes, 1809)
- Des aristocraties représentatives (1814)
- De la représentation véritable de la communauté (1815)
- Les monuments de la France, classés chronologiquement (1816–1826)
- Projets d’embellissement de Paris (1816)
- Quarante-huit heures de garde aux Tuileries, pendant les journées des 19 et 20 mars 1815. Par un grenadier de la Garde Nationale (1816)
- Plan d’éducation pour les enfants pauvres (1819)
- Aperçu de la situation financière de l’Espagne (1823)
- Précis historique de la guerre entre la France et l’Autriche en 1809 (1823)
- Collection de vases grecs expliquée (2 volumes, 1824–1828)
- Au roi et aux chambres, sur la question d’Alger (1830)
- Paris municipe ou tableau de l’administration de la ville de Paris (1833)
- Versailles, ancien et moderne (1830–1840)
Personal life
Laborde had two children, Valentine de Laborde and Léon de Laborde.
See also
In Spanish: Alexandre de Laborde para niños
