ARTOIS (d’), Comte de Chambord, Henri (1820-1883)
Autograph letter signed « Henri » to Aimé Gaspard de Clermont-Tonnerre
Venice, 20 Feb. 1862, 1 p. 1/4 in-8°, in black ink
« This beautiful map of France, whose view brings back such sweet memories for me »
Fact sheet
ARTOIS (d’), Comte de Chambord, Henri (1820-1883)
Autograph letter signed « Henri » to Aimé Gaspard de Clermont-Tonnerre
Venice, 20 Feb. 1862, 1 p. 1/4 in-8°, in black ink
With autograph envelope, wax seal
Nice letter from the Count of Chambord to one of his most faithful Legitimist friends
« Je vous remercie, mon cher duc, de l’envoi que vous venez de me faire des nouvelles familles de cette belle carte de France donc la vue me rappelle de si doux souvenirs, qui sont pour moi autant de sujets de consolations et d’espérance. J’ai été bien touché des sentiments de fidélité et de dévouement dont votre lettre contenait l’expression, et je suis heureux de vous en témoigner ici toute ma gratitude. Faits mes plus affectueux compliments à la duchesse de Clermont-Tonnerre, et croyez toujours vous-même à ma bien sincère affection.
Henri »
During his travels across various European regions, Venice served as a base for the Count of Chambord each winter from 1848 to 1866. He resided at the Palazzo Cavalli-Franchetti, where he commissioned significant renovations. Under the Second Empire, he maintained regular contact with prominent figures of the Legitimist movement in France, exchanging discreet correspondence, notably with the Duke of Clermont-Tonnerre. From 1862 onward, he disseminated his ideas and political program through manifestos addressed to the French public. Aspiring to a monarchy based on “the long-desired alliance between firm authority and enlightened liberty,” he emphasized the need for both administrative and political decentralization, while paying particular attention to social issues.