remember your life doesn't end at 20. dante alighieri got exiled from florence at 36! you still have time <3

the bonaparte siblings (requested by anon)

"They were not worried about seeming out of place, they did not fear making mistakes or doing something silly; they had no concern for responsibilities; they had a self-confidence that was not even accompanied by a sense of the duties high position entailed. And this self-confidence sustained them despite everything, and so long as their luck held, it made easy for them things that to others seemed simply impossible. […] The audacity to attempt everything, the certainty of succeeding everywhere— in short, all the attributes of genius, except for genius." — Frédéric Masson

J O S E P H's close bond with the Emperor was often tested throughout their political careers, but never broken. He was without question his closest companion but proved to be more successful as a businessman before and after the Empire.

L U C I E N was never offered a crown or a throne, and broke off from the rest of the family as early as the 1800s. He frequently opposed his brothers' views and notably refused to divorce his wife in favor of a diplomatic alliance. Unlike his siblings, his title was bestowed by the Pope.

E L I S A, contrary to her sisters who primarily held consort roles or acted as strawmen, is believed to be the only Bonaparte sister, and only woman, with actual political powers bestowed by the Emperor. She's the only one of the adult siblings to die before him.

L O U I S' frequent conflicts with the Emperor led Napoléon to annex the Kingdom of Holland in 1810, driving him and his family into exile. Louis would go on to become the father of Napoléon III.

Despite a tumultuous relationship, P A U L I N E was considered Napoléon's favorite sister, and proved to be the most loyal of the imperial siblings, liquidating her assets and visiting him in Elba.

Often regarded as the most influential of the Bonaparte sisters, C A R O L I N E was constantly caught in-between her husband and her brother. She was instrumental in the divorce and remarriage of the Emperor. Her political legacy not only didn't survive the fall of the Empire, but effectively predated it through a series of conflicts with her brother.

J E R O M E was the last sibling standing by 1860, and out of them all was the only one to support the Emperor at Waterloo. He would also be the only one to see the re-creation of the Empire and his nephew on the throne.

““But who prays for Satan? Who, in eighteen centuries, has had the common humanity to pray for the one sinner that needed it most?””

—

- Mark Twain

This is honestly my favorite quote. It’s changed how I look at life and religion.

(via the-bitchextraordinaire)

women in history [11/∞]
Anne of Austria, Queen of France

Helaena Targaryen and Cassandra of Troy + parallels

Empress Joséphine's coronation gown and jewels in Napoleon (2023)

I'm curious about the distribution here.....

*I know that these periodizations are all contested, broad, and depend on geography. That's why I am not putting years. Interpret them as you please depending on your particular field.