A gala performance at the teatro royale in turin on january 23, 1859 to celebrate their marriage. The following is an extract from a letter sent by edouard riou. -i had not sent you the first theatrical evening to which prince napoleon accompanied the king on the very day of his arrival in turin; the drawing that i am sending you today will reveal the reason. I knew from count nigra himself that his imperial highness was to attend a solemn performance on sunday the 23rd where the entire family would appear, including hrh princess clolilde. I therefore had to reserve myself to show you this beautiful room in all the splendor of a gala evening. It's done. It's not just this room, vast like the most beautiful italian performance halls, and decorated with as much wealth than taste, is not always worthy of being offered to the admiration of your most difficult subscribers, but it seemed to me to have a more striking effect to offer you the social magnificences framed within the magnificences art. If the brilliance of the diamonds and jewels, the elegance and freshness of the toilets, i do not speak of the so justly famous beauty of the young women of the ligurian aristocracy, made us forget the graceful children playing with leopards , and the cupids riding on swans and dolphins in the middle of the reeds and gladioli which form the ornamentation of the galleries, these rich and graceful decorations contributed no less to the prestige of the whole, the effect of which was marvelous. I refuse to describe to you the sensation produced by the appearance of this room when, on the arrival of the royal family and the french prince their host, a unanimous and spontaneous movement seized the entire audience, all of whose voices burst out in prolonged acclamations; it was not only the orchestra and the audience who rose as one man, uniting in a long cheer, it was all these young ladies, competing in brilliance and beauty, filling the galleries and the boxes, who found themselves simultaneously standing, moved, quivering and waving their handkerchiefs, their fans and their bouquets. If this were not enthusiasm, i would very naively admit that i do not know anything about it. S. Mr. King victor-emmanuel took his place in the middle of his family where prince napoleon naturally appeared next to princess clotilde placed on the right of her majesty, and with the prince of piedmont on her left. Princess marie pia, the duke of aosta and the prince of carignan occupied the places to the left of the king. Ed riou. Date: 5 February 1859.
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