The Assumption of Mary into heaven – a feast of precept regulated by the code of canon law – is celebrated on 15 August together with Saint Napoleon. The similar anthroponym between Saint Napoleon the martyr and Napoleon gave Cardinal Giovanni Battista Caprara Montecuccoli (Bologna, 29 May 1733 – Paris, 21 June 1810) the answer to the case on the masterless name of Bonaparte and moved the celebration of the martyr from 2 June to 15 August (Napoleon’s birthday). In 1806 the ‘’Little Corporal’’ celebrated his first name day and, that day, in Paris he began the creation of the Arc de Triomphe to glorify the victory at the Battle of Austerlitz (2 December 1805).
The appeal of the Napoleonic grandeur is immense: the museum of the Battle of Marengo
(14 June 1800) opened in Villa Delavo (14 June 1968), a little more than eight centuries after foundation of Alexandria (3 May 1168), precedes the French stamp dedicated to the bicentenary of birth of Louis Desaix (17 August 1768), the General wounded in the heart who died in Vigna Santa (14 June 1800).
The fil-rouge between yesterday and today is sensational. Desaix was born near the city of Clermont Ferrand, also the headquarters of the Michelin company: the plant opened by the multinational company in Spinetta Marengo guarantees socio-economic development in the territory of Alessandria since 1971.
