On 2 December 2023, the town of Monza joined the European Federation of Napoleonic Cities at the Villa Reale in Monza, Italy.
2 December is a date that recurs frequently in the history and life of Napoleon: on 2 December 1804, Napoleon and Josephine were crowned Emperor and Empress of France respectively; on 2 December 1805 the Battle of Austerlitz took place, also known as the Battle of the Three Emperors.
On this symbolic date, the European Federation of Napoleonic Cities welcomes the city of Monza among its members.
The membership ceremony took place at Villa Reale in Monza, in the presence of Carlo Abbà, Monza City Councillor for Tourism, Charles Bonaparte, Honorary President of FECN-Destination Napoleon, Eleonora Berti, Director of FECN-Destination Napoleon, and Marina Rosa, President of the Documentation Centre of the Royal Residences of Lombardy.
To celebrate the event, the Documentation Centre of the Royal Residences of Lombardy organised a performance of Gaetano Donizetti's opera buffa Don Pasquale at Villa Reale in Monza, played by the Luxembourg orchestra. Sequenda Opera Studio conducted by maestro Stefano Nigro.
