NAPOLEON's LAST HEADQUARTERS

June 20, 2016

Napoleon’s Last Headquarters or the Ferme du Caillou is located 5 km to the south of the Lion Mound at Vieux-Genappe. Napoleon spent the night of 17 to 18 June 1815 there under the protection of the famous Imperial Guard battalion in the neighbouring orchard and made his battle plans.

The farm was partially burned by the Prussian army on the morning of 19 June. In 1818, the new owner rebuilt the main building. The small ossuary that was built in 1912 to hold bones found on the battlefield can still be seen in the garden. In 1951, the farm was converted into a Napoleon Museum.

This year there were some festivities to celebrate the 201 anniversary of the Waterloo battle.
I decided to visit Napoleon's last headquarters to see what was going on there.





3 soldiers were sitting in front of the farm



Visitors and soldiers at the entrance


One maid leaving



There had been a lunch given by Napoleon and now they were standing in the garden



Behind there were a few bivouacs



Napoleon's horse of course not the one from 1815 !




Soldiers gathered at the entrance of a tent



A few visitors looked what happened





What happened was that all figurants were watching the football (soccer) game Euro 2016 Belgium against Italy ! This of course was far more important than to play an old soldier of 1815 at that moment. The visitors were also very interested ! It was a quite funny anniversary celebration !And on top Belgium won !!