The European Federation of Napoleonic Cities brings together more than 50 cities and regions with a history of Napoleonic influence.
Celebrated by some and censured by others, Napoleon Bonaparte leaves no one indifferent. Even today—two hundred years after his death!—he is constantly re-evaluated in his political, military, and even intimate decisions. Personal ambition and the destruction caused by the campaigns of the Napoleonic Wars are contrasted with advances in the law or the abolition of morally indefensible privileges. The art scene changed profoundly during the Napoleonic period, as did social habits and the way of waging war. The fauna and, above all, the flora also underwent drastic changes as a result of the scientific expeditions sponsored by Napoleon, viscerally altering the European landscapes.
The Historical Route of the Lines of Torres Vedras is part of the European Federation of Napoleonic Cities, a network of cities and regions whose history was marked by the Napoleonic era, recognising the influence that the legacy of that period still has on contemporary geopolitics and on European cultural, social and historical unity. The routes linking these cities and regions are now part of the Napoleonic Itineraries, which since 2015 integrate the Cultural Itineraries Programme, established by the Council of Europe in 1987.
The cities and regions that make up the European Federation of Napoleonic Cities share, in addition to their historic past, concerns for the future. By emphasising the need for sustainable development and a commitment to preserving the planet, they make the asymmetries of their historical heritage the driving force towards a common future.