Second Empire
Napoleon III's France
Second Empire refers to the reign of Napoleon III in France (1852–1870), a period of imperial rule, urban renewal, and architectural grandeur.
The term most commonly describes the architectural style that emerged during this era, characterized by mansard roofs, ornate detailing, and imposing facades: a grand Second Empire mansion.
The style spread widely to government buildings and wealthy residences in Europe and North America.
France's ultimate crowned ruler
- HaussmannizationComprehensive city modernization program
- ParisFrance's chief city
- Franco-Prussian War1870-71 European conflict
- Crimean War1850s Russo-European conflict
Tuileries · Maximilian · Louis-Napoleon · coup d'état · plebiscite · universal suffrage · authoritarian
Dual-sloped roofing style
- dormerProjecting rooftop window structure
- balustradeRail supported by posts
- corniceOrnamental upper trim
- quoinAngled masonry block
pilaster · cupola · facade · pediment · portico · bracketed · ornamentation · entablature
Abundant beyond necessity
- sumptuousSplendidly rich and costly
- ornateElaborately decorated
- grandiosePretentiously impressive in scale
- gildedOverlaid with gold leaf
palatial · ostentatious · velvet · brocade · chandelier · marble · gilt · extravagant
Sovereign's time in power
- dynastySuccessive family rulers
- throneCeremonial chair for sovereigns
- courtTrial venue or sports surface
- regimeSystem of governance
crown · sovereignty · decree · succession · aristocracy · nobility · legitimacy · absolutism
Napoleon III
France's ultimate crowned ruler
- HaussmannizationComprehensive city modernization program
- ParisFrance's chief city
- Franco-Prussian War1870-71 European conflict
Crimean War · Tuileries · Maximilian · Louis-Napoleon · coup d'état · plebiscite · universal suffrage · authoritarian
mansard
Dual-sloped roofing style
- dormerProjecting rooftop window structure
- balustradeRail supported by posts
- corniceOrnamental upper trim
quoin · pilaster · cupola · facade · pediment · portico · bracketed · ornamentation · entablature · pavilion
lavish
Abundant beyond necessity
- sumptuousSplendidly rich and costly
- ornateElaborately decorated
- grandiosePretentiously impressive in scale
gilded · palatial · ostentatious · velvet · brocade · chandelier · marble · gilt · extravagant · luxurious
reign
Sovereign's time in power
- dynastySuccessive family rulers
- throneCeremonial chair for sovereigns
- courtTrial venue or sports surface
regime · crown · sovereignty · decree · succession · aristocracy · nobility · legitimacy · absolutism · Bonaparte
- American Architecturecolonial, Craftsman, bungalow, ranch house, Cape Cod
- 1860sAbraham Lincoln, American Civil War, Appomattox, Confederacy, Confederate States
- historic architectureVersailles, Blenheim Palace, Hampton Court, Monticello, Mount Vernon
- historic homesmansion, manor house, manor houses, plantation house, colonial house
- French HistoryNapoleon Bonaparte, French Revolution, Napoleon, Bastille, Reign of Terror
- Mexican HistoryMexican Revolution, Mexican Independence, Mexican-American War, Texas Revolution, Cinco de Mayo
Second EmpireFrench Republic
Official name for France
French Revolution · republican government · parliamentary democracy · constitutional republic · democracy
Second Empiremodernism
Favoring contemporary approaches
minimalism · Bauhaus · International Style · functionalism · Gothic Revival
second, empire, emperor, secondary, imperial, empires, seconded, seconding, secondarily