A Royal Story
While many places in Vichy owe their existence to Napoleon III, the Parc des Sources has a close connection to his uncle the emperor Napoleon I. In 1799, his mother, Maria Letizia Bonaparte, came to Vichy for a cure with one of her sons and fell under the spell of the city. But she noticed that there was a lack of space to walk around and that the area around the spa was cluttered with various buildings. “Napoleon I signed the decree imposing the development of this promenade while he was in retreat with his troops, in the middle of the Russian campaign,” explains Alla Pikozh, guide-lecturer at Vichy Destinations. This park quickly became a meeting place for everyone.