Interesting facts about the sculpture
At the unveiling of the monument, everyone was treated to Napoleon cakes. Perhaps that is why many journalists decided that this mini-sculpture was meant to symbolise this popular cake.
Historians still argue about the origin of the name of this cake. According to one version, the name of the delicacy comes from Italy, from the name of the city of Naples. The French, on the other hand, claim that the name refers to Napoleon Bonaparte. They have two versions of this story. According to the first one, Napoleon III ordered the chef François Vernand to make this cake and name it in honour of his uncle, Napoleon Bonaparte. According to the second, romantic version, Napoleon Bonaparte himself ordered the chef Liagoupierre to make this cake to impress Josephine de Beauharnais.
Nadiia Popadiuk tells an interesting story related to the latter version of the origin of the cake’s name in her book Uzhhorod – the World Capital of Mini-Sculptures. According to the legend, Napoleon Bonaparte ordered a special cake from the chef Liagoupierre to impress Josephine de Beauharnais and gave him one night to come up with a new unique recipe.
Liagoupierre’s wife was born in Uzhgorod and moved to France at the age of 18, where they met and later married. She was very beautiful and elegant, loved white and wore long, layered dresses. It was her style that inspired Laguipierre to create a puff pastry cake covered with cream, and it was she who came up with the name Napoleon for it. As a result, this piece of confectionery art became Josephine’s favourite cake for life.
The recipe for the Llapierre cake has spread all over the world under the common name Napoleon.
