A rare copy of the Napoleonic Code, a foundational text for civil law in Belgium and other countries, is set to be auctioned in Brussels.
The announcement was made by the Belgian auction house Arenberg Auctions on Saturday.
This edition, bound in parchment, is one of only two known copies; the other belongs to the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris and was originally owned by Emperor Napoleon himself. The copy up for sale comes from a private Belgian collection.
The auction will take place on 11, 12, and 13 December, with an estimated starting price of €15,000.
Napoleon introduced the Code in 1804 to standardise laws and customs across his empire, aiming to replace the fragmented legal systems of different regions.
An enhanced and expanded version of the Code was published in 1807, under the name “Code Napoleon.”
