Consulte de Lyon

As first consul, Bonaparte decided to call an extraordinary consulta or meeting of the Italian deputies of the Cisalpine Republic in Lyon.

This republic had been created after the first Italian campaign and was made up of Lombardy, Mantua, Bergamo, Brescia, Verona, Cremona, Rovigo, the duchy of Modena, Massa, and Carrara, and three legations from Bologna, Ferrara, and Romagna.

The proposal for the meeting was highly successful - 452 deputies were named to attend it, though it was effectively a parody of a constituent assembly, with its members vetted by Bonaparte, an order of business imposed upon it, and pressure exerted upon it to approve Bonaparte's wishes.

[1] Over the following days, the consul received deputations from the neighbouring towns and departments, while the 'consulte' continued with its business.

On 26 January it met in the presence of the French ministers, generals, major functionaries, and Joséphine in the chapel of the Jesuit College of the Trinity (now lycée Ampère).