TRIP TO ITALY. Autograph letter signed from the City of FLORENCE, October 13, 1825, from a son to his mother Madame LECONTE in SAINT FIRMIN, near CHANTILLY, Oise. 3pp in-4° - He recounts his trip, evoking the wonders of Florence. "In the 8 days I've been in Florence... I've been twice to the home of Mr. DEMIDOFF, a wealthy Russian lord who gives balls and has a troupe of French comedians following him. I also met up with another Russian family with whom I spent the winter in Nice 4 years ago... We're having a grand ball at Prince Borghese's..."

Composed of several subsidiaries, the Drouot Group is a major player in the art market. Hôtel Drouot, located in the heart of Paris, has been the world's largest public auction center since 1852. 15 salerooms are available to more than 70 auction houses. The emulation generated by an annual offer of 230,000 artworks from 21 major specialities - from Antiquity to street art - attracts some 3,000 visitors every day. The Group's digital platform, Drouot.com, offers digital sales - Live auctions (live broadcasting and participation in auctions), Online-only auctions (dematerialised auctions) and Buy Now sales (sales of lots at fixed prices). Nearly 2 million items are offered annually by 600 auction houses. Auction news is reported every week in La Gazette Drouot, the leading weekly magazine for the art market and culture published by Auctionspress.