▁ensure ▁they ▁were ▁in ▁harm ony . ▁However , ▁that ▁same ▁month ▁Ach ille ▁F ould ▁was ▁replaced ▁as ▁Minister ▁of ▁State ▁by ▁Count ▁Alexandre ▁Col onna - W ale w ski . ▁His ▁wife ▁Marie ▁Anne ▁de ▁Ric ci ▁P oni at ow ska ▁had ▁used ▁her ▁position ▁as ▁mist ress ▁of ▁Napoleon ▁III ▁to ▁obtain ▁her ▁husband ' s ▁appointment . ▁A ware ▁of ▁compet ing ▁designs ▁and ▁under ▁pressure ▁to ▁give ▁the ▁commission ▁to ▁Vi ol let - le - D uc , ▁who ▁had ▁the ▁support ▁of ▁Em press ▁Eug én ie , ▁W ale w ski ▁escaped ▁the ▁need ▁to ▁make ▁a ▁decision ▁by ▁propos ing ▁to ▁mount ▁an ▁architect ural ▁design ▁competition ▁to ▁select ▁the ▁architect . ▁ ▁Design ▁competition ▁On ▁ 3 0 ▁December ▁ 1 8 6 0 ▁the ▁Second ▁Empire ▁of ▁Emperor ▁Napoleon ▁III ▁officially ▁announced ▁an ▁architect ural ▁design ▁competition ▁for ▁the ▁design ▁of ▁the ▁new ▁opera ▁house . ▁ ▁App lic ants ▁were ▁given ▁a ▁month ▁to ▁submit ▁entries . ▁There ▁were ▁two ▁phases ▁to ▁the ▁competition . ▁Charles ▁G arn ier ' s ▁project ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁about ▁ 1 7 0 ▁submitted ▁in ▁the ▁first ▁phase . ▁Each ▁of ▁the ▁entr ants ▁was ▁required ▁to ▁submit ▁a ▁mot to ▁that ▁summar ised ▁their ▁design . ▁G arn ier ' s ▁was ▁the ▁quote ▁" B ram o ▁ass ai , ▁poco ▁s per o " ▁(" H ope ▁for ▁much , ▁expect ▁little ") ▁from ▁the ▁Italian ▁poet ▁Tor qu