High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! The Volta Prize (French: le Prix Volta) was established by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1801–1802 to honor Alessandro Volta, an Italian physicist noted for developing the battery. At that time Alessandro Volta was summoned to Paris to demonstrate his great discovery before the French Academy of Sciences. Bonaparte declared his presentation a triumph, awarded him a gold medal and conceived of the Volta Prize named in his honor. The French government awards the Volta Prize for scientific achievement in electricity.