Top 7 of the big revenges of the History of France (even more badass than Kill Bill)
It seems that “revenge is a dish best served cold”. No idea, I’m one of the big viccos who blubber when someone sticks a knife in their back, then who forgive much too easily. I don’t know if there are many of us in this case, on the other hand… I am convinced that the people in this top were not part of our clan. They were revenge. Real real ones. Eye for eye, tooth for tooth.
1. Pierre (or François) Picaud, the real Monte Cristo
This name means nothing to you ? It’s normal. The Count of Monte-Cristo, does that speak to you more? Yes ? Well perfect, since the story of Monte-Cristo, a novel written by Alexandre Dumas, is directly inspired by Pierre Picaud. In 1807, he was about to get married, but he was arrested and imprisoned for 7 years just before his union. The reason ? Friends, jealous, who wanted to recover the dowry of his fiancée, and who accused him of being a spy in the pay of the English before the authorities. Picaud works out his revenge for 10 years. He ends up killing 3 of the 4 traitors. The first, with a dagger in the heart bearing the inscription “n°1”. The second is humiliated, ruined and then stabbed in turn. The third, poisoned. His coffin bears the inscription “n°2”. The fourth, Antoine Allut, rebels. He will end up stabbing Picaud before it is his turn.
2. Jeanne de Belleville, the “Breton Tigress”
In 1326, Jeanne de Belleville married Olivier de Clisson in second marriage, a powerful Breton feudal lord. The couple quickly became powerful, and did not hesitate to oppose the King of France, Philippe VI de Valois. A behavior that does not please the sovereign: he has his rival cowardly arrested and imprisoned for “high treason”. He had him beheaded, and sent his head to Nantes, to flank it on the ramparts of the city. Upon hearing the news, the woman, now a widow, leads her sons before their father’s head and makes them swear revenge. She then goes on punitive expeditions. She mounts her small army, looting and ransacking the castles that have pledged allegiance to the Valois. The king confiscates all her property and banishes her from the kingdom. Never mind: Jeanne keeps arms, but at sea. She names her ship “Ma Vengeance”, so that this is quite clear. His army slaughters the armies of the King of France, destroys his property and plunders his wealth. Legend has it that the crews who encountered Jeanne, now nicknamed “Breton Tigress”, the “Bloody Lioness” or the “Bloody Widow”, ended up dismembered or hanged from the masts of their ships.
3. Louis XIV VS Nicolas Fouquet
Nicolas Fouquet was a man of power, at the same time Marquis of Belle-Île, Viscount of Melun and Vaux. Between 1657 and 1661, he built the (very pretty) castle of Vaux-le-Vicomte. He hires renowned artists, and makes the place a sumptuous domain. He organizes splendid parties there, to which he invites the Sun King, making sure to receive him as well as possible. Unfortunately, these receptions do not have the expected effect: they provoke jealousy and the anger of the sovereign, who decides to take revenge. He is arrested, his property is confiscated and he is banished from the kingdom. He is finally imprisoned for life in the fortress of Pignerol. It makes the evening cherish, what.
4. La Fontaine VS Louis XIV
The famous 17th century fabulist was close to Nicolas Fouquet, who granted him a pension. When the latter is thrown behind bars by Louis XIV, La Fontaine loses his pension, but also a friend. Despite the situation, he decides to remain faithful to him and uses his art to skillfully criticize absolutism and the person of the Sun King. He cheerfully mocks the sovereign, without ever being disturbed, thanks to his use of animal figures. A discreet and humiliating revenge, which crossed the centuries, since even today, all the French people know these fables.
5. Employees of the rue St Séverin printing works (Paris) against their “masters”
Ok, there, we enter in very trash. Friends sensitive to stories of abused animals, I suggest you go directly to the next point, this one could put you particularly badly. The (rather little known) story I’m going to tell you about is called “The Great Cat Massacre” across the Atlantic. In 1730, the employees of a printing works on rue St Séverin rebelled against their masters, who, according to them, “treated them worse than their own cats”. To get revenge, they then decide to stage a false trial against the domestic animals, knock them out, condemn them to death and hang them. Yes, it’s horrendous.
6. The People VS Robespierre
Robespierre is one of the figures most closely linked to the period of Terror. First appreciated by the people, he quickly changed and was perceived as a bloodthirsty and power-hungry totalitarian. Tens of thousands of deaths are associated with the Terror (1793-1794): about 17,000 death sentences according to official documents, 40,000 victims, if we count the people murdered without trial. Backlash: After being linked to the beheading of thousands of people, he, in turn, lost his mind. Literally. Cut in public place. 1 all over, ball in the middle.
7. Clovis and the Soissons Vase
Ahhhhh, the famous Soissons vase! According to legend, reported by Grégoire de Tours, it all began around 486, when Clovis I (Franc) and Syagrius (Roman) were at war. At Soissons, Clovis wins over his rival. The next day comes the sharing of the loot (generally made up of goods looted from the churches) between the different soldiers of his army. For once, the bishop of the diocese of Reims sent an emissary to Clovis, simply asking him to return a stolen liturgical vase. Clovis accepted, and thus asked his soldiers for their agreement. All agreed to hand over the vase to Clovis, so that he could do with it as he saw fit. All of them, except one, who decided to hit the vase with his ax while shouting “You will only receive what fate will really give you!” “. A year later, in 487, Clovis summoned the army to the Champs de Mars. Reviewing the warriors, he recognized the one who had broken the vase. He approached, took his weapons, threw them on the ground. When the soldier bent down to retrieve them, Clovis struck his head with his Frankishness, exclaiming “Thus have you done to the vase at Soissons” (“Remember the vase at Soissons!” in our manuals). When we tell you that revenge is a dish best served cold!