Hautefaye
Encyclopedia
Hautefaye is a commune
in the Dordogne
department in Aquitaine
in south-western France
.
was losing a war against Prussia
. Within three weeks, Emperor Napoleon III
would be captured by the enemy and his regime overthrown by a self-proclaimed Government for National Defence.
Rural France, which had largely been faithful to Napoleon I
and welcomed his nephew, was jittery. Many rural residents were illiterate and depended upon news of the war from the educated, often noble residents, which they resented.
During a fair at Hautefaye, matters turned ugly when an aristocratic cousin of a young nobleman named Alain de Monéys reported the war was not going well. Many villagers had been drinking and received the news poorly. They attacked the cousin, the Vicomte Camille Maillard Lafaye, son of the mayor of the nearby town of Beaussac. Frightened, the viscount and his party fled. In an alcohol-fueled patriotic ferver, villagers wielding pitchforks and cudgels turned their attention on young Alain.
They accused him of being a Prussian plant, a spy, and of financing Prussia in the war against France. They claimed he betrayed the emperor and nation. Both claims were in fact false, as Monéys was not a Republican and his patriotism was spotless, but a crowd gathered around him. The parish priest tried to calm the mob by offering drinks to divert their attention but, however well-meaning the effort may have been, it probably helped get the crowd even more intoxicated than they already were and more dangerous. The mayor, unable to show leadership in the face of drunken excitement, reportedly said "Eat him if you want".
For two hours, the mob tortured and battered Alain de Monéys. They nailed horseshoes to his feet and burst one of his eyeballs. The crowd finally burnt him in the village square (or a nearby lake bed), probably while still alive. People taking part in the killing collected fat dripping from his burning body onto bread, eating the resulting tartines. (The last statement has not been proved historical).
On 18 September 1870, twenty-one defendants were informed of charges against them.
During 13-21 December 1870, perpetrators were brought to trial in the town of Périgueux
. Nineteen were convicted, four sentenced to death.
On 6 February 1871, the four participants judged most complicit for the murder of Monéys were guillotined in the Hautefaye village square.
On 16 August 1970, a century after the original tragedy at the initiative of one of the villagers, the village church held a "Mass of forgiveness" in the presence of descendants of the family of Alan of Moneys and those of his killers.
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
in the Dordogne
Dordogne
Dordogne is a départment in south-west France. The départment is located in the region of Aquitaine, between the Loire valley and the High Pyrénées named after the great river Dordogne that runs through it...
department in Aquitaine
Aquitaine
Aquitaine , archaic Guyenne/Guienne , is one of the 27 regions of France, in the south-western part of metropolitan France, along the Atlantic Ocean and the Pyrenees mountain range on the border with Spain. It comprises the 5 departments of Dordogne, :Lot et Garonne, :Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Landes...
in south-western France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Killing of Alain de Monéys
On 16 August 1870, FranceFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
was losing a war against Prussia
Franco-Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and...
. Within three weeks, Emperor Napoleon III
Napoleon III of France
Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte was the President of the French Second Republic and as Napoleon III, the ruler of the Second French Empire. He was the nephew and heir of Napoleon I, christened as Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte...
would be captured by the enemy and his regime overthrown by a self-proclaimed Government for National Defence.
Rural France, which had largely been faithful to Napoleon I
Napoleon I of France
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
and welcomed his nephew, was jittery. Many rural residents were illiterate and depended upon news of the war from the educated, often noble residents, which they resented.
During a fair at Hautefaye, matters turned ugly when an aristocratic cousin of a young nobleman named Alain de Monéys reported the war was not going well. Many villagers had been drinking and received the news poorly. They attacked the cousin, the Vicomte Camille Maillard Lafaye, son of the mayor of the nearby town of Beaussac. Frightened, the viscount and his party fled. In an alcohol-fueled patriotic ferver, villagers wielding pitchforks and cudgels turned their attention on young Alain.
They accused him of being a Prussian plant, a spy, and of financing Prussia in the war against France. They claimed he betrayed the emperor and nation. Both claims were in fact false, as Monéys was not a Republican and his patriotism was spotless, but a crowd gathered around him. The parish priest tried to calm the mob by offering drinks to divert their attention but, however well-meaning the effort may have been, it probably helped get the crowd even more intoxicated than they already were and more dangerous. The mayor, unable to show leadership in the face of drunken excitement, reportedly said "Eat him if you want".
For two hours, the mob tortured and battered Alain de Monéys. They nailed horseshoes to his feet and burst one of his eyeballs. The crowd finally burnt him in the village square (or a nearby lake bed), probably while still alive. People taking part in the killing collected fat dripping from his burning body onto bread, eating the resulting tartines. (The last statement has not been proved historical).
Judgment
On 19 August 1870, gendarmes arrested fifty people ranging in age from age 14 through 60.On 18 September 1870, twenty-one defendants were informed of charges against them.
During 13-21 December 1870, perpetrators were brought to trial in the town of Périgueux
Périgueux
Périgueux is a commune in the Dordogne department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.Périgueux is the prefecture of the department and the capital of the region...
. Nineteen were convicted, four sentenced to death.
On 6 February 1871, the four participants judged most complicit for the murder of Monéys were guillotined in the Hautefaye village square.
Aftermath
In 1953, the last direct witness of the madness died at Hautefaye, Lavaud Noemie, died at 92 years of age.On 16 August 1970, a century after the original tragedy at the initiative of one of the villagers, the village church held a "Mass of forgiveness" in the presence of descendants of the family of Alan of Moneys and those of his killers.
Population
External links
- Hautefaye on the Quid site
- Hautefaye on the map of France
- Map and aerial photos:
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- Satellite images: Google or Microsoft Virtual Earth - image now available