Giuseppe Marco Fieschi

2025-10-05T11:50:24Z

2A00:23C8:A060:4801:F198:8076:6153:4545: /* Attempted assassination of Louis Philippe I */

{{Short description|Corsican mass murderer (1790–1836)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2014}}
{{Infobox mass murderer
| honorific_prefix =
| name = Giuseppe Marco Fieschi
| image = Portrait de Giuseppe Fieschi (1790-1836), conspirateur, auteur de l'attentat à la "machine infernale" du 28 juin 1835, contre Louis-Philippe Ier.jpg
| image_size =
| alt =
| caption = Portrait of Fieschi at his trial
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1790|12|13|df=yes}}
| birth_place = [[Bocognano]], [[Corsica]], [[France in the early modern period|France]]
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1836|2|19|1790|12|13|df=y}}
| death_place = [[Paris]], [[July Monarchy|France]]
| death_cause = [[Execution by guillotine]]
| criminal_penalty = [[Capital punishment|Death]]
| resting_place =
| resting_place_coordinates = 
| monuments =
| residence =
| nationality = French ([[Corsicans|Corsican]])
| occupation =
| known_for = Attempted the assassination of King [[Louis Philippe I]] of France
| religion =
| parents = Louis Fieschi and Marie Lucie Fieschi
| relatives =
| module = {{Infobox military person|embed=yes
| allegiance = {{Flagcountry|First French Empire}}
| branch = [[French Imperial Army (1804–1815)|French Imperial Army]]
| serviceyears = 1808-1814
| rank = [[Sergeant]]
| battles = [[Napoleonic Wars]]
| awards =
}}
| conviction = [[Murder]]
| criminal_status = [[Executed]]
| date = 28 July 1835
| country = [[July Monarchy|France]]
| injuries = 22
| fatalities = 18
}}

'''Giuseppe Marco Fieschi''' (13 December 1790 – 19 February 1836) was a Corsican [[mass murder]]er, and the chief [[Criminal conspiracy|conspirator]] in an attempted assassination of King [[Louis Philippe I]] of France on 28 July 1835.<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Dethloff|first1=Diana|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HEZLDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA219|title=Burning Bright: Essays in Honour of David Bindman|last2=Elam|first2=Caroline|last3=Murdoch|first3=Tessa|last4=Sloan|first4=Kim|date=2015-09-11|publisher=UCL Press|isbn=978-1-910634-18-9|pages=219|language=en|quote=The most notable infernal machine of the period, however, related to another failed assassination, the 1835 attempt on the life of King Louis-Philippe, led by the Corsican Giuseppe Marco Fieschi.}}</ref> The attack on the King and his entourage, which made use of a unique [[volley gun]] known as the "[[Infernal machine (weapon)|infernal machine]]," killed 18 people, but the King only received a minor wound and Fieschi was quickly captured. He and two other conspirators were subsequently tried and executed.

== Biography ==
Fieschi was born on 13 December 1790 in [[Bocognano]], a commune on the island of [[Corsica]]. His parents were Louis and Marie Lucie, of Pomonti. He had two brothers, Thomas and Anthony. Thomas was killed in the [[Battle of Wagram]].<ref>{{cite book|author1=A. Bouveiron|author2=Giuseppe Marco Fieschi|title=An historical and biographical sketch of Fieschi|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=G62pc-6WJWYC&pg=PA21|year=1835}}</ref> Anthony was mute from birth. Giuseppe spent his childhood and adolescence as a shepherd. In 1808 he joined a Corsican regiment and was sent to [[Naples]], then to [[Russian Empire|Russia]] to fight in the [[Napoleonic Wars]]. In 1812 he held the rank of sergeant. He was discharged from the army in 1814 and returned to Corsica. In September 1815, he was one of around 1000 followers who joined former [[King of Naples]] [[Joachim Murat]] in an attempt to regain his kingdom, this ended a month later with Murat's capture and execution by forces of [[Ferdinand IV of Naples]].<ref group="Note">Bouveroin suggests Fieschi played a treacherous role in this.</ref> According to Harsin, Fieschi escaped execution and was deported to France, where he was eventually sentenced in 1816 to 10 years in jail for the theft of a steer. There he met a female inmate, Laurence Petit. Upon his release in 1826 he moved to Lyon, Petit's hometown.

Shortly after the [[July Revolution]], Fieschi moved to [[Paris, France|Paris]], calling himself a political prisoner, a deceit that allowed for unchallenged movement. There, he maintained a lifelong affair with his stepdaughter Nina, which led to the break-up of his relationship with her mother, Laurence. He obtained a small post in Paris by means of forged papers,<ref name=EB1911/> but eventually lost his job and pensions that he had fraudulently obtained from the government.

=== Attempted assassination of Louis Philippe I ===
[[File:Attentat de Fieschi. Revue de la Garde nationale, 28 juillet 1835 (par Eugène Lami).jpg|thumb|200px|Attempted assassination of Louis Philippe by Giseppe Fieschi (Eugène Lami, ''Château de Versailles'')]]
[[File:Machine infernale.JPG|thumb|The [[Infernal machine (weapon)|Infernal machine]] on display at the [[Musée des Archives Nationales]], 2012]]
In 1831, Fieschi met his later-to-be co-conspirator Pierre Morey, a neighbour. Morey was a 61-year-old saddler who had been involved in Republican politics. He had been arrested but released in 1816 after falling under suspicion of plotting the assassination of the [[House of Bourbon|Bourbons]]. He was later tried and acquitted of the murder of an Austrian soldier. In 1830, he took part in the [[July Revolution]] that put King Louis-Phillipe in power.<ref name="harsin150">Harsin 2002, p. 150.</ref>

The two contrived the plan for an "[[Infernal machine (weapon)|infernal machine]]", a [[volley gun]] with 25 gun-barrels which could be fired simultaneously. Morey took the plan to Théodore Pépin, chief of the [[Society of the Rights of Man]] ''Section Rome''. After a meeting, they decided to build the weapon, splitting the cost of 500 francs between Pépin and Morey, with the penniless Fieschi building it and being paid for it. The gun was built in the place it was intended to be used – a four-room apartment on the third floor of No. 50 [[Boulevard du Temple]]. This was on the expected route the King and his entourage would take during the annual review of the [[National Guard (France)|Paris National Guard]].

The annual review, which commemorated the 1830 July revolution,<ref>Harsin 2002, p. 147.</ref> took place on 28 July 1835. Louis-Philippe was passing along the Boulevard du Temple, which connected [[Place de la République]] to the [[Bastille]]. He was accompanied by three of his sons, the [[Ferdinand Philippe, Duke of Orléans|Duke of Orleans]], the [[Prince Louis, Duke of Nemours|Duke of Nemours]], and the [[François d'Orléans, Prince of Joinville|Prince de Joinville]], and a large number of staff and senior officers.<ref name=EB1911/>

Fieschi was waiting for them, 24 barrels of his gun were each loaded with eight round balls and additional slugs. When the royal party passed in the street below, he fired the gun. Not all the barrels fired, but the gun still produced a volley of around 400 projectiles. Eighteen people were killed at the scene, or later died from their wounds, including Lieutenant Colonel Rieussec together with eight other officers of the 8th Legion, [[Édouard Mortier, duc de Trévise|Marshal Mortier]], and Colonel Raffet, General Girard, Captain Villate, General La Chasse de Vérigny and {{ill|Alexandre Labrouste|fr|François-Marie-Alexandre Labrouste}}, father of notable architect [[Henri Labrouste]].<ref name="LabrousteBélier2012">{{cite book|author1=Henri Labrouste|author2=Corinne Bélier|author3=Barry Bergdoll|author4=Marc Le Cœur|author5=Martin Bressan|author6=Neil Levine|title=Henri Labrouste: Structure Brought to Light|year=2012|publisher=The Museum of Modern Art|isbn=978-0-87070-839-8|pages=48}}</ref>

A further 22 people were injured,<ref name="harsin150"/><ref>{{cite book|author1=Gabriel G. Bredow|author2=Carl Venturini|title=Chronik des neunzehnten Jahrhunderts|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EQcBAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA78|year=1837}}</ref> with at least four requiring limbs to be amputated.<ref name="times15857">{{cite news | title=From the Paris Papers| work=The Times | date=August 1, 1835 | location=London | pages=5 | issue=15857}}</ref> The King was one of the injured, but the wound was minor – a bullet or buckshot only grazed his forehead,<ref name="Harsin148">Harsin 2002, p. 148.</ref> although the horse he was riding was severely wounded, and died several days later.<ref name="times15858">{{cite news | title=We have given elsewhere such extracts from the Paris papers of Friday as may serve to throw| work=The Times | date=August 3, 1835 | location=London | pages=5 | issue=15858}}</ref> The King continued with the day's events and reviewed the National Guard as planned. Many of the dead and injured were carried into the [[Jardin Turc]], a famous café that was situated nearby.<ref name="Bouveiron-9">Bouveiron 1835, p. 9, Report of M. Lepage, Gunsmith to the King</ref>

Four of the gun's 25 barrels burst when fired, four others did not fire, and a further one was not loaded as it lacked a [[touch hole]].<ref name="Bouveiron67-68">Bouveiron 1835, pp. 67–68, Report of M. Lepage, Gunsmith to the King</ref> This meant the number of deaths and injuries was lower than might have been the case had all components functioned. The gun barrels that exploded caused considerable damage to the room in which the weapon was fired.<ref name="times15857" /> Fieschi received severe head, facial and hand wounds and he was quickly captured.<ref>Harsin 2002, p. 149.</ref> Two of his fingers later had to be amputated.<ref>Harsin 2002, p. 164.</ref>

=== Trial and execution ===
After his capture, Fieschi gave a false name, claiming to be Jacques Girard, born in [[Lodève]]. It was only after some days that his true identity was discovered when he was recognized by the Inspector General of Prisons, Olivier Dufresne, while he was being held in the [[Conciergerie]].<ref name="times15860">{{cite news | title=The Paris papers of Monday, received by express, still devote their columns almost exclusively to the| work=The Times | date=August 5, 1835 | location=London | pages=5 | issue=15860}}</ref>

Fieschi's trial became a great spectacle and Fieschi enjoyed his stardom.<ref>{{cite book|author=Jill Harsin|title=Barricades: The War of the Streets in Revolutionary Paris, 1830-1848|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TcMfGnKKRu0C&pg=PA150|year=2002|publisher=Palgrave Macmillan|isbn=978-0-312-29479-3}}</ref> During the trial, he named his accomplices, displayed much bravado, and expected or pretended to expect ultimate pardon.<ref name=EB1911/> He was represented by the Corsican lawyer François-Marie Patorni, and Parisian lawyers [[Gustave Louis Chaix d'Est-Ange]] and {{ill|Jean-Baptiste-Nicolas Parquin|fr}}.<ref>{{cite book|author=Jill Harsin|title=Barricades: The War of the Streets in Revolutionary Paris, 1830-1848|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TcMfGnKKRu0C&pg=PA163|year=2002|publisher=Palgrave Macmillan|isbn=978-0-312-29479-3}}{{Dead link|date=June 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title = ZVAB.com: Autograph letter signed ("Fieschi"). von Fieschi, Giuseppe Marco, conspirator (1790-1839). - [Paris, Conciergerie, January 1836]. - - Antiquariat Inlibris, Gilhofer Nfg. GmbH - Bücher | url = http://www.zvab.com/Autograph-letter-signed-Fieschi-Giuseppe-Fieschi/208867094/buch | accessdate = 2014-10-09 | website = ZVAB.com }}</ref> He was condemned to death, and was [[guillotine]]d on 19 February 1836 together with Pierre Morey and Théodore Pépin.<ref name=EB1911/> Pépin died first, then Morey. Fieschi was the last, and used his last moments for a speech. Fieschi's head was given to a doctor at [[Bicêtre Hospital]] for study purposes.<ref>{{Cite magazine |title=Paris in Terror |magazine=Boston Review |date=3 December 2015 |url=https://www.bostonreview.net/articles/julian-bourg-paris-terror/ |last1=Bourg |first1=Julian }}</ref>

Before his death, Pépin made several confessions about revolutionary groups which led to subsequent arrests and trials. Another accomplice was sentenced to twenty years imprisonment and one was acquitted. No fewer than seven plots against the life of Louis Philippe had been discovered by the police within the year, and [[apologist]]s were not wanting in the revolutionary press for the crime of Fieschi.<ref name=EB1911>{{EB1911|wstitle=Fieschi, Giuseppe Marco|volume=10|pages=328–329|inline=1}}</ref>

== Legacy ==
[[File:Brascassat jacques-raymond tete de giuseppe fieschi 1790-1836 apres son execution. p1070 404290.jpg|thumb|upright|The head of Fieschi after his execution]]
[[File:Panneau Attentat de Fieschi.jpg|thumb|right|upright|The plaque commemorating Fieschi near where the assassination attempt took place]]
In the immediate aftermath of the attack, a number of newspaper editors and writers were arrested, including [[Armand Carrel]], but they were soon released.<ref name="times15860" /> Fourteen victims of Fieschi's attack were interred in the vaults of [[Les Invalides]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.parisrama.com/thematiques/thematique_invalides_paris.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030126020000/http://www.parisrama.com/thematiques/thematique_invalides_paris.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=26 January 2003 |title=Les Invalides - Paris |trans-title=The Disabled – Paris |work=Parisrama |accessdate=28 September 2014 |df=dmy-all|language=fr}}</ref> which is usually the place of interment for French military leaders which the nation wishes to honor.

[[Horace Vernet]], the King's painter, was ordered to make a drawing of the assassination attempt, which [[Eugène Lami|Eugene Louis Lami]] executed.<ref>{{cite book|author1=A. Bouveiron|author2=Giuseppe Marco Fieschi|title=An historical and biographical sketch of Fieschi|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=G62pc-6WJWYC&pg=PA32|year=1835}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| title = Attentat De Fieschi by Eugene Louis Lami (1800-1890, France) | url = http://en.wahooart.com/@@/9DHSW9-Eugene-Louis-Lami-Attentat-De-Fieschi | accessdate = 2014-10-10}}</ref> Fieschi's head was painted by the French painter [[Jacques Raymond Brascassat]] the day after the execution. A [[death mask]] was also made to record Fieschi's facial features. A copy of this is preserved in England at [[Norwich Castle]]; the mask shows evidence of the facial and head injuries he received.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Death Mask |url=https://www.museums.norfolk.gov.uk/collections/collections-object-page?id=NWHCM+%3a+1840.99.1 |access-date=2023-04-09 |website=Norfolk Museums Collections}}</ref> Another copy was part of the collection of the [[Edinburgh Phrenological Society]] and is now in the possession of the [[University of Edinburgh]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Kaufman |first1=M |last2=McNeil|first2=Robert |date=1989-02-25 |title=Death masks and life masks at Edinburgh University |url= |journal=British Medical Journal |volume=298 |issue=6672 |pages=506–507|doi=10.1136/bmj.298.6672.506 |pmid=2495086 |pmc=1835818 }}</ref>
A postmortem examination of Fieschi's brain was carried out by the anatomists [[Louis Pierre Gratiolet]] and [[François Leuret]], to determine if it exhibited features that might explain his behavior.<ref name="CataniSchotten2012">{{cite book|author1=Marco Catani|author2=Michel Thiebaut de Schotten|title=Atlas of Human Brain Connections|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nROILZ9HwEgC&pg=PA15|date=14 June 2012|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-954116-4|pages=15–}}</ref>

A plaque at n° 50 Boulevard du Temple commemorates the event. Giuseppe Fieschi was honored in a religious service at a Moscow church at the prompting of Soviet General {{Ill|Andrei Grigorevich Kostikov|ru|Костиков, Андрей Григорьевич}}, the inventor of the [[Katyusha rocket launcher]].<ref>{{cite book|author=Cyrille Kalinov|title=Les maréchaux soviétiques parlent|publisher=Perrin|date=2012|pages=225–226|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dGBNf0V6toEC&q=machine+infernale|isbn=9782262042622}}</ref>

Fieschi's volley gun, which became known as the ''Machine infernale'', is now part of the collection of the [[Musée des Archives Nationales]] in Paris.

== See also ==
* [[July Monarchy]]

== References ==

=== Notes ===
{{reflist|group=Note|colwidth=60em}}

=== Citations ===
{{reflist}}

=== Bibliography ===
* {{cite book|author1=A. Bouveiron|author2=Giuseppe Marco Fieschi|title=An historical and biographical sketch of Fieschi|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=G62pc-6WJWYC&pg=PA32|year=1835}}
*{{cite book|author=Jill Harsin|title=Barricades: The War of the Streets in Revolutionary Paris, 1830-1848|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TcMfGnKKRu0C&pg=PA150|year=2002|publisher=Palgrave Macmillan|isbn=978-0-312-29479-3}}
* {{cite book |publisher = G. Charpentier |location = Paris |title = L' attentat Fieschi |author = Maxime Du Camp |edition = L' attentat Fieschi. |date = 1877 |ref=none|ol = 4975816M }}
* {{cite book |publisher = Amoit |location = Paris |author = Jean Lucas-Dubreton|title = Louis-Philippe et la machine infernale (1830-1835) |date = 1951|ref=none|ol = 18673713M }}
* {{cite book |publisher = Firmin-Didot |location = [Paris] |title = L' attentat de Fieschi |author = Robert Burnand |edition = L' attentat de Fieschi. |date = 1930 |ref=none|ol = 18673703M }}
* {{cite web | title = Attentat du 28 juillet, 1835 : [Fieschi, Giuseppe Marco], 1790-1836, defendant : Free Download & Streaming : Internet Archive| url = https://archive.org/details/attentatdu28juil02fies| accessdate = 2014-10-09 }}
*{{cite web
| title = Attentat du 28 juillet 1835 : France Cour des pairs , Giuseppe Marco Fieschi, Joseph Marie Portails, comte Joseph Marie Portalis : Free Download & Streaming : Internet Archive|url=https://archive.org/details/attentatdujuill00portgoog| accessdate = 2014-10-09 }}

==External links==
{{Commonscatinline}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fieschi, Giuseppe Marco}}
[[Category:1790 births]]
[[Category:1836 deaths]]
[[Category:Crime in Paris]]
[[Category:Executed French mass murderers]]
[[Category:Deaths by firearm in France]]
[[Category:Failed regicides]]
[[Category:French military personnel of the Napoleonic Wars]]
[[Category:Louis Philippe I]]
[[Category:People executed by the July Monarchy by guillotine]]
[[Category:People from Haute-Corse]]
[[Category:Terrorist incidents in France]]

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Giuseppe Marco Fieschi