La fête de l’Escalade

That year, on the night of December 11 to 12, Charles Emmanuel I, Duke of Savoy, wanted to take Geneva, which had been part of the Reformed faith since 1536. He marched his army at night in order to take the city by surprise. He plans to make Geneva the capital of his states north of the Alps and to fight against Calvinism with the support of Pope Clement VIII, despite “a sworn and resworn peace”.

Shortly after midnight, the Savoyard army, made up of more than two thousand well-equipped men, was stationed at Plainpalais. A large group breaks away, arrives at the foot of the wall, sets up its ladders and begins to climb without being discovered.

Geneva sleeps peacefully. The invasion of the City has begun. It will be abruptly interrupted by a round leaving the Mint station which surprises the attackers. In the melee that followed, a sentry fired his arquebus. The alarm is given! The tocsin sounded from the top of the cathedral, soon followed by the bells of all the temples of the City.

Awakened from their sleep, the inhabitants take up arms! The Genevan people quickly defended themselves. The battles are fierce. Many heroic acts punctuate the battle. The cannon thundered, the repulsed Savoyards fled at full speed.

In the morning, the Genevans lost eighteen men. They go to the temples to thank the Lord “Cé qu’è lainô” who saved them.