Corsican Guard Affair
Encyclopedia
The Corsican Guard Affair was an event in French and papal history, illustrating Louis XIV of France
's will to impose his power on other European leaders.
's Corsican Guard came to blows with the Frenchmen guarding the French embassy in Rome. Shots were fired at the coach of Charles III de Créquy
, the French ambassador, leaving several dead and wounded, including one of the ambassador's pages.
In effect, some time earlier, a crime had been prevented by the Corsican guards on the orders of cardinal Flavio Chigi
(Alexander's nephew), in the gardens of cardinal Rinaldo d'Este's villa. D'Este was very angry and appealed to foreign ministers to end arbitration. De Créquy was sent to Rome by Louis as ambassador extraordinary to put an end to the conflict between the cardinal and the papal guards and so he was accompanied by several soldiers.
The situation broke down when the duke's soldiers passed through a tobacco shop and reviled two Corsican guards in a Roman cabaret. The perpetrators were punished, but this did not satisfy Alexander or his guards, with the latter wanting to avenge the affront, leading to the incident on 20 August 1662. The pope did not react to the incident and Louis ordered the duke to leave Rome and summoned the papal nuncio to Paris - in effect, a breaking-off of diplomatic relations - while the parlement d'Aix decided that France should annex the papal possessions in Avignon
.
On 12 February 1664 agreement was reached in the Treaty of Pisa. The governor of Rome was forced to come to Paris to explain the incident, the Corsican guard was dissolved and a pyramid built in Rome to mark the site of the incident. The papal legate, cardinal Chigi, appeared before Louis on 29 July 1664 and publicly apologised for the incident, on which France returned Avignon to the pope.
The incident is commemorated by a tapestry now on show at the château de Fontainebleau
and a bronze plaque at the musée du Louvre.
Louis XIV of France
Louis XIV , known as Louis the Great or the Sun King , was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre. His reign, from 1643 to his death in 1715, began at the age of four and lasted seventy-two years, three months, and eighteen days...
's will to impose his power on other European leaders.
Course
On 20 August 1662, soldiers of pope Alexander VIIPope Alexander VII
Pope Alexander VII , born Fabio Chigi, was Pope from 7 April 1655, until his death.- Early life :Born in Siena, a member of the illustrious banking family of Chigi and a great-nephew of Pope Paul V , he was privately tutored and eventually received doctorates of philosophy, law, and theology from...
's Corsican Guard came to blows with the Frenchmen guarding the French embassy in Rome. Shots were fired at the coach of Charles III de Créquy
Charles III de Créquy
Charles III de Blanchefort-Créquy was a French diplomat and general. He was a great-grandson of François de Bonne, duc de Lesdiguières. Charles III de Créquy was the eldest son of Charles de Créqui , grandson of marshal Charles II de Blanchefort-Créquy Charles III de Blanchefort-Créquy (1623 - 13...
, the French ambassador, leaving several dead and wounded, including one of the ambassador's pages.
In effect, some time earlier, a crime had been prevented by the Corsican guards on the orders of cardinal Flavio Chigi
Flavio Chigi (1631-1693)
thumb|250px|Cardinal Flavio ChigiFlavio Chigi was an Italian Catholic Cardinal and Duke of Ariccia. He was Cardinal-Nephew to Pope Alexander VII and became a powerful political force inside the Roman Catholic Church during the latter half of the 17th century.-Early life:Flavio Chigi was born 10...
(Alexander's nephew), in the gardens of cardinal Rinaldo d'Este's villa. D'Este was very angry and appealed to foreign ministers to end arbitration. De Créquy was sent to Rome by Louis as ambassador extraordinary to put an end to the conflict between the cardinal and the papal guards and so he was accompanied by several soldiers.
The situation broke down when the duke's soldiers passed through a tobacco shop and reviled two Corsican guards in a Roman cabaret. The perpetrators were punished, but this did not satisfy Alexander or his guards, with the latter wanting to avenge the affront, leading to the incident on 20 August 1662. The pope did not react to the incident and Louis ordered the duke to leave Rome and summoned the papal nuncio to Paris - in effect, a breaking-off of diplomatic relations - while the parlement d'Aix decided that France should annex the papal possessions in Avignon
Avignon
Avignon is a French commune in southeastern France in the départment of the Vaucluse bordered by the left bank of the Rhône river. Of the 94,787 inhabitants of the city on 1 January 2010, 12 000 live in the ancient town centre surrounded by its medieval ramparts.Often referred to as the...
.
On 12 February 1664 agreement was reached in the Treaty of Pisa. The governor of Rome was forced to come to Paris to explain the incident, the Corsican guard was dissolved and a pyramid built in Rome to mark the site of the incident. The papal legate, cardinal Chigi, appeared before Louis on 29 July 1664 and publicly apologised for the incident, on which France returned Avignon to the pope.
The incident is commemorated by a tapestry now on show at the château de Fontainebleau
Château de Fontainebleau
The Palace of Fontainebleau, located 55 kilometres from the centre of Paris, is one of the largest French royal châteaux. The palace as it is today is the work of many French monarchs, building on an early 16th century structure of Francis I. The building is arranged around a series of courtyards...
and a bronze plaque at the musée du Louvre.