Without any doubt, one of the most wonderful times to be in the sedate town of Geneva is during the Escalade. To commemorate the bravery of the town back in 1602 when it was attacked by Savoyard forces, Geneva holds a weekend of events which celebrates the brave Genevois and allows you to join in. I have written about the…
Continued from Part Three In Geneva, Switzerland; 9th/10th December 2017 On Sunday 10th December, Saturday’s events celebrating the Escalade are repeated, and in the evening the weekend’s celebrations reach their climax. Over 800 people form a procession that marches through old Geneva, looking truly majestic in the dark, with flickering torchlight to guide their way. It was raining most of…
Continued from Part Two In Geneva, Switzerland; 9th/10th December 2017 As there were going to be some re-enactments for the Escalade just outside Geneva Cathedral, we made sure we were in the Square in time. First we were treated to a sword fight. The man on the right was also explaining what they were doing, which was interesting, in that…
Continued from Part One In Geneva, Switzerland; 9th/10th December 2017 The City of Geneva began to celebrate the Escalade in earnest in 1898 with the formation of a Geneva Patriotic Association, renamed in 1926 as the Company of 1602. The group is in charge of the commemorations, ensuring that all is dignified and accurate, and they organise the reenactments in the…
In Geneva, Switzerland; 9th/10th December 2017 Let us go back to the year 1602; to the days when Geneva was a wealthy little city-state, getting on with making money and becoming one of the main economic hubs of late Renaissance Europe. Life was good in the Rome of the North – so good it was the cause of envy. One…