The Compagnie de 1602 is an historic and patriotic association in Geneva who organize the official commemoration of the Escalade. This association was established on March 31, 1926.
The Compagnie de 1602 is an historic and patriotic association in Geneva who organize the official commemoration of the Escalade. This association was established on March 31, 1926.
The Escalade was celebrated immediately after the attack of the Savoyards, but the patriotic commemoration became very important only in the middle of the 19th century (in 1860). [1] In this time, Geneva builds monuments in memory of the Escalade. The first processions with historical costumes take place (1867–1868) - military and gymnastics groups compose the processions - and the famous Pot in chocolate is created (10 décembre 1881).
In 1898, "the genevan patriotic association for the Escalade" is created with the aim of the tercentenary of the Escalade (in 1902). [2] The Compagnie de 1602 is created some years after, on March 31, 1926, and succeeds the former association [3] October 27, 1926 a few months after its foundation, the association has 56 members - named "Compagnons" ; some are very famous Genevan or Swiss personalities, for instance: Gustave Ador, Édouard Elzingre...
In 1926 as today, the Members of the Compagnie must be Swiss and receive the signature and agreement of two members (as a sponsorship). [4] The foreigners are welcomed as sympathizers members. Every member - men, women and children - pays a financial contribution. Finally there is no religious, political or social distinction within this association. [5] In 2011 the association had approximately 2500 members.
The historical costumes which dress approximately 800 persons during the Parade of Escalade do not date from 1602. They were made at the beginning and in the middle of the 20th century and they are inspired by the drawings of Elzingre. However, historical research shows that some colors used in these costumes did not exist in 1602 and are not good examples of austere lifestyle in Geneva after the Reformation... [6] [7]
This solemn parade take place on Friday evening and traditionally marks the start of the festivities. Legacy of earlier parades of the early 20th century, it reflects the will to make a tribute to the 18 victims of the Geneva Escalade. Thus, along a path leading from Bourg-de-Four to the Protestant church of Saint-Gervais - burial place of those victims - the political authorities of the city and county lay flowers on three commemorative monuments - la Tertasse, la Corraterie et Saint-Gervais. [8]
On Sunday evening, lit by torchbearers creating a special atmosphere, the parade into the town attracts tens of thousands of people. [9] Bringing in good order all costumed compagnons, horses, carriages and weapons, the parade explores the old city, the lower streets, and the Saint-Gervais area during more than 3 hours. [10] Along the way, the parade stops in five emblematic places of the city (Bourg-de-Four, Molard, Coutance, Corraterie, Cour Saint-Pierre), places where the herald - horseman dressed in the colors of Geneva - delivers proclamation - an oration recalling the history of the Escalade to the people gathered. The last step in the forecourt of the Geneva's Cathedral Saint-Pierre traditionally ends with a bonfire. With this procession, the Escalade could be the largest free historical reconstitution in Europe. The next weekend of celebration and remembrance will take place on December 11, 12 and 13th, 2015.
| Groupes [11] | Composition [12] |
|---|---|
| The Herald | Drums (Cadets de Genève et Tambours du Lion, Grand-Saconnex) Drapeaux collecteurs  Herald and pursuivants |
| Political Authorities | Huissiers Monsieur le Sautier Members of Little Council (Petit Conseil: executive council) Seigneurs Syndics Formers Syndics Huissiers Council of Two Hundred, legislative council Members of Council |
| Justice | Fifes and drums (Basler Verein Genf)  Guets |
| Protestant Clergy | Théodore de Bèze Venerable Company of Pastors |
| People of Geneva | Fifes and drums (Ensemble du Conservatoire populaire de musique) Dame Royaume and Dame Piaget |
| The people of Countryside | Fifes and drums (Ondine genevoise) Monsieur le Châtelain de Jussy et sa dame |
| Militia | Trumpets of Escalade Monsieur le Commandant de la milice Bourgeoise  Le mantelet |
| Light | Torchbearers  |
Geneva is the second-most populous city in Switzerland and the most populous of the French-speaking Romandy. Situated in the southwest of the country, where the Rhône exits Lake Geneva, it is the capital of the Republic and Canton of Geneva, and a centre for international diplomacy. Geneva hosts the highest number of international organizations in the world.
The Canton of Geneva, officially the Republic and Canton of Geneva, is one of the 26 cantons of the Swiss Confederation. It is composed of forty-five municipalities, and the seat of the government and parliament is in the city of Geneva.
L'Escalade, or Fête de l'Escalade, is an annual festival in Geneva, Switzerland, held each December commemorating the defeat of an attempt to conquer the Protestant city-state by the Catholic Duchy of Savoy in 1602. The celebrations and other commemorative activities are usually held on 12 December or the closest weekend.
Saint-Julien-en-Genevois is a subprefecture of the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in Eastern France. In 2018, the commune had a population of 15,509.
Jean Starobinski was a Swiss literary critic.
Sciez is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France. Sciez forms part of a transborder agglomeration known as Grand Genève.
François-Antoine (de) Chevrier was an 18th-century French satirist and playwright. Adolphe van Bever defined him as "the most satirical and the least sociable".
Jacob Vernet was a prominent theologian in Geneva, Republic of Geneva, who believed in a rationalist approach to religion. He was called "the most important and influential Genevan pastor of his day".
Bellegarde station is a railway station served by TGV, TER Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and Léman Express located in Bellegarde-sur-Valserine, in the département of Ain, France.
The Geneva trolleybus system forms part of the public transport network in Geneva, Switzerland. It is the second largest trolleybus system in Switzerland, after the Lausanne system.
Grand Genève is a Local Grouping of Transnational Cooperation, a public entity under Swiss law, in charge of organizing cooperation within the cross-border metropolitan area of Geneva. The Grand Genève GLCT extends over Switzerland and France.
Edme-Louis Billardon de Sauvigny was an 18th–19th-century French man of letters and playwright.
The Diocese of Geneva was a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or diocese in part of Switzerland and Savoy from 400 to 1801, when it merged with the Diocese of Chambéry. The merged diocese was later broken up, due to changes in national boundaries. The diocese of Chambéry lost Swiss territory to the Diocese of Lausanne, Geneva and Fribourg.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Geneva:
Eugénie Droz was a Swiss romance scholar, editor publisher and writer, originally from the Suisse Romande. She created the Librairie Droz, a publisher and seller of academic books, at Paris in 1924, moving the business to Geneva at the end of the war.
Emma Kammacher was a Swiss human rights lawyer, activist and politician. She was a member of the Social Democratic Party of Switzerland and served as a member of the Grand Council of Geneva. In 1965 she became the first woman to serve as president of a Swiss cantonal council.
Lisa Mazzone is a Swiss politician and president of the Green Party. She was elected to the Swiss parliament on 18 October 2015, becoming Switzerland's youngest member of parliament in the process. Most of her political interventions to date have involved environmental issues.
Marco Maurer is a Swiss professional ice hockey defenceman who currently plays with Genève-Servette HC of the National League (NL). He previously played with EV Zug, the SC Rapperswil-Jona Lakers, the ZSC Lions, HC Lugano and EHC Biel.
Culoz station is a French railway station located in commune of Culoz, Ain department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. It is located at kilometric point (KP) 101.355 on the Lyon–Geneva railway. The station is equally the origin of Culoz–Modane railway.
Lucien Tronchet (1902–1982) was a Swiss anarcho-syndicalist activist. An emblematic figure of trade unionism in Geneva, he took action alongside Italian anti-fascist refugees and Spanish libertarians during the Spanish Civil War. A convinced antimilitarist, he spent two times, in 1920 and 1940, in prison for "refusing to serve" in the Swiss Army.
