Brigands

The term “ Brigands ” appoints the revolted peasants who, at the end of July 1789, during the Great fear, revolted in Mâconnais. This revolt gave in particular place in this area to armed robberies against the ecclesiastical castles and properties, symbols of the Ancien Mode.

At the end of July 1789, whereas spread the incredible news coming from the capital - the storming of the Bastille but also the alleged threat of an aristocratic plot against the Third-State -, the provinces of the kingdom were the prey of a collective psychosis: the “Great fear”. The Mâconnais was one of the French areas which, hard, tested the phenomenon. Was the misery of the peasants of this area larger there? Always it is that many peasants, persuaded that the noble ones prepared the loss of the Third-State, solved to cut down the feudal mode and raised themselves to burn its symbols: castles and their famous “burrows” - the Book burrow being this register counting the royalties due to the lords. Many ecclesiastical properties - in particular of the presbyteries - were also invested. All started in the small village of Igé where, on Sunday, July 26, the inhabitants, in conflict with their lord - of Bletonnière - about a right of water, sounded the alarm bell and went of number to the castle, that they ransacked. The castle close to Azé undergoes soon an identical fate. The following day, the Brigands went to the castle Lugny, property of Florent-Alexandre-Nickel silver of the Balsam, count of Montrevel and lord of the place. This time, one put at it fire and this house-strong had thus the unhappy privilege to be the first of the Mâconnais to be destroyed by fire. “The flame was so large between one and two hours of the night that I could have read with my window with the gleam of fire. ” consigned in his registers the Dubost priest of the parish close to Bissy-la-Mâconnaise. On Tuesday, July 28, the splendid castle of Senozan, property of Talleyrand-Périgord, undergoes an identical fate. The armed bands with peasants burned same manner the castle of Mercey with Montbellet and that of Uchizy. They wanted to go soon on Cluny and its famous abbey. With Cormatin, the owner of the castle saved time while making distribute wine and money with the peasants who invested his property then ends up resorting to the force and one shot at the rioters who fled. The authorities of Cluny also ordered they to make fire to disperse the bands menaçantes. Finally, the “militia” - of Cluny, Tournus and Mâcon - came everywhere to end from the gatherings. However, the castles of Berzé-le-Châtel and Pierreclos were still ransacked, just as those of Saint-Point, Pouilly, Fuissé, Davayé and Sancé.

It is estimated that on the whole, in five days, more than one hundred castles, houses middle-class and presbyteries were plundered or set fire to. Repression was severe since approximately two hundred peasants would have left the life there. Several hundreds were stopped and number of them were hung. Soon, the calm one returned. But the Great fear had had time to put at evil good number of castles of the area.

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