My maternal grandparents were Swiss, and started dating after their paths crossed repeatedly on train rides. Each was traveling to the other's canton so that they might learn to become bilingual (there are, after all, four languages in Switzerland — German, French, Italian and Romansch).
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| Charles Emmanuel I | en.wikipedia.org |
The duke's mercenaries first attacked the town gate, at which time the night guard sounded the alarm.
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| Mère Royaume | fr.wikipedia.org |
Above the main gate lived one Catherine Cheynel, wife of Pierre Royaume and mother to 14 children (today she's remembered as Mère Royaume). Catherine grabbed a large cauldron of soup and poured it on the attackers, killing one. All the commotion from just that one act bought time for the townspeople to organize, and the duke's 2000+ mercenaries were defeated.
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| 2012 Fête de l'Escalade, Geneva | enjoyfestivals.com |
Today, the 1602 event is celebrated yearly as Fête de l'Escalade (escalade means the scaling of defensive walls). The celebration includes the making of soup and the sale of little pots made — not from copper — but from rich chocolate.
My grandmother's Geneva pot never held soup, but her grandchildren and great-grandchildren fondly remember it as an endless source of hard candy.
Hello Mark:
ReplyDeleteThis is the very reason why we need to treasure family heirlooms. They can capture with such immediacy events of the past, they can evoke wonderful memories and they can lift the spirits when uncovered by chance. Your little copper pot is delightful and what a remarkable historical event it records as well as the marvellous memories it holds of your grandparents' courtship. Perfect!
Hello, Jane and Lance:
DeleteMy understanding (whether or not it's still true) is that the Swiss, wanting their citizens to be multi-lingual, required the children from one language part of the country to stay with a family from another language part of the country. In essence, they were foreign students within their own country. And so I suppose that a big part of my grandparents' courtship was to help each other with language. Of course they became fluent in both languages and I remember that they used to alternate playing Scrabble in English, French and German.
the only old relic in my family is my grandmother - KIDDING! It's charming you still have their first gift. I had never heard this story but it's really adorable -a woman and her soup, what can't she do!
ReplyDeleteLOL! Thinking about Mère Royaume, I'm guessing that she must have been a pretty physically strong woman to hoist a cauldron of soup large enoough and hot enough to kill someone. But then, anyone raising 14 children would need to be strong!
DeleteDear Mark, I love everything about your pot's history. From the time of your grandparnets' meeting on the train to the cauldron of hot broth tossed over the city gates. Thank you also for the history lessonj. Now, I would also love to know the rest of the story...how exactly did you become the owner of this handsome copper pot.
ReplyDeleteDear Gina,
DeleteMy mother inherited the little pot, and as she grew older, it gave her pleasure to part with family items and see them in their new homes while she was still alive. And so, as I was especially close to my maternal grandmother, she gave me the pot, either on a birthday or at Christmas.
When you have family treasures it is so much more interesting when you learn the story that goes with it.
ReplyDeleteI know Geneva very well, H used to spend lots of time there working with the United Nations Environment Plan and I would often go with him. However, I was never fortunate enough to see the yearly Escalade.
I think that you once mentioned that you have never been to Switzerland, but I would urge you to think about making a visit. I am sure you would enjoy discovering more about your heritage, and it is such a beautiful country.
Dear Rosemary,
DeleteYes, I would love to visit Switzerland, and especially the area around Bern, which is where this gandmother lived. One of her ancestors was a mayor of Bern, back in the 1500s, and donated windows to the Bern Cathedral. That might be a story worthy of a future posting.
Dear Mark,
ReplyDeleteI think it is lovely to have that link to your grandparents. Already precious, its value is added to tenfold by this familial link.
I found the story of Mére Royaume very interesting. I love such historical facts. I have never been to Geneva myself although I did go to Lucerne with AGA a couple of years ago. I agree with Rosemary in that you should visit Switzerland.
The countryside is spectacular, and it is always nice to visit a place with which you have a link such as yours - it makes you feel at one with both ancestors and the place itself.
Dear Kirk,
DeleteI hope that happens some day. Of course I would be visiting two areas of Switzerland in particular, Bern and Neuchatel. My grandmother used to tell wonderful stories of her childhood and of the places where she grew up, and I never tired of hearing them. Consequently, some parts of Switzerland would feel familiar, I think.
Dear Mark,
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful story, and what a beautiful object to go with it! It must be so wonderful to be surrounded by your very special family treasures-- how lucky you are! The pot, with its rosy glow and cozy shape is the perfect embodiment of your grandparents' courtship. I was unfamiliar with Mère Royaume and the escalade (my time with my aunt in Geneva/Chamonix as a child was obviously focused on chocolate and cheese...)and now, I'm thinking a return visit is in order! Your story reminded me of how, as children, my Swiss cousins mocked me for only having 2 languages while they spoke a minimum of 4...Lucky them! Thank you for this wonderful and fascinating post.
Warm regards,
Erika
Dear Erika,
DeleteYou are lucky to know your Swiss cousins. I met three of mine in the 1950s and have long since lost track. Some of my Swiss cousins were raised as Amish, and it surprises Americans to learn that the Amish sect originated in Switzerland. At some future date, perhaps I'll do a posting on family stories. (The paternal side of my family was also originally Swiss, so I tell people that I'm at least 51 percent Swiss!)
Best wishes,
Mark
Hello Mark, Mère Royaume sounds like the Swiss equivalent of Barbara Fritchie. I'll have to remember December 12 to celebrate the Fête de l'Escalade--it sounds like a good time to be making soup, anyway.
ReplyDeleteI love your copper pot--the perfect mix of heirloom memories in an object which is interesting and attractive in itself. You are lucky that your grandmother told you those stories of her early life. By the way, what do you keep in the pot now?
--Road to Parnassus
Hello, Jim,
DeleteI was thinking of Barbara Fritchie as I was writing this post, almost mentioned her name.
I wonder if the soup tastes better if it's made in a large caldron?
The copper pot lives in one of my living room bookcases, and now simply holds the note from my mother from the day she gifted me with it. I have a special affinity for wooden boxes, so anything that would have gone in the pot is already tucked away in a box of equal sentiment.
What a fascinating story and I love the little copper pot made as a rememberance of the quick thinking Mere Royaume.
ReplyDeleteYour grandparents' meetings on the trains carrying them to each others canton is a romantic story
My grandmother told me that it took a long while for them to introduce themselves, but that for a long time they stared at each other's window reflections.
DeleteMy Swiss gift to you Mark
ReplyDeletehttp://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/collection/works/?exhibition_id=2337
Thanks for this link, smr, a nice gift indeed. I especially enjoyed the work of Sali Herman.
DeleteI love that you surround yourself with treasures from the past The fact they stared at each other's reflections on the train before they ever met proves love can be instant!
ReplyDeleteHi, Theresa - They were a classic example of opposites attracting. My grandfather would galvanize a room with charm, while my grandmother was retiring and happy to be alone. But they shared an intellectual life that was rich for both of them.
DeleteWhat a treasure, Mark! You are fortunate to have so many family pieces. And the rich stories behind them. I loved learning about your Christmas ornaments last year. Thanks for sharing with us.
ReplyDeleteCheers,
Loi
Yhanks. Loi! I enjoy the sharing, too.
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