Every day, thousands of us walk the pavement of Rue de la République without realizing that one of them seems to be trying to tell us something. Its color is not mouse gray, but blood red. For this is indeed a murder, and not just any murder…
The assassination of Sadi Carnot, President of the French Republic
In 1894, Lyon was buzzing. The silk industry was losing steam but still accounted for a huge portion of economic activity, while the automotive sector in the Lyon industrial region was on the rise. Amid this shift, it’s worth noting that the Lumière brothers’ Cinematograph was still in its infancy. In short, Lyon is at a turning point in its history. Amid this excitement, a tragic event is about to upend the established order…
On the occasion of the 1894 World’s Fair in Lyon, Sadi Carnot, then President of the Republic, paid an official visit to the capital of Gaul. It was June 23, and following a banquet held at the Palais de la Bourse (Palais du Commerce), the presidential motorcade headed down Rue de la République toward the city’s Grand Théâtre. From his car, the head of state waved to a crowd that had gathered to cheer him on in a jubilant atmosphere. The festivities were in full swing when, amid the surging crowd, a 20-year-old anarchist, Sante Geronimo Caserio, managed to climb onto the running board of the vehicle and violently stabbed Sadi Carnot.
A story that has gone down in history…
Rushed to the hospital in a desperate attempt to save him, the unfortunate man underwent surgery without anesthesia, enduring excruciating pain… The doctors could only watch as he lay dying: his liver had been pierced in two places, and his condition was rapidly deteriorating. He succumbed to his injuries that night. The assassination of Sadi Carnot sparked a wave of public outrage throughout France. It is worth noting here that this was the first time a French head of state had been assassinated in this manner since King Henry IV, who was killed in 1610.
In addition to the stone in Lyon marking the exact spot where the president was assassinated, today hundreds of squares, schools, and avenues bear his name. Sadi Carnot’s remains were brought back to Paris for a state funeral at Notre-Dame and were interred in the Panthéon. Sadi Carnot is the only President of the French Republic to rest there…
