André Désilles, the tragic destiny of a Breton in Nancy
And also
The tops
A Dauphin and a young Breton
Raised between 1782 and 1784, the gate was dedicated to the Dauphin, Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette’s son!
So that’s why they called it "Saint-Louis gate".
The gate took the name of Désilles in 1868, dedicated to Antoine-Joseph-Marc Désilles, a young Breton who died in front of the gate.
A tragic event during the French Revolution...
Don't shoot!
He was born in Saint-Malo in 1767: Désilles became a soldier.
He was lieutenant in the King’s Infantry Regiment when his corps, in garrison in Nancy, rebelled against the National Assembly.
They sent marquis de Bouillé to calm them down, with a 1 200 men army. The garrison, supported by Nancy inhabitants, waited for them...
A fratricidal war began! Désilles wanted to stop it, at any cost. His company wanted to shoot.
He rushed in front of the cannons and shouted: "Don’t shoot! Don’t shoot, those enemies are your brothers..." In vain.
Nobody listened to him. Mad with worry, he made a final desperate attempt, preventing a soldier of the Royal troop from shooting on his garrison!
Désilles get mortal bayonet stab... We were on August 31th 1790... Désilles died on October 23th 1790. He was buried in Nancy cathedral...