L'Escalade

Fête de l'Escalade
An imaginative illustration of l'Escalade, drawn by Matthias Quad or the workshop of Franz Hogenberg around 1603.
Observed by	Geneva, Switzerland
Date	December 12
Frequency	Annual

L'Escalade, or Fête de l'Escalade (from escalade, the act of scaling defensive walls), 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.

Savoyard troops sent by Charles Emmanuel I, Duke of Savoy attempted a surprise attack during the night of 11–12 December 1602, but were repulsed by the Genevese defenders. According to legend, this was possible thanks to individual acts of bravery by Genevese citizens, notably by local resident Catherine Cheynel (also known as la Mère Royaume), who dumped boiling vegetable soup on the invaders and alerted the townsfolk.