Robert-Francois Damiens, born in 1715 in a village in northern France, attempted to assassinate King Louis XV on 5 January 1757. He gained access to the king's carriage at the Palace of Versailles and stabbed him with a small penknife, but the thick clothing meant the wound was minor. Damiens made no effort to escape and was arrested immediately.
Damiens had worked in the homes of judges and officials, where he became convinced of the corruption of Royal ministers. He believed the king and clergy had denied sacraments to 'good people who pray in churches every day' and that the monarch needed to be compelled to restore justice.
Branded a regicide, Damiens was sentenced to be drawn and quartered by horses at the Place de Greve in Paris. Before the execution, he endured days of severe torture: boots that crushed his legs, red-hot pincers, burning sulphur, molten lead, wax and boiling oil poured into his wounds.
On the day of execution, the horses initially failed to rip his limbs apart. Historical records suggest his tendons had to be cut before the horses could tear him to pieces. Some sources claim he remained conscious when his final arm was detached. His torso was then burned at the stake while the crowd cheered. His final words were said to be: 'O death, why art thou so long in coming?'
The consequences for his family were harsh. His birthplace was demolished and no structure was permitted on that site. His father, wife, and daughter were exiled from France permanently, forbidden from returning on pain of death. His brothers and sisters were commanded to adopt different surnames, and many assumed fresh identities to avoid shame.
Damiens has remained a symbol of the savagery of the regime's legal system, an execution so shocking that few could accept it without seeing prints, engravings, and documentation.
