“Lost on Rue des Abbesses?” You might be asking yourself, looking around this narrow, cobbled street. It’s quiet, unassuming, but there’s an air of something lost about it. You’re right here, standing on the Allée du Chevalier de la Barre, a street named for a young man whose tragic story speaks volumes of religious intolerance.
The Allée is a short, quiet passage, almost a hidden jewel between the vibrant Rue des Abbesses and a bustling marketplace. Just a few steps long, it was designated in 1922 as a tribute to a man whose life ended too soon.
Francois-Jean Lefebvre de la Barre was a young nobleman, who lived in 18th-century France. He was accused of impiety and blasphemy. He was found guilty of not removing his hat during a religious procession, and for possessing “Voltaire’s Philosophical Dictionary” – considered at the time a very dangerous book. This, combined with his supposed irreverence towards religion, made him a target. Francois-Jean’s case came to be known as the ‘Affaire La Barre’. In 1766, he was convicted and sentenced to death by beheading and then his body was burned at the stake.
Francois-Jean was only 20 years old when he died. He was thought to have been a victim of a political witch hunt, where the authorities used him as an example to quell the growing influence of the ‘Enlightenment’. Voltaire, who had written the Philosophical Dictionary that was found in Francois-Jean’s possession, became a vocal advocate for the young man, highlighting the injustice of his trial and execution. Voltaire’s defense of Francois-Jean helped to make the case a catalyst for reform, challenging the rigid religious and legal systems of the time.
This quaint Allée, a small reminder of this dark moment in history, stands as a symbol of Voltairé’s fight against religious intolerance and the injustices that can arise when there is a lack of freedom of thought. Although Francois-Jean Lefebvre de la Barre was unjustly executed, his name and the street dedicated to him stand as a reminder of the enduring fight for equality and intellectual freedom.