Giuseppe Marco Fieschi
| Giuseppe Marco Fieschi | |
|---|---|
A portrait of Fieschi drawn at his trial (1835)
|
|
| Born |
13 December 1790 Bocognano, Corsica, France |
| Died | February 19, 1836 (aged 46) Paris, France |
| Cause of death | Executed by guillotine |
| Nationality | French |
| Known for | Attempting the assassination of King Louis-Philippe of France |
| Criminal charge | Murder |
| Criminal penalty | Death |
| Parent(s) | Louis Fieschi and Marie Lucie Fieschi |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance |
 France
|
| Service/branch | French army |
| Years of service | 1808-1814 |
| Rank | Sergeant |
| Battles/wars | Napoleonic Wars |
Giuseppe Marco Fieschi (13 December 1790 – 19 February 1836) was the chief conspirator in an attempt on the life of King Louis-Philippe of France in July 1835.
Fieschi was born on 13 December 1790 in Bocognano, a commune on the island of Corsica. His parents were Louis and Marie Lucie, of Pomonti. He had two brothers, Thomas and Anthony. Thomas was killed in the Battle of Wagram. Anthony was mute from birth. Giuseppe spent his childhood and adolescence as a shepherd. In 1808 he joined a Corsican regiment and was sent to Naples, then to Russia to fight in the Napoleonic Wars. In 1812 he held the rank of sergeant. He was discharged from the army in 1814 and returned to Corsica. In September 1815, he was one of around 1000 followers who joined former King of Naples Joachim Murat in an attempt to regain his kingdom, this ended a month later with Murat's capture and execution by forces of Ferdinand IV of Naples. According to Harsin, Fieschi escaped execution and was deported to France, where he was eventually sentenced in 1816 to 10 years in jail for the theft of a steer. There he met a female inmate, Laurence Petit. Upon his release in 1826 he moved to Lyon, Petit's hometown.
Shortly after the July Revolution Fieschi moved to Paris, calling himself a political prisoner. He scammed his way through Paris on account of his 'political prisoner' status. He also maintained a lifelong affair with his stepdaughter Nina which led to the break-up of his relationship with her mother, Laurence. He obtained a small post in Paris by means of forged papers; but he eventually lost his job and pensions that he had scammed off the government.
In 1831, Fieschi met his later-to-be co-conspirator Pierre Morey, a neighbour. Morey was a 61-year-old saddler, who had been involved in Republican politics. He had been arrested but released in 1816, after falling under suspicion of plotting the assassination of the Bourbons. He was later tried, and acquitted of the murder of an Austrian soldier. In 1830, he took part in the July Revolution that put King Louis-Phillipe in power.
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