Francois Ravaillac and the Regicide (1578-1610)
Francois Ravaillac was a man whose religious fanaticism carried him over the edge, causing him to commit the act of regicide: on May 13, 1610, he stabbed to death King Henry IV of France while the king’s carriage was stalled in traffic.
Born near Angouleme in France, Ravaillac began his life as a servant and worked his way up to become a schoolteacher of religion. Exceedingly devout, Ravaillac at one point had been admitted in the religious order called the Feuillants, but was asked to leave only six weeks later due to experiencing visions during his prayer time. In 1606, he tried to enter a Jesuit group, only to be once again rejected on the grounds of having visions – however in this case, the Jesuits were under the distinct impression that these so-called ‘visions’ were simply hallucinations.
In 1609, Ravaillac had a vision that he believed told him to convince King Henry IV to stop the spread of Protestantism and convert all Protestants to Catholicism – and when he did not, but rather supported the Edict of Nantes that allowed Protestants freedom to practice their religion, Ravaillac was furious. Henry had also decided to invade the Netherlands, which Ravaillac took as an intentional move against the Pope. Determined to put a stop to Henry’s actions, Ravaillac stabbed his own king while the king’s carriage was stuck in traffic.
After stabbing King Henry IV, Ravaillac made no attempt to flee and was immediately seized by the authorities. They were convinced Ravaillac had accomplices in his actions, but he continually denied anyone else’s involvement or even prompting to carry out the act – it was only after several days of torture, after which nearly all his leg bones were broken or crushed, that the authorities believed his assertion of acting alone.
Naturally, Ravaillac was sentenced to death – and because of the absolutely horrific and treacherous nature of his act, he was to suffer his own excruciating torture before the final execution. His right arm – the stabbing arm – was plunged into burning sulphur, while pieces of flesh from his arms, chest, and thighs were torn off with pincers. A mixture of molten lead, boiling oil and resin was poured into the wounds, which were then cauterized to keep him alive for as long as possible. Records indicate this procedure continued for about an hour before he was eventually given the official sentence for anyone who committed regicide: he was tied to four horses and was drawn and quartered.
According to those two saw the execution and recorded the event, the four pieces of Ravaillac’s body were ripped into even smaller bits by a furious mob – they had loved their king, and did everything possible to ensure the murderer’s body was completely defiled. Following the execution, the remaining members of Ravaillac’s family were exiled from the country, and the name ‘Ravaillac’ was officially banned in France.
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