There are also secret tunnels all over Geneva, and one of them is only open during Escalade - the rest of the time you would have no idea it’s there!
In December 1602, the Savoyards (the people from Savoy, a region which is now in France) staged a nighttime attack on Geneva when the leader of Geneva was away. Since the Old Town of Geneva, which was at that time the only town) is surrounded by stone walls, the Savoyards brought ladders to climb up into the town and open the gates from the inside. But one woman, Mère Royaume, heard a noise from her house and looked out one of her windows that opened above the gates. She saw the soldiers waiting! She wanted to protect her fourteen children, so she lifted her soup cauldron full of veggies from where it was hanging over the fire and she dumped the boiling soup on the invaders' heads. Then she threw the pot down and killed one of the men. The watchman in the cathedral tower heard the noise of the pot hitting the stones below the wall and raised the alarm just in time. So the Genevans woke up and defended their city. They had defeated the Savoyards by morning! Now, the whole weekend is a festival where it seems like all of Geneva has time traveled back to 1602. You can even imagine what Geneva would have smelled like 300 years ago, with the smoke from the torches and the steam from food stands. There are people everywhere in 17th century clothing, walking and riding horses; there is good food and vin chaud (hot wine); and everywhere, people are singing songs that tell stories of Escalade!
