Pierre Terrail, lord of Bayard, (Castle of Bayard, Pontcharra (Isère) 1476 - Rovasenda (Val Sesia, formerly Milanese, today Piedmont, province of Verceil or Vercelli, Italy) 1524), better known as Bayard or du Chevalier Bayard, was a nobleman from the Dauphiné who distinguished himself in particular as a knight during the Italian wars (15th - 16th century).
His life was narrated by one of his comrades in arms , Jacques de Mailles (in the Very Joyful and Very Pleasant Story of the Gentle Lord of Bayart, the Good Knight Without Fear and Without Reproach).
He is the historical figure who gave birth to the legend of the "knight without fear and without reproach" and symbolizes, par excellence, the values of French chivalry at the end of the Middle Ages.
Pierre III Terrail, son of Aymon (or Amon) Lord of Bayard and Hélène Alleman-Laval, is one of those historical figures whose exemplary existence gave birth to a legend that has spanned the centuries. The perpetuation of his acts of brilliance and his great bravery was ensured by one of his comrades in arms, Jacques de Mailles, who described his life in the book The Very Joyful, Pleasant and Recreational History of the Chevalier Bayard. The personality and life of Bayard are all summed up in the famous formula "Knight without fear and without reproach" which has come down to us.
The Terrails were a family of noble Dauphinois, which for five generations had seen four of its members perish in the Hundred Years War. The art of living and dying and a keen sense of honor were the essential values of this family. Although noble, the Terrails could not lead the way, their estate being limited to 28 newspapers, the equivalent of 7 hectares. Pierre III Terrail was born in Pontcharra, at Château Bayard, in 1476. This residence, in reality a simple fortified house, was built at the beginning of the 15th century by Bayard's great-grandfather, Pierre Terrail first of the name, known as the Old. The supposed eldest of a family of eight children, including four boys, Bayard had to lead an ascetic life within this large family. If he was able to foresee a military career, it was thanks to the generosity of his uncle Laurent Alleman, brother of his mother and bishop of Grenoble. He first began with very modest studies at the Cathedral School of the Dauphiné capital, at the corner of what is now rue Hache, where he learned to write. In February 1486, aged 11, he obtained, still thanks to his uncle Laurent Alleman, a place as a page at the court of Charles I, Duke of Savoy, where he was nicknamed "Riquet" then "Piquet". He left to learn weapons in Turin, and finished his military studies at the court of France. In 1493, at the age of 17, he entered the Compagnie du Comte de Ligny as a man-at-arms.
In 1493, as soon as he joined Ligny, Bayard had the opportunity to have his courage and bravery recognized, which soon made him famous despite his young age. He performed "marvels of arms" in numerous confrontations linked to the Italian wars, under Charles VIII. He took part in the Battle of Fornoue (1494). In 1496 his father died. "Piquet" then took the title of Lord of Bayard. An outstanding horseman, he also excelled as an infantryman, which he proved by winning the duel in 1503 against the famous Spanish captain Alonso de Sotomayor, who accused him of mistreatment during his captivity. Six months earlier, in February, he had already distinguished himself in an eleven-on-eleven battle of honor against the Spaniards. Bayard became the hero of the stories told by the soldiers to distract their boredom.
In 1504, the retreat of French troops from the Kingdom of Naples was to serve as the setting for one of his greatest feats of arms. The Garigliano, river heir to the ancient Liri, which flows into the Mediterranean north of Naples, separated the French and the Spaniards. The order was given by the Marquis de Gonzague, general-in-chief of the troops of the King of France, to send a reconnaissance echelon to cross the river on a quickly launched bridge of boats. Warned at the last moment, Bayard joined the small group of scouts in simple doublet, without having taken the time to put on his cuirass and helmet. Quickly, the three or four hundred French and Swiss who crossed the Garigliano were overwhelmed by the 1,500 men supported by artillery launched against them by Gonzalve of Cordoba. The French army had to retreat. The bridge, which was very narrow, required the Spaniards to present themselves one by one in front of Bayard, who remained alone in the rearguard. Bayard's bravery, skill and endurance worked wonders. “Like an escaped tiger,” says Théodore Godefroi, “he cornered himself at the barrier of the bridge and defended himself with his sword so well that the enemy could not discern whether he was dealing with a man or the Devil. This beautiful action earned him a porcupine as his motto, with these words:Vires agminis unus habet”. It took all the persuasive ardor of his companions for him to let a few take over:Father de Brantôme and Captain Ymbault de Rivoire. The latter, a Dauphinois, lord of Romagnieu, excited the admiration of the inhabitants of Lyon, the city in which he lived. The alley leading to his house still bears the name given to it at the time of "Montée du Garillan". It was finally the French artillery, stationed on the opposite bank, which forced the Spaniards to take off and put an end to the battle.
In April 1507, still under the reign of Louis XII, he forced the passage of the Apennines in front of Genoa and took the city, which had just risen. This victory was the occasion of a dazzling parade of French troops in the presence of the King, on April 20, 1508. A gleaming miniature by Jean Bourdichon immortalized this moment.
At the beginning of May 1509, Bayard and his troops took Treviglio, south of Bergamo, between Milan and Brescia. On May 14, 1509, Bayard distinguished himself again, this time at Agnadel (south of Bergamo, near Cremona), a victory which opened the doors of Venice to Louis XII. A victory won in a bloodbath:14,600 dead, which a Chapel of the Dead and a commemorative stele still recall today. The King had just granted Bayard the functions of captain, a rank usually reserved for the powerful nobles of the kingdom. Generally, the troops were commanded by the lieutenant. The captain, a notable, being rarely present on the battlefield.
From August to September of the same year the siege of Padua took place. Bayard was then in garrison at Verona. He attacked four Venetian garrisons which protected the door of Vicenza. In 1510 he tried to kidnap Pope Julius II, who had turned against the French, his former allies.
In 1512, after taking Bologna, he besieged Brescia in February. On the 19th, he was seriously injured there with a pike in the upper leg[1]. Taken in by a gentleman, he saved his home from pillage and his wife from dishonour.
Quickly recovered, he distinguished himself again, in Ravenna this time, during the delicate withdrawal of the French troops. His comrade in arms, Gaston de Foix, will die the weapon in hand, this evening of April 11, 1512, at only 23 years old.
On January 20, 1515, François I appointed Bayard Lieutenant General of Dauphiné. In Marignan, on the evening of the victory, to “greatly honor” him, François I wanted to take “the order of chivalry from his hand”. So it was that the next morning, September 15, 1515, the ordinance companies were assembled. Francis I, then twenty years old, had himself dubbed a knight by the person who best realized in the eyes of all the ideal of courage and loyalty that the valiants of the Middle Ages set themselves.
Appointed by François I Lieutenant-General of Dauphiné, Bayard ensured the governance of the province, since, according to custom, the titular governor - who was then the Duke of Longueville - did not take care of his province.
Bayard was acclaimed on March 17, 1515, when he entered Grenoble, happy to receive the illustrious knight. Bayard returned to Marignan in July. Victory allowed him to stay a little longer thereafter in his government in Dauphiné, not without having to go on several occasions to campaign in Italy or in the north of France at the request of the King. Bayard took his duties very seriously and acquired new titles of public recognition. Three areas especially caught his attention:plague, floods and brigands.
In 1521, he defended Mézières besieged by the German troops of Charles V.
He was seriously wounded on the Milan front. He said to his companions:"I have never turned my back on the enemy, I do not want to start at the end of my life. »
In 1523, François I, refusing defeats, called him back to his side. On August 22, the first Italian troops crossed the mountains near Lyon. Bayard was mortally wounded by a shot in the back on April 29, 1524, at Rebec in the Milanese, while in the rearguard he covered the retreat of the French army. His spine broken, he urged his companions to leave him so that they would not be caught. The Constable of Bourbon, who had turned against the King of France, pursued the French at the head of the troops of Charles V. He comes in front of Bayard and says:“Ah! Monsieur de Bayard, he said, how sorry I am to see you in this state, you who were so virtuous a knight! “Sir,” replied the dying man, “there is no need of pity for me, for I die a good man; but I pity you, for you serve against your prince and your country! »
He died in the opposing camp, mourned by his enemies. He was 48 years old. His body was brought back to France and buried in the convent of the Minimes of Saint-Martin-d'Hères (near Grenoble), his remains were authenticated and transferred on August 21, 1822 to the Saint-André collegiate church in Grenoble.
The admiration aroused by the Chevalier Bayard both during his lifetime and long after his death can be compared to that inspired by the epics of Joan of Arc or Du Guesclin. Bayard embodies the type of the subordinate leader, who has known neither distinguished functions nor command-in-chief (although François I had promised that he deserved "the highest offices"), but whose historical fame nevertheless goes far beyond that of many characters whose role or responsibilities were theoretically more important. The classic image attached to Bayard is that of the perfect knight, who knows not only how to fight with talent, but also how to defend the oppressed, and oppose the looting of conquered cities. In this sense, he is somewhat the heir to a medieval conception of honor. This chivalrous spirit allowed him to be mourned at his death by his enemies.
In order to preserve and honor the memory of the knight, the towns of Pontcharra (place of his birth) and Rovasenda (place of his death) are twinned.