L'Escalade, or Fête de l'Escalade, is an annual festival in Geneva, Switzerland, held each December commemorating the defeat of an attempt to conquer the Protestant city-state by the Catholic Duchy of Savoy in 1602. The celebrations and other commemorative activities are usually held on 12 December or the closest weekend.
An imaginative illustration of l'Escalade, drawn by Matthias Quad or the workshop of Franz Hogenberg around 1603.
Savoyard armor captured by Geneva during l'Escalade, now in the Musée d'Art et d'Histoire
Geneva Medal 1840 Commemoration of L'Escalade 1602, obverse.
Geneva Medal 1840 Commemoration of L'Escalade 1602, reverse. It shows the 17 names of Genevese killed directly in the battle.
Geneva is the second-most populous city in Switzerland and the most populous of the French-speaking Romandy. Situated in the southwest of the country, where the Rhône exits Lake Geneva, it is the capital of the Republic and Canton of Geneva, and a centre for international diplomacy. Geneva hosts the highest number of international organizations in the world.
Geneva
Satellite view of Geneva; Cointrin Airport is centre left. The Salève (in France) is the large area of green at the bottom right.
The Geneva area seen from above the Jura mountain chain, with the International airport in the foreground, and the Mont Blanc mountain range in the background
Confluence of the Rhône and the Arve
