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François-Jean de la Barre, a young French nobleman, is tortured and beheaded before his body is burnt on a pyre along with a copy of Voltaire's Dictionnaire philosophique nailed to his torso for the crime of not saluting a Roman Catholic religious procession in Abbeville, France.
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François-Jean de la Barre
Frenchman executed for blasphemy and sacrilege
François-Jean Lefebvre de la Barre was a French nobleman. He was tortured and beheaded before his body was burnt on a pyre along with Voltaire's Philosophical Dictionary nailed to his torso. La Barre is often said to have been executed for not saluting a Catholic religious…Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)
Pyre
Form of cremation
A pyre, also known as a funeral pyre, is a structure, usually made of wood, for burning a body as part of a funeral rite or execution. As a form of cremation, a body is placed upon or under the pyre, which is then set on fire.Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)
Voltaire
French writer, historian, and philosopher (1694–1778)
François-Marie Arouet, known by his nom de plume Voltaire, was a French Enlightenment writer, philosopher (philosophe), satirist, and historian. Famous for his wit and his criticism of Christianity and of slavery, Voltaire was an advocate of freedom of speech, freedom of…Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)
Dictionnaire philosophique
Work by French philosopher Voltaire, first published in 1764
The Dictionnaire philosophique is an encyclopedic dictionary published by the Enlightenment thinker Voltaire in 1764. The alphabetically arranged articles often criticize the Roman Catholic Church, Judaism, Islam, and other institutions. The first edition, released in June 1764,…Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)
Catholic Church
Christian church based in Rome
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions and has played a prominent role in the history…Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)
Abbeville
Subprefecture and commune in Hauts-de-France, France
Abbeville is a commune in the Somme department and in Hauts-de-France region in northern France.Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)