THE CHEVALIER DE LA BARRE CASE

Cases that judged men and reflected an era

An episode from the series HISTORY'S GREATEST TRIALS

Synopsis

In 1765, an 18-year-old man was arrested for allegedly mutilating a crucifix. He faced having his tongue cut out, decapitation, and burning at the stake.

The last trial for blasphemy in French history, the case of the Chevalier de la Barre, is the story of an innocent man crushed by religious fanaticism, and an entire era's fight for freedom of thought.