Pico, Francois Pierre

Born in a low-income family in the city of Nimes on May 2, 1780 . He worked as a shoemaker.

He was engaged to a girl of noble descent named Margarita Vigoru.

Having met his acquaintance innkeeper Mathieu Luppian, Pico hastened to share such good news with him. But François did not know that Luppian was not the best representative of the human race: the innkeeper envied him. And his envy was so strong that, having persuaded three more of his friends, he went on a vile thing: they wrote a denunciation to the police, from which it followed that Francois Pico was actually a nobleman, an English spy from Languedoc , and that his activities were directed against Napoleon. Among these scoundrels was a certain Antoine Alloux, who was trying to object to the innkeeper’s intention, but apparently trying poorly, since the denunciation fell into the hands of the head of the police, Savary. For relatives and the bride, Pico disappeared without a trace.

Pico spent seven years in prison. There he met a prelate from Milan , who was also innocent of what he was charged with. The prelate was sick and Pico tried his best to help his new friend. But, despite the careful departure from Francois, the prelate died, making Pico his heir before his death, he bequeathed to him his estate in Italy, money, and also talked about a cache in which gold and precious stones were stored. In 1814 , when Napoleon renounced power, Pico was free. He was 34 years old. The prison greatly changed him, both externally and spiritually. Now, in this sullen face, aged from injustice, no one would recognize a cheerful shoemaker radiating happiness and faith in the future.

The first thing he got out of prison, Francois Pico went to Amsterdam , where he registered the right to inherit the property of the prelate. Then he was forced to hide, since Napoleon returned to power for 100 days. After 100 days, the new millionaire began to find out the circumstances of his arrest. He learned that Margarita, his bride, had been waiting for him for two years, and then married Mathieu Luppian. Under the name of Abbot Baldini, he went to Rome to visit his friend Antoine Alloux - the very one who timidly protested against the conspiracy. Allu did not recognize his former friend in the abbot. The abbot told him the story that when he was sitting in the castle of Okuf in Naples , he met Pico there. Francois allegedly died soon, but before his death he asked the abbot to find out from Antoine the reason for his arrest. If Allu reveals the secret of Pico's imprisonment, the abbot should give him a gratitude ring, worth 50 thousand francs, which he received from another prisoner. Allu told abbot Baldini the whole story. He sold the ring for 60 thousand francs, and, having killed the jeweler, he disappeared with his wife, taking all the money.

Upon learning of the treacherous betrayal, François Pico decided to take revenge. Under the name Prospero, he got a job as a waiter in a restaurant owned by Luppian. Luppian accomplices often visited this restaurant to help compose the denunciation. Soon one of them was found with a dagger in his chest, the inscription “Number One” was carved on its hilt. The second accomplice died of poison. A note was attached to his coffin: "Number Two."

The most cruel revenge was directed at the instigator of the denunciation - Luppian. For starters, a Marquis raped the daughter of Luppian and Margarita. He promised to marry, but on the eve of the wedding it became known that he was not a marquis, but a runaway convict. Luppian's daughter became the mistress of the waiter Prospero. Then there was a fire in the restaurant, as a result of which the restaurant burned to the ground. Luppian’s son was pulled into a gang of thieves, he was arrested and imprisoned for 20 years. Margarita died of grief.

Luppian was left alone, ruined, disgraced. Once, wandering through the dark alleys of the Tuileries Park, Mathieu Luppianus met a masked man who told him about the life of Francois Pico, whom the innkeeper had once betrayed. After this meeting, Luppian was found with a dagger in his chest, on the handle of which was written: "Number three." But when Francois Pico, avenging his imprisonment, left the Tuileries Park, a stranger attacked him and, stunned, carried him to some basement. It was Antoine Alloux, guessing that Abbot Baldini and the waiter Prospero were one person. The greedy Allu tried to extract information from Pico about his wealth, but Pico said nothing. Then Allu killed his captive and fled to England.

In 1828, Antoine Allou confessed and told the story before his death. The priest who professed Allou wrote down this story, sealed it with the signature of the dying Allou and sent to France. A few years later, the historian Jacques Pesce discovered this document in the archives of the Paris police and published it in his article “Diamond and Revenge”.

Gathering material for the new novel, the famous French writer Alexander Dumas, the father , found in the archives of the police the article “Diamond and Vengeance”, as well as materials on the Pico case. These documents formed the basis of one of his most famous works - the novel "Count of Monte Cristo."

The protagonist of the novel is the Marseille sailor Edmond Dantes from the ship "Pharaoh". During one of the flights, he went to Elba Island, where he met with Napoleon Bonaparte and Marshal Bertrand (later said to be with Murat), who instructs him to deliver a letter to Paris. This Edmond fulfills the last will of the captain of the "Pharaoh", who died shortly before.

Upon arrival in Marseille, the ship's owner Morrel wants to appoint Dantes as captain, and Edmond himself is going to marry a Catalan Mercedes from a nearby fishing village.

However, her cousin Fernan also wants to marry Mercedes, and the accountant Danglar, whom Edmond suspects of fraud, fears for his place. Both of them and Dantes’s neighbor, the envious tailor Kadruss, meet in a tavern where Danglar has a plan to tell Edmond that he is a Bonapartist agent. He writes an anonymous letter to the prosecutor, but Cadrouss is against slander. Therefore, Danglar pretends to throw a denunciation, but gives a sign to Fernan to deliver a letter to the prosecutor. Fernand plays his part in the plot.

Dantes is arrested during his betrothal with Mercedes. Kadruss sees and understands everything, but he is silent, because he is afraid to be involved in political affairs. Dantes is brought to the assistant of the royal prosecutor Villefort, who is trying to be honest in the conduct of business. He is about to release the arrested person, but finds out that the person to whom Dantes was supposed to deliver the letter is his father, Bonapartist Noartier. Villefort understands that this fact, become known, can ruin his career - and decides to sacrifice Edmond in this situation. He burns a letter, and Dantes without trial goes to imprisonment in If Castle. Villefort himself hurries to Paris and warns Louis XVIII of the impending coup.

Edmond Dantes, after several years in prison, decides to commit suicide and begins throwing food out the window. But a few days later, almost at his death, he suddenly hears that someone is digging near his cell. Dantes begins to dig a counter dig and meets Abbot Faria, an Italian learned clergyman who is considered crazy because he constantly talks about the existence of a multi-million treasure, the location of which is known only to him. The personality of Abbot Faria makes a huge impression on Dantes. This man, already very old, is full of love for life and hope. He works tirelessly, even while imprisoned, writes scientific papers, makes tools, tirelessly prepares an escape ... After hearing the story of a young man, Faria restores the course of events and explains to Dantes the reason and the culprits of his conclusion. Then Dantes swears a terrible oath to avenge his enemies. He asks the abbot to become his teacher in science and a mentor in life

The novel was a huge success, and the prototype of the protagonist - the sailor Edmond Dantes - was Francois Pico.

• The story of the shoemaker Francois Pico
• Benedict Sarnov. Entertaining literary studies, or New adventures of familiar heroes (neopr.) . books.rusf.ru. Date of treatment August 16, 2016.
• Ogoniok - Google Books (Neopr.) . books.google.com.ua. Date of treatment August 16, 2016.

1. ↑ V. N. Zemtsov , Diamond and Revenge: Dumas the Father, Napoleon and the July Monarchy , Questions of World History. Vol. 12. Yekaterinburg: the Urals. state ped Univ., 2010.S. 104-117.