Bal des Ardents: Charles VI nearly burns alive
1393
At a masquerade ball in Paris, the mad king of France and five courtiers dressed in linen costumes soaked with pitch. A torch set four of them ablaze; Charles survived only because the Duchess of Berry smothered his flames with her skirt. The incident became a symbol of the French court's decadence and the king's fragile sanity.
In context
Also in 1393 (4 other events on record)
- Tarnovo falls: Bulgarian Empire ends · Europe · War
- Tamerlane sacks Baghdad · Middle East · War
- Joseon dynasty begins construction of Gyeongbokgung Palace · East Asia · Culture
- Philippe de Mézières writes the Order of the Passion · Europe · Religion
Before and after in Europe
Before and after in Politics
Era
Late Middle Ages (1301–1500), one of 874 events from that era on Saeculum.
Sources