Did you know that Valenciennes once served as the setting for a landmark event in judicial history? Visit Place d'Armes to find out more. On 20 May 1455, this square was full to bursting – even Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, was present. No one wanted to miss the great duel that was about to take place. At the centre of the affair was Coquel, a man who had taken refuge in Valenciennes after killing someone. At that time, the city had a right of asylum for criminals, a singular privilege referred to as 'Franchise de Valenciennes' (Valenciennes Exemption). The law stipulates that offenders could live there in peace unless someone publicly accused them of the crime. Well, a relative of the victim, Mahuot, did just that. The only way to solve the conflict was a duel by baton – the sword being reserved for the aristocracy. The combat was so terrible that Philip the Good took it upon himself to abolish this custom, to the great disappointment of the local citizenry.
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