The Tragic Political Debate in Côte d’Azur: The Suicide and Resignation of MPs over the Fate of Nice

The following story illustrates the harshness of political debates. It depicts two MPs from the Côte d’Azur after Nice became part of France (in 1860), one wanting the city to remain French, the other wanting it to become Italian. Their quarrel turned to tragedy: to the suicide of one and the resignation of the other.

Both were elected in the legislative elections of February 8, 1871. Curious elections, those! It was the day after the defeat of the Franco-German war of 1870, the Third Republic had been created in September. Forty-three French departments were still occupied by the German army!

Resignation of Malaussena

In Nice, the situation was explosive. The Bonapartist mayor Malausséna had resigned on September 4, 1870. The prefect Pierre Baragon had appointed Niçois Louis Piccon in his place on September 11 but, realizing that he was for a return from Nice to Italy, had dismissed him. from office a week later, on September 11! Nice would be without a mayor until the arrival of Auguste Raynaud in April 1871.

But Piccon had not said his last word. He stood in the elections of February 8, 1871. In Nice, it was the separatists (supporters of a return to Italy) who won: Garibaldi in the lead (who resigned immediately), Piccon and Bergondi.

Piccon and Bergondi are the two deputies in our history, first allies, then enemies.

The first, born in Nice in 1804, was a professor of law at the University of Turin, then a deputy in the Sardinian parliament before the annexation of Nice to France. The second, Constantin Bergondi, born in Valdeblore in 1819, was general councilor of Saint-Sauveur-sur-Tinée.

Moderate Republicans

At the beginning, they sit together in the Assembly among the “moderate republicans” while wishing the return of Nice to Italy.

During the next two years, Nice will violently tear itself apart between “French” and “Italians”.

If Louis Piccon keeps his course, Constantin Bergondi will change his mind. In October 1873, he wrote to his constituents to say that he supported the French Republic, Thiers and the liberal conservatives. The paths of Begondi and Piccon separate.

Louis Piccon speaks in Italian on April 19, 1874, during a banquet at the Hôtel de Grande Bretagne in Nice, in honor of delegates from the Chamber of Commerce of Coni, who came to Nice to discuss the line Nice-Coni railway line. His remarks were reported the next day by “Le Lighthouse of the coast”, quoted by the historian Henri Courrière in his “History of the county of Nice” (at the University Press of Rennes): “ In the presence of these dear Italian compatriots, my heart leaps with joy and I feel all my aspirations and all my Italian feelings reborn within me. I have the firm conviction that, at a time which I do not believe to be distant, this beautiful Nice, this Iphigenia, this heroic sacrifice, this ransom of Italian independence, will return to her true homeland. For this, I am ready to sacrifice all my interests and my family! “

Bergondi called a traitor

Piccon’s words spread in Nice like wildfire and won the National Assembly. They are considered unworthy of a deputy of the French Republic.

Auguste Raynaud, the mayor, tries to calm the situation.

Bergondi dissociates himself from Piccon, is treated as a traitor. Piccon, whose violent outbursts are well known, does not hesitate to fiercely attack Constantin Bergondi, who is known to be shy. He can’t bear to be humiliated anymore.

A few days later, on May 5, we learn that he committed suicide. He was 55 years old. Consternation in Nice.

The national press seized on the affair, highlighting Piccon’s responsibility. This was the case of the major daily “Le Gaulois”: “We are not far from believing that the suicide of Bergondi is the repercussion of the apostasy of Piccon.”

“Le Nouvelliste” shed another light: “Mr. Bergondi put an end to his life so as not to have to disavow his colleague Mr. Piccon, whose feelings he shared with regard to Italy.”

As for the great daily “Le Temps”, it brought a new element: “ The suicide is said to be due to money problems and family matters, in particular the death of his niece, who would have left him with the care of seven young children.

Forced to resign

The Assembly as a whole, condemned Louis Piccon who was forced to resign on May 12.

Constantin Bergondi was entitled to a grandiose funeral in Nice. The lawyer Ourdan, president of the order, delivered the farewell speech. The city took charge of the education of its children. Nice, which remained French as he had finally wished, gave his name to one of its streets.

Replaced by Chiris and Doctor

Following the suicide of Constantin Bergondi and the resignation of Louis Piccon, the voters of the Alpes-Maritimes were called back to the polls.

The elections took place on October 18, 1874. Politically, the result was the same: two elected from the center left.

Constantin Bergondi was replaced by Léon Chiris, a perfumery industrialist from Grasse, and Louis Piccon by the Monegasque Gaspard Médecin, also a perfumery industrialist and mayor of Menton.

It was the striking entry into politics of the industrialist Léon Chiris, who spread the Grasse know-how in the field of perfumery throughout the world but who wanted to give an additional dimension to his life. Married to a niece of the President of the Republic Adolphe Thiers, he was to become, with Alfred Borriglione in Nice, the most important political figure in the Alpes-Maritimes.

As for Gaspard Médecin, he did not stand for re-election, retaining his mandate as mayor of Menton until 1883.

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