Contele de Monte Cristo

Hoinarind pe Wikipedia am aflat ca unul dintre romanele mele preferate, Contele de Monte Cristo, e inspirat din fapte reale.

“Dumas got the idea for The Count of Monte Cristo from a true story, which he found in a memoir written by a man named Jacques Peuchet. Peuchet related the story of a shoemaker named Francois Picaud, who was living in Paris in 1807. Picaud was engaged to marry a rich woman, but four jealous friends falsely accused him of being a spy for England. He was imprisoned for seven years. During his imprisonment a dying fellow prisoner bequeathed him a treasure hidden in Milan. When Picaud was released in 1814, he took possession of the treasure, returned under another name to Paris and spent ten years plotting his successful revenge against his former friends.”

UPDATE: Povestea completa din care a fost inspirat “Contele de Monte Cristo” VIA

This story began in 1807 in town named Nim,   where a shoemaker Francois Picaud  lived.  In  spite  of  his  poverty,  he  was  happy: a  girl  who he loved – beautiful  Margarita  Vigoru,  a daughter  of wealthy  parents – had agreed to merry to him. Francois wanted to shout about this happy news to everybody in Nim, to everybody in France.  So when he met his familiar tavern-keeper Mathieu Loupian, Picaud hastened to share this glad news with him. But Francois didn’t know that Loupian was not the best representative of the human race: the tavern-keeper got envy to him.  And his envy was so strong that after he  had  instigated  his  three   friends (Gervais Chaubart, Guilhem Solari et Antoine Allut),   they  made  meanness:   they  wrote  a denunciation to the police of Francois Picaud,   that in fact  he was a nobleman, English  spy from  Langedock,  and his  action was against Napoleon.  There was an Antoine Allut among this rascals, who tried to object against the tavern-keeper’s  plan but it made  no difference  and the letter with the denunciation fell  into the  chief of police  Savari’s hands.  For his  relatives and for the his bride Picaud was disappeared without trace…

Francois Picaud was in prison during seven years.  There he met a prelate from Milan,  who was not guilty of the case  which they  charge him.  The prelate was ill and Picaud tried to help his new friend with all his might.  But in spite of care of Picaud prelate was died.  Before death he had  bequeathed his estate in Italy  and money  to Picaud  and told about his hiding-place where was a lot of gold and jewels.

In 1814 when Napoleon renounce power, Picaud became free. He was 34. The prison had him changed as outwardly so in his soul. Now in this sullen,  aged face nobody would recognize smiling shoemaker who radiated happiness and belief in the future.
The  first  thing  that  Picaud did  when left the  prison he  went to Amsterdam, where  he  legalized  his  succession  of the  prelate’s property. Then he was forced to lie in hiding because Napoleon came into power again.

After  “100 days” new  millionaire  began  to  clear  up  circumstances of his arrest.  He found out that  Margarita – his bride – was waiting for him  during two years and then marry to Mathieu Loupian. Under name of abbot Baldini he went  to  Rome  to  his  friend   Antoine  Allut  -  that  man  who  was  against conspiracy. Allut didn’t recognize his friend in this abbot. The abbot told him a story that when he had been in a prison of castle Okuf in Naples,  he had met Picaud  who  had been died soon.  But before  death he  had asked the abbot to clear up from Antoine the reason of his arrest. If Allut let him know the secret of Picaud’s imprisonment,  the abbot would have to give  him a ring which cost 50 000 francs and which Picaud get from one of the prisoners.

Allut told all story to the abbot. The ring that he got he sold by 60 000 francs, then killed jeweller and taking all money he and his wife ran away.

When he  knew  about  insidious  betrayal,  Francois  Picaud  decided  to  take vengeance.  Under  name  of  Prospero he got a job as a waiter in Loupian’s restaurant.   Loupian’s   accomplices,   who   had   help   to   compose   the denunciation, visited this restaurant often.  Soon first of them was found; he  had  a knife  in his chest.  On  the  haft of the  knife was  made  inscription: “Number first”. Second one died of poison. There was a  note on his  coffin: “Number second”.

The most cruel vengeance waited the instigator of the denunciation – Loupian. At first one marquis raped Loupian’s and Margarita’s daughter.  He promised to marry to her but the day before the marriage it became known that he was not a marquis but runaway convict. Loupian’s daughter became a lover of the waiter Prospero.  Then  there was a fire in the restaurant  and restaurant was burnt down. Loupian’s son was involved in a gang of thieves; he was catched and put into prison for 20 years. Margarita died of grief.
Loupian was left alone, ruined, disgraceful. One evening roaming along dark alleys of park Tuilry,  he met a man in a mask,  who told him about Francois Picaud’s life,  that  was  betrayed by tavern-keeper. After that meeting Loupian was found died.  There was a  knife in his  chest.  On the  knife was a  note: “Number third”.

But when Francois Picaud after revange was leaving the park,  he was attacked by stranger, who stuned Picaud and brought him in a cellar. It was Antoine Allut. He guessed  that the  abbot  Baldini and the  waiter  Prospero were  one man. Mean Allut  tried to know from  Picaud about his wealth,  but Picaud said nothing. Then Allut killed the captive and run away to England.

In 1828 Antoine Allut confessed before death and told this story. A priest write the story  down,  ratified  it by  Allu’s  signature and sent to France.  Several years later an historian Jacques Peuchet found this document in the archives of French police and published it