Pierre Fatio was born on on October 30th, 1662 in the family home. Pierre is the fifteenth child of the couple, but only two girls and three sons still live. One knows few things of the first years of Pierre Fatio. He studies the traditional letters with the Calvin college. He counted, one says, among the best pupils of the Republic.

In 1679, his/her father Francois, banker of profession, sends Pierre to study the right to Basle. Pierre Fatio studied then in Valence and Montpellier, then went back to Basle to complete his right. He obtained the rank of Doctor of Laws. Of return to Geneva, it is quickly made an excellent reputation with the bar. Its fame extends well beyond the borders from the Republic. Speaker of a rare eloquence, equipped with a memory out of the commun run, it points out himself as a defender of the people. Fatio marries in 1694 Elisabeth Chouet. One reports marital difficulties within the couple.

The political way seemed very traced for this man in sight. Its patrician family undoubtedly pushed it to embrace the political career. Pierre Fatio entered to the Council of the Two hundreds - “ancestor” of the Great Council - in 1688, at 25 years the necessary age. On January 14th, 1691, it was named lord of the manor of Saint-Victor and Chapitre.

Established with the Reform, the lords of the manor had the task to return justice to shift and to carry out the sentences. The châtellenie of Saint-Victor and Chapitre was considerable and gathered Champagne Genevese. In 1695, Pierre Fatio became listener. The lieutenant of justice chairs the Court of justice and is assisted in his load of six listeners (assistants). The listeners slice without call the civil actions and, out of penal matter, have the judging function of instruction.

In January 1700, Fatio is named lord of the manor of Peney, then replaces in 1699 Rilliet Jacob with the Room of the Reformation. The members of this Room must take care of the application of the Ordinances of Calvin in the Genevese houses. In 1704, Fatio is presented to the Consistory. He however will not be elected.

As of its entry with the Council of the Two hundreds, Fatio is pointed out by its taste for the institutional reforms. It is advisable to specify that the Council of the Two hundreds was not elected by the people but its members were designated by the Small-Council. The Small-Council, “ancestor” of the Council of State or government of the city, was him composed of five members, also irremovable.

The two bodies escape control thus completely from the citizens, gathered within the General advice (“electorate”). The institutions of the Genevese Republic are in fact with the hands of an oligarchy. Within the Council, a core of young patricians, lawyers for the majority, and taken along by Fatio, are decided to reform the system.

In 1705, a place is to be repourvoir with the Small-Council. Fatio is 43 years old. Its personal qualities and its last years with the service of the State make the ideal candidate of it. Pierre was however isolated with the profit of his banking brother Jacques-François Fatio, without any political experiment. This decision have for effect “to radicalize” Pierre Fatio.

On December 1st, 1706, four citizens presented themselves to the Jean public prosecutor Of the Side to give to him their complaints for submission to the Lords Syndics (members of the government). They ask an electoral reform, that is to say the introduction of the secret vote into the elections and voting of the General advice (“electorate”). The secret vote had been introduced with the Council of the Two hundreds and the Small-Council in 1655. The request was rejected, to the dismay of Fatio and of its liberal friends Jacob of Normandy and Pierre Gallatin.

The year 1707 which followed was that of the “Great Disorders”. The year begins on on January 2nd with the traditional rise with Saint-Pierre for designation by the people of the four syndics sitting at the Small-Council. Thousand citizens presented themselves and the four introduced syndics were elected. The electorate could only maintain or reject the candidatures presented. The four syndics of year 1707 are: Jean of Normandy, Jean-Robert Chouet, Léonard Bush, François Mestrezat.

After the election, a man advanced and gave to the listeners present a reform program. The petition required:

• That the secret vote is ensured within the General advice;
• That the Council of the Two hundreds elects itself;
• That the number of the members of the same family is limited in the Councils;
• That the Edicts which have not been published for more one century are printed so that each one can be informed of the laws to follow.

The instigator of the petition was François Delachanaz, merchant-tailor with Longemalle. He was convened at the House of City. One summons it not to more make circulate the petition. It trick while making sign people in his store of the Longemalle place. On January 14th, 1707, Delachanaz is convened again at the House of City. It holds head with the syndic and the business is carried in front of the Council of the Two hundreds on on January 17th. Fatio and Gallatin defend the initiative of the citizens ardently: “it is cases where disobedience to the Magistrate did not have only the very creditable one, when one believed oneself in it obliged for the good of the State” says Fatio.

The Council of the Two hundreds gave reason to the Small-Council. Delachanaz is summoned to transmit its petition to the syndics. In a gesture of irritation the first Jean syndic of Normandy, receiving Delachanaz in his residence, burned the strong complaints of 500 signatures, that is to say half of the electorate.

The news of brûlement of the act citizen was spread downtown quickly. The signatories decided to go to the residence of the first syndic to pare fire there. The heats are calmed for a time with the intervention of the public prosecutor Of the Side and go is fixed the following day at the Horse-gear to go up to the House of City.

Several hundreds of citizens attended this first assembly with the Horse-gear on on January 18th, 1707. Crowd early made invade the House of City the syndic Jean-Robert Chouet then proposes to the demonstrators to indicate a dozen between them to join a Commission having to meet the same day. Eighteen delegates were designated among whom Fatio which agreed to endorse the role of chief. The meeting was surging. Fatio spoke “as a citizen, and not like member of the Council of the Two hundreds”. It exposed its reforms and recalled that “the assembly of the citizens is sovereign”.

The middle-class is organized for the first time in an opposition party structured with a clearly definite political program. As for Fatio, it became this day there the powerful orator of the people.

The syndics commit themselves transmitting to the Council of the Two hundreds for discussion the proposals of the citizens. The only proposal which was accepted by the Councils was that relating to the publication of the edicts. The challenge of Pierre Fatio even is required by the First Jean syndic of Normandy on on January 22nd. As of this day, the mobilization reaches tops. The assemblies of citizens are held daily.

A new reform is presented to the Councils by Pierre Fatio in the form of a right to take initiatives constitutional. It stipulates that any request or proposal must be examined and discussed:
- In the Small Council, when three advisers ask it;
- Within the Council of the Two hundreds, when ten advisers make the request of it;
- Before the General advice (“electorate”), when 50 citizens are at the origin of the petition.

The proposal runs up against the reprobation of the greatest number. The discussions within the Council of the Two hundreds between the partisans of the government and the opposition fester of day in day. As of March, it seems that the government considers seriously the arrest of Pierre Fatio to put a term at the disorders and to avoid a revolution.

On March 4th, the Syndics write in Bern and Zurich. The counter-revolution is launched. On March 17th and 18th, the representatives of the cantons of Bern and Zurich arrive at Geneva with an aim of mediation between the two parts. Assemblies are setting-up with representatives of the Councils and the people. The General advice is convened on on May 5th, 1707 with Saint-Pierre.Fatio will plead lengthily in favor of the sovereignty of the General advice vis-a-vis the Councils. He specified to conclude that the people were to be consulted on three points: to decide war or peace, to contract alliances and the legislation. The Parliament was raised without advanced at the end of once again surging verbal confrontations.

On May 12th, the cathedral fills at the time of the behavior of a new General advice. The Parliament was again deferred fifteen days, the party in power misant on the crumbling of the opposition. A new assembly is thus held on on May 26th, 1707. The disorder reigned and the vote was favorable to the Councils. Fatio and its partisans refuse however to leave the cathedral and protest. Fatio goes to the House of City to negotiate with the Bernese mediators. In same time, the syndics send the garrison to Saint-Pierre to make leave the citizens who await the return of their chief.

The news of the lifting of the troops is spread downtown quickly and contributes to poison the situation. The city is in effervescence. The mediators of the cantons propose to issue an amnesty. The bloody Revolution that everyone feared will not have taken place. The government concedes finally important reforms. Fatio obtained that the people hold of the periodic General advices.

On May 27th, 1707, a demonstration is organized by the middle-class with Saint-Gervais, to protest against the call of the garrison by the Small-Council. Fatio gets busy to calm the heats of the ones and others. However, this demonstration makes the play of controlling which carried out as of the following day arrests. On June 3rd, an important Bernese garrison arrives downtown.

On August 17th, 1707 marks the one period beginning of bloody repression. Two close relations of Fatio, Piaget and Lemaître, suspectés of plot, are stopped. Both will be condemned to death. Itself was arrested the same day and was imprisoned with the Bishopric.

The sentence of death was marked on on August 31st by the Small Council, confirmed then by that of the Two hundreds. On September 7th, Pierre Fatio was arquebus within the boundary of the prison. Its body was buried in a walled vault of the Bishopric.

On October 3rd, 1707, a payment on the elections was adopted by the Council of Two hundred which founded the vote with the bulletin, putting thus fine at the disorders of 1707.

It is into 1885 that the Administrative counsel of the Town of Geneva decided that a street would bear the name of Pierre Fatio, martyr of the Genevese democracy.

Bibliography
- CORBAZ Andre, Pierre Fatio Precursory and martyr of the Genevese democracy 1662 - 1707, Atar Editions, Geneva, 1923.

- BOIS-MELLY Charles, Chronicles: Geneva in 1706, our annals of XVIIIème, Pierre Fatio & popular disorders of the year 1707, J. Julien, Geneva, 1870.