Given how essential ladders are to everyday life, it is perhaps understandable that an array of interesting and unusual traditions have emerged around step ladder design.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Perhaps the most unusual however is an annual festival celebrated in Geneva, Switzerland, to commemorate a somewhat unusual and ultimately successful last stand.
The Fête de l’Escalade is an annual tradition in Geneva celebrated on the 11th December every year since 1926, although its origins date back to the morning of 12th December 1602.
The name comes from the term escalade, which literally means climbing via a ladder, but almost always refers to the military tactic of using ladders to scale the walls of a fortified location, such as a town, castle or base.
In an attempt to conquer Geneva quickly and quietly, soldiers sent by the Duke of Savoy, Charles Emmanuel I, used ladders to climb into Geneva but were thwarted in no small part by the actions of Catherine Cheynel, according to Genevese legend.
Mrs Cheynel, often known as Mére Royaume or “Mother of the Kingdom”, a cook from Lyon, was amongst the first to notice the attack, grabbed a large cauldron of soup and poured it on the attackers, one of which was hit by the large metal receptacle itself, waking the town in the process.
Ultimately, thanks to a concerted effort by the Genevan citizens, the attack was pushed back and a lasting peace treaty was later signed between Savoy and Geneva.
To celebrate, fragments of the ladders used to scale the walls are carried by families in Geneva during a historical procession, as well as creating a large chocolate cauldron filled with red and gold sweets and decorated by ladders.
There is also a sporting event, the Escalade Run, which is held at night and runs through the Old City of Geneva.