Placide Cappeau

Placide Cappeau

Placide Cappeau (born October 25, 1808 in Roquemaure , Département Gard , † August 8, 1877 ibid) was a French poet.

Life

Cappeau was the son of the barrel maker Mathieu Cappeau and his wife Agathe Louise Martinet. Actually, Cappeau should learn the same profession as his father in order to continue his business. At the age of eight, Cappeau had a serious accident when he was playing with his friend who shot him in the hand with his father's rifle. His hand had to be amputated. Thanks to the financial support of his friend's family, he was able to attend the Collège Royal de Avignon .

Cappeau then studied in Nîmes and was able to complete this course with a Baccalauréat littéraire . Then he went to Paris and studied law there. He was also able to successfully complete this course in 1831. After completing his studies, Cappeau settled in his hometown and earned a living as a wine merchant.

But his real interest was in literature. This was also supported and promoted by the Félibrige , especially by the members Alphonse Daudet , Frédéric Mistral and Joseph Roumanille , with whom Cappeau was friends.

reception

According to an ondit , Cappeau's poem " Minuit, Chrétiens " was written in 1848 during a trip by mail coach to Paris between Mâcon and Dijon . Although his political stance after Cappeau was rather anti-clerical, he composed this Christmas carol , which Adolphe Adam claimed was the "religious Marseillaise".

Works (selection)

as an author

• Minuit, Chrétiens . 1848.
• La château de Roquemaure. Poème historique en vongt chants . 1876.
• Lou Rei de la favo. Fantaisie poètique provencal-français . 1864.
• La poésie .
• Le papillon .
• La rose .

as translator

• Jean Baptiste Favre: Le siége de Caderousse. Poëme languedocien . Roqu 1876.

literature

• René Durieu: L'auteur du "Minuit, Chrétiens", Placide Cappeau . Lacour, Nîmes 1996 (Collection Colporteur).