a a 17th-century painting depicting duelers fighting in a market

En garde! Why France was the dueling capital of Europe

For centuries, it was common for French gentlemen to defend their honor on the dueling ground, despite a government ban on the tradition.

Market vendors go about their business while two duelers fight, exhorted by their seconds, on the Pont Neuf in Paris. Detail from an anonymous 17th-century painting. Musée Carnavalet, Paris.
Photograph by BRIDGEMAN/ACI
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