Marius Cazeneuve, also known as Commander Cazeneuve (

Toulouse Toulouse (, ; ; ) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Haute-Garonne department and of the Occitania (administrative region), Occitania region. The city is on the banks of the Garonne, River Garonne, from ...

October 12, 1839 – Toulouse, April 12, 1913) was a French

stage magician Stage, stages, or staging may refer to: Arts and media Acting * Stage (theatre), a space for the performance of theatrical productions * Theatre, a branch of the performing arts, often referred to as "the stage" * ''The Stage'', a weekly Brit ...

, who became a close friend of the queen of

Madagascar Madagascar, officially the Republic of Madagascar, is an island country that includes the island of Madagascar and numerous smaller peripheral islands. Lying off the southeastern coast of Africa, it is the world's List of islands by area, f ...

Ranavalona III Ranavalona III (; 22 November 1861 – 23 May 1917) was the last sovereign of the Kingdom of Madagascar. She ruled from 30 July 1883 to 28 February 1897 in a reign marked by ultimately futile efforts to resist the colonial designs of the go ...

, and played a role in the French conquest of Madagascar.

Biography

Early career

Marius Cazeneuve was born in Toulouse in 1839, in a poor family that could not afford for him a regular education. He was introduced in the circus milieu by

Jules Léotard Jules Léotard (; 1 August 183816 August 1870) was a French acrobatic performer and aerialist who developed the art of trapeze. He also created and popularized the one-piece gym wear that now bears his name and inspired the 1867 song " The Dar ...

and developed skills as a stage magician. He worked with Madrid's Oriental Circus, then returned to Toulouse, where he became the assistant of

Bartolomeo Bosco Giovanni Bartolomeo Bosco (January 3, 1793 – March 7, 1863) was an Italian magician during the mid-19th century. He is best known for his adroitness with the famous cups and balls. When he was nineteen years old, he was drafted into Napol ...

. He went on to establish his own company, and performed all over Europe, in the Middle East, and Northern Africa, reportedly becoming one of the richest European magicians of his generation. In 1870, during the

Franco-Prussian War The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the War of 1870, was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the North German Confederation led by the Kingdom of Prussia. Lasting from 19 July 1870 to 28 Janua ...

, he formed at his expenses a company of volunteers, later becoming a captain in the regular French army.

Madagascar

In 1886, Cazeneuve arrived in Madagascar. He had been invited by queen Ranavalona III to perform at her court. Reportedly, and unbeknownst to the queen, he also went there as a French intelligence agent, charged with the mission of promoting French against British influence in Madagascar. His performances there included humorous shows lampooning the British. Several accounts, including his own autobiography published in 1896, suggested that Cazeneuve entered into a romantic relationship with the queen. Historians believe that, while the autobiography may have included some exaggeration, Cazeneuve did work for the French intelligence, and contributed to the eventual conquest of Madagascar by France in 1897. It seems that the queen maintained her affection for Cazeneuve after she went into exile, and visited him in France in 1901.

Late career

After the French conquest of Madagascar, Cazeneuve returned to Europe, where he performed again as a well-paid magician, and collected important works of arts. He died in his home city in 1913. His residence, the "House of the Commander" (Maison du Commandeur), was protected as a historical monument in 1981. In 1960, novelist Pierre Benoit told Cazeneuve's story in his novel ''Le Commandeur''.

Book by Marius Cazeneuve

*''À la cour de Madagascar, magie et diplomatie'', Paris: Ch. Delagrave, 1896.

Bibliography

*Benoit, Pierre (1960). ''Le Commandeur'', Paris: Albin Michel. . * *

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cazeneuve, Marius 1839 births 1913 deaths French magicians