The Barrels Beneath Parliament

In 1605, a group of English Catholic conspirators hides dozens of powder barrels beneath Westminster Parliament to assassinate King James I and a large part of the English political elite. The Gunpowder Plot ultimately fails a few hours before the planned explosion.

At the beginning of the 17th century, religious tensions remain very strong in England after several decades of conflicts between Catholics and Protestants. Part of English Catholics still hope for a relaxation of repressive policies after James I's rise to power.

Faced with the absence of major change, a small group of conspirators led notably by Robert Catesby prepares a spectacular attack aimed at destroying the House of Lords during Parliament's official opening. The conspirators discreetly rent a cellar located beneath the building and store several dozen powder barrels there. Guy Fawkes, a former soldier experienced with explosives, is charged with triggering the operation.

A few days before the attack, an anonymous letter warns a Parliament member not to attend the ceremony. Authorities then launch more thorough searches in Westminster's basements and discover Guy Fawkes with the explosives on the night of November 4-5, 1605.

The plot's failure lastingly reinforces English anti-Catholic policies. Each year, "Guy Fawkes Night" continues even today to commemorate the event with bonfires and fireworks in the United Kingdom.