The story of the Siamese twins Colloredo, who managed to become musketeers of the King of France

"— How many arms do we have? — Four! — And how many legs? — Also four! — Who are we then? — Mutant musketeers!"

You've probably heard this joke. It became popular after the release of the Soviet film "D'Artagnan and the Three Musketeers." But did you know that there is some truth to this joke? In the 17th century, when the events of Dumas' novel unfolded, there were some rather unusual warriors among the king's musketeers. They were the Siamese twins Lazarus and John Baptiste Colloredo.

Many have heard stories about people with special needs who built careers in freak shows and freak shows in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Some of them, such as Russian Nikolai Kobelkov, even became millionaires. But the first to make a fortune and achieve recognition in society were the Italian twins Lazarus and John Baptiste Colloredo.

The Colloredo conjoined twins were born in Genoa in 1617. Their birth shocked not only their parents and midwives, but the entire city. Lazarus was an ordinary baby with arms, legs, and a loud cry like all healthy children. But John emerged from his chest, head down and face out, like a branch growing out of a tree trunk.

John had two poorly developed hands with three fingers on each and one left foot. His eyes were closed, but his mouth, on the contrary, was always open. Some sources claim that the "younger" Colloredo could speak, while others say that he only sighed, coughed and moved. However, it seems that John had his own digestive system, since Lazarus regularly fed him separately.

Lazarus truly loved his brother and cared for him. Since John was constantly drooling, Lazarus always carried a supply of handkerchiefs to wipe it away. When outside, he carefully wrapped his brother in a cloak so that he would not freeze and would not attract unwanted glances. However, during arguments, Lazarus sometimes deliberately opened his clothes to shock his opponent.

It is hard to imagine how these unusual boys spent their childhood in Genoa in the 17th century. The very fact that they survived and avoided the fate of being victims of the Inquisition or a crowd of superstitious people can be considered a real miracle. But Lazarus and John not only survived - they also became circus performers.

The physical disability hardly limited Lazarus. His brother did not hinder him from walking or even running - he only had to hold him with his hand so that John's head did not dangle. The "older" brother was not deprived of physical strength either - he did not lag behind his peers.

In 17th-century Europe, human deformities were highly prized. In Italy, the Colloredo brothers' home country, there was even a secret society called the Comprachicos. These people kidnapped or bought children to mutilate them in the most brutal ways. Afterwards, the unfortunates were sold to wealthy aristocrats as jesters or sent to perform in fairground booths.

But even the most skilled comprachicos could not have created what nature had done with Lazarus and John. Thanks to this, the brothers enjoyed great success both in their native Italy and beyond. With their circus, they toured all of Italy, as well as Germany, Spain and France. The owner of the circus was delighted with his unique artists and generously rewarded them for their performances.

But eventually Lazarus and John left their careers as artists for... military service. When their circus was performing in France, the brothers were noticed by one of the courtiers of King Louis XIV. The monarch, who was nicknamed the "Sun King", considered himself a patron of the arts and a man of progressive views. He loved everything unusual and extravagant, so when he learned about the Colloredo brothers, he immediately wanted to see them in person.

Despite the objections of the circus owner, the Siamese twins were sent to Paris. During a short meeting, King Louis XIV was friendly with them and generously rewarded them with gold coins. And then the brothers received an unexpected offer - they were invited to serve in the ranks of the king's musketeers. They did not have to think twice: the brothers immediately agreed.

At the same time, they were enrolled in the royal company as two people, with the corresponding salary. Later, this nuance would save the brothers from death. Having entered the service, the Colloredo twins settled in Paris. With the king's money, they equipped themselves well, bought a horse, weapons and ordered clothes.

The brothers served on par with other musketeers, though mostly at court. There is no information that the Colloredo twins took part in battles. But it is well known that, having settled into his new place, Lazarus, having settled into his new position, became a real rake and duelist. It is easy to guess that the unusual musketeer could demand satisfaction at least every day.

People in those days were curious and rather straightforward, so the brothers often became objects of ridicule. One time, a duel with swords ended with the death of the offender. In those years, duels were strictly prohibited by law, and the penalty for conducting them was the gallows. Lazarus and John were brought to trial, but got off with only a fine and church repentance.

The judges were going to sentence Lazarus to death for murder. But it was obvious that the execution of one brother would inevitably lead to the death of the other, and John was innocent. To allow the death of a cripple who, by the will of God, was chained to an imprudent brother, was cruel. Therefore, Colloredo's musketeers were released. Perhaps the king himself intervened in their fate, but there is no definite proof of this.

After serving the king for some time, the brothers retired. The former musketeers settled in the countryside, away from prying eyes and bustle. It is known that Lazarus got married and had children. The Siamese twins Colloredo died at the age of 50, which was not bad for their time. The cause of death of the king's strangest musketeers is unknown.

The story of the Colloredo brothers is an amazing example of how people with special needs not only survived in a cruel era, but also achieved success. What do you think played a key role in their fate: innate strength of character, luck, or patronage from influential people? Share your opinion in the comments!