The Count of Monte Cristo

CAPÍTULO 35. La Mazzolata

Chapter 35, titled “La Mazzolata,” centers on Count Monte Cristo’s visit to the rooms of Albert de Morcerf and Franz d’Épinay at the Hôtel de Londres in Rome. The count arrives to greet the young men, assists them in securing accommodations for Carnival festivities, and engages them in a wide-ranging conversation that moves from polite social exchange to a probing discussion of capital punishment, justice, and vengeance. The chapter culminates in a shared breakfast and a plan to witness an execution at the Piazza del Popolo, with Franz ultimately declining the offer of a window overlooking the scaffold.

Count Monte Cristo’s Arrival and Greeting

The Count of Monte Cristo enters the young men’s apartments, apologizing for not having visited sooner. He explains that he feared disturbing them and that he had been waiting for them to come to him as they had indicated they would. He also confesses that he had not learned of their earlier distress with transportation sooner because Pastrini, the hotel proprietor, failed to mention it, despite the count’s stated desire to befriend his neighbors.

Albert and Franz Thank the Count for Aid

Albert gratefully thanks the count for rescuing them from their dilemma of needing a carriage for Carnival. He acknowledges that they had been on the verge of improvising a “fantastic vehicle” when the count’s timely invitation arrived. The two young men bow in appreciation of the count’s courtesy.

Franz’s Hesitation to Acknowledge the Count

Franz, though certain the count was the man in the opera box the previous evening and possibly the one he saw at the Colosseum, remains deliberately noncommittal. Because the count gives no sign of expecting recognition, Franz chooses not to allude to their prior encounters. He reasons that he holds the count’s secret while the count has no leverage over him, and he decides to wait, subtly steering the conversation toward subjects that might illuminate the count’s identity.

Inquiry About the Piazza del Popolo Execution

Franz asks the count directly whether he can direct them to a vantage point from which to view the Piazza del Popolo. The count, glancing attentively at Morcerf, remarks that there is to be an execution there, and Franz confirms this, observing that the count is approaching the very subject he wished to raise.

Bertuccio Receives Execution Viewing Instructions

The count rings his bell three times—the signal for his steward—and Bertuccio enters. Despite resembling the smuggler who had guided Franz into the cave, Bertuccio shows no sign of recognizing Franz, indicating he has been instructed. The count instructs him to confirm that windows on the Piazza del Popolo have been secured, and Bertuccio reports that a window formerly let to Prince Lobanieff was obtained, though at considerable expense. Dismissed with instructions to prepare the carriage and to inquire with Pastrini about the execution notice, Bertuccio departs.

Discussion of Execution Methods and Mazzolata

Reading from Franz’s tablet, the count announces the day’s executions: Andrea Rondolo, convicted of murdering Canon Don César Torlini with a log, and Peppino, called Rocca Priori, convicted of complicity with the bandit Luigi Vampa. He notes that Rondolo is to be “mazzolato” (beaten to death with a mallet) and Peppino “decapitato” (beheaded), but mentions that a pardon for one of the two may have been arranged. He adds that he learned this the previous evening at Cardinal Rospigliosi’s, and remarks that the mazzolata remains a punishment worth observing, whereas beheading is mechanical and simple, gesturing toward historical examples like the bungled execution of the Count of Chalais under Richelieu.

Debate on Justice, Vengeance, and Punishment

A philosophical debate unfolds. The count dismisses European punishments as belonging to the “infancy or old age of cruelty” and claims to have witnessed most forms of execution worldwide, moving from initial horror to indifference to curiosity. He argues that the guillotine offers only “a few moments of physical pain” in exchange for years of moral suffering and that society’s retributive justice is wholly insufficient. Franz counters that society can only offer blood for blood, but the count presses further, insisting that countless private tortures go entirely unpunished, that duelling is a poor instrument of vengeance, and that he himself, if wronged, would repay slow and eternal suffering in kind—an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. When Albert asks whether he would refuse a duel, the count clarifies that he would fight over trifles like insults, but not over such deeper grievances. He concedes the risk of falling afoul of the law but notes that the worst punishment, beheading, is brief, and he expresses regret that Peppino may be pardoned, depriving the young men of the spectacle.