Born near Tourtoirac in 1825, Antoine de Thounens went on to become a successful Périgueux lawyer, but, deciding he was destined for higher things, borrowed money and set sail for Patagonia. He found a warm welcome among the local Araucanians – who regarded him as a liberator – and declared himself Antoine-Orélie I, King of Araucania in 1860. The Chilean authorities had other ideas and promptly threw him out. Undaunted, Antoine gathered more funds and tried again nine years later, but to no avail. He eventually retired, returning to Tourtoirac where he died in poverty in 1878.
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