By 1570 Huguenots ((French Calvinist Protestants) who were, concentrated mainly in the southern and central parts of France, made up around one eighth of the French population. However, King Henry II of France considered the Protestants to be a disruptive influence in French political life. In 1571, he set up a special court, called the "Fiery Chamber", in the Parisian Parliament to fight heresy and persecute the Huguenots.
On August 24, 1572, St. Bartholomew's Day, church bells gave the signal for the terrible massacre of thousands of Huguenots in France. The Queen Mother, Catherine de Medici, caused this massacre by frightening the authorities with talk of an impending Huguenot uprising. Her young son, King Charles IX panicked and cried, "Kill them all! Kill them all!"
The mass killing of nearly 10,000 French Huguenots (Protestants) in Paris by Catholics took place six days after the wedding of the Protestant Prince Henry (the future Henry IV of France). to Margaret de Valois. As the result of hysteria created by the non-Protestant members of the French royal family, Catholics in Paris slaughtered many of the most wealthy and prominent Huguenots in cold blood who had come to the city for the royal wedding. Henry escaped the carnage by temporary feigning a renunciation of his Protestant faith.
Philip II of Spain danced for joy at the news of the atrocity, but the remainder of Europe was shocked. Even Russia's Czar, Ivan the Terrible accused the French of barbarism.
From August to October 1572, similar massacres of Huguenots took place in a total of twelve other cities, including Toulouse, Bordeaux, Lyon, Bourges, Rouen and Orléans. Both sides prepared for a civil war, which began before the end of the year. Hundreds of thousands of Huguenots fled France, some to the East End of London.
Prince Henry became head of the Protestant party in France after escaping from the French court where he had been held prisoner because of his Protestant faith. On becoming the French king he converted to Catholicism. It was a political conversion aimed at bringing an end to the religious wars that had ravaged France for so long
Henry issued the Edict of Nantes in 1598, which granted Huguenots substantial rights and freedoms. He also restored their old places of worship and granted them permission to build new ones
On August 24, 1572, St. Bartholomew's Day, church bells gave the signal for the terrible massacre of thousands of Huguenots in France. The Queen Mother, Catherine de Medici, caused this massacre by frightening the authorities with talk of an impending Huguenot uprising. Her young son, King Charles IX panicked and cried, "Kill them all! Kill them all!"
The mass killing of nearly 10,000 French Huguenots (Protestants) in Paris by Catholics took place six days after the wedding of the Protestant Prince Henry (the future Henry IV of France). to Margaret de Valois. As the result of hysteria created by the non-Protestant members of the French royal family, Catholics in Paris slaughtered many of the most wealthy and prominent Huguenots in cold blood who had come to the city for the royal wedding. Henry escaped the carnage by temporary feigning a renunciation of his Protestant faith.
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| Depiction of the St. Bartholomew's Day massacre by François Dubois |
Philip II of Spain danced for joy at the news of the atrocity, but the remainder of Europe was shocked. Even Russia's Czar, Ivan the Terrible accused the French of barbarism.
From August to October 1572, similar massacres of Huguenots took place in a total of twelve other cities, including Toulouse, Bordeaux, Lyon, Bourges, Rouen and Orléans. Both sides prepared for a civil war, which began before the end of the year. Hundreds of thousands of Huguenots fled France, some to the East End of London.
Prince Henry became head of the Protestant party in France after escaping from the French court where he had been held prisoner because of his Protestant faith. On becoming the French king he converted to Catholicism. It was a political conversion aimed at bringing an end to the religious wars that had ravaged France for so long
Henry issued the Edict of Nantes in 1598, which granted Huguenots substantial rights and freedoms. He also restored their old places of worship and granted them permission to build new ones
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