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Edict of Poitiers (1576)
In September 1576, King Henry III of France issued an edict at Poitiers replacing the more tolerant Edict of Beaulieu, sharply tightening restriction…
Timeline
- 1576France · FranceThe Peace of Monsieur in May 1576 granted Huguenots considerable religious freedom through the Edict of Beaulieu, but Catholic hardliners and some royal advisers deemed the concessions excessive and demanded the king retract the tolerant provisions.
- 1576Poitiers · Nouvelle-AquitaineHenry III formally issued the new edict at Poitiers: in each judicial district, Protestant public worship was permitted only in the suburbs of a single town, assemblies outside the previously granted safe towns were banned, and the political activity of Huguenot nobles was restricted.
- 1576–1577Southwestern France · FranceThe edict was seen as a betrayal of the Peace of Monsieur. Huguenots rearmed and convened assemblies, with leaders such as Henry of Navarre openly opposing it. Religious tensions quickly escalated into the Fifth War of Religion.
Sources
- Edict of Poitiers https://www.britannica.com/event/Edict-of-Poitiers
- Histoire des guerres de religion en France — Jacques-Auguste de Thou (1604)