The Mérindol massacre took place in 1545, when Francis I of France ordered the Waldensians of the village of

Mérindol Mérindol (; oc, Merindòu) is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France. The village, located south of the Luberon massif, has some prominence in the plain of the Durance river which ...

to be punished for heresy. Provençal and papal soldiers killed hundreds or even thousands of Waldensian villagers.

Arrêt de Mérindol

Outside the Piedmont of Italy, the Waldensians joined the local Protestant churches in Bohemia, France and Germany. They had regrouped in the

Luberon The Luberon ( or ; Provençal: ''Leberon'' or ''Leberoun'' ) is a massif in central Provence in Southern France, part of the French Prealps. It has a maximum elevation of and an area of about . It is composed of three mountain ranges (from we ...

and followed their religions in a carefully concealed manner. As Lutherans started to penetrate their region, the Waldensians' activities came under scrutiny by the French government. The Waldensians became more militant, constructing fortified areas, as in Cabrières, or attacking an abbey. The Parlement of Provence issued the "Arrêt de Mérindol" on 18 November 1541. This was confirmed in 1545 by

Francis I Francis I or Francis the First may refer to: * Francesco I Gonzaga (1366–1407) * Francis I, Duke of Brittany (1414–1450), reigned 1442–1450 * Francis I of France (1494–1547), King of France, reigned 1515–1547 * Francis I, Duke of Saxe-Lau ...

after a series of appeals eventually failed. In April, Maynier raised an army of Provençal troops, who were joined by forces from the papal

Comtat Venaissin The Comtat Venaissin (; Provençal: , Mistralian norm: , classical norm: ; 'County of Venaissin'), often called the for short, was a part of the Papal States (1274‒1791) in what is now the region of France. The entire region was an enclav ...

against the Waldensians of Mérindol and Cabrières.

The massacres

En mémoire des Vaudois de Provence morts pour leur foi

The leaders in the 1545 massacres were Jean Maynier d'Oppède, First President of the parlement of Provence, and

Antoine Escalin des Aimars Antoine Escalin des Aimars (1516 - 1578), also known as Captain Polin or Captain Paulin, later Baron de La Garde, was French ambassador to the Ottoman Empire from 1541 to 1547, and ''"Général des Galères"'' ("General of the galleys") from 1544 ...

, who was returning from the Italian Wars with 2,000 veterans, the ''Bandes de Piémont''. Escalin was on his way to fight against the English in the area of

Boulogne Boulogne-sur-Mer (; pcd, Boulonne-su-Mér; nl, Bonen; la, Gesoriacum or ''Bononia''), often called just Boulogne (, ), is a coastal city in Northern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department of Pas-de-Calais. Boulogne lies on the ...

after returning from an embassy to Constantinople, where he was French Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire. While in Marseilles in 1545, he was requested to assist Jean Maynier d'Oppède in the repression. These soldiers took the villages of Mérindol and Cabrières and also devastated neighbouring Waldensian villages. Historians have estimated that the soldiers killed hundreds to thousands of people. They captured survivors and sent hundreds of men to forced labour in the French galleys. In total, they destroyed between 22 and 28 villages. The execution of one young man, a servant, might well have been the first example of execution by firing squad in Europe for causes of ideology. In the aftermath, Pope Paul III approved of the actions taken; the Pope rewarded Maynier with Imperial honours. When Henry II took the French throne, however, he promised to investigate the affair. The Parliament of Paris tried the leaders of the attacks, but eventually acquitted all but one. The massacres probably influenced the Waldensians to become more attached to the

Calvinist Calvinism (also called the Reformed Tradition, Reformed Protestantism, Reformed Christianity, or simply Reformed) is a major branch of Protestantism that follows the theological tradition and forms of Christian practice set down by John Cal ...

churches.

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Merindol, Massacre 1545 in France History of Christianity in France Conflicts in 1545 Persecution of the Waldensians Massacres in France History of Vaucluse French Wars of Religion Francis I of France Massacres committed by France Massacres in 1545