The Edict of Beaulieu (also known at the time as the Peace of Monsieur) was promulgated from

Beaulieu-lès-Loches Beaulieu-lès-Loches (, literally ''Beaulieu Lès, near Loches'') is a Communes of France, commune in the Indre-et-Loire Departments of France, department in central France. History A great abbey church named ''Belli Locus'' dedicated to the Ho ...

on 6 May 1576 by

Henry III of France Henry III (; ; ; 19 September 1551 – 2 August 1589) was King of France from 1574 until his assassination in 1589, as well as King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1573 to 1575. As the fourth son of King Henry II of France, he ...

, who was pressured by

Alençon Alençon (, , ; ) is a commune in Normandy, France, and the capital of the Orne department. It is situated between Paris and Rennes (about west of Paris) and a little over north of Le Mans. Alençon belongs to the intercommunality of Alen� ...

's support of the

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

army besieging Paris that spring. The Edict, which was negotiated by the king's brother, ''Monsieur''— François, duc d'Alençon, who was now made duc d'Anjou— gave

Huguenot The Huguenots ( , ; ) are a Religious denomination, religious group of French people, French Protestants who held to the Reformed (Calvinist) tradition of Protestantism. The term, which may be derived from the name of a Swiss political leader, ...

s the right of public worship for their religion, thenceforth officially called the ''religion prétendue réformée'' ("supposed reformed religion"), throughout France, except at Paris and at Court. Huguenots were permitted to own and build churches, to hold consistories and synods, and occupy eight fortified towns called '' places de sûreté''. In eight of the ''

parlement Under the French Ancien Régime, a ''parlement'' () was a provincial appellate court of the Kingdom of France. In 1789, France had 13 ''parlements'', the original and most important of which was the ''Parlement'' of Paris. Though both th ...

s'', chambers were created called ''mis-parties'' because the same number of Catholics and Protestants sat in these tribunals. Additionally, there was to be a disclaimer of the Massacre of St. Bartholomew, and the families which had suffered from it were to be returned to positions of prominence and fairly compensated. These large concessions to the Huguenots and the approbation given to their political organization led to the formation of the Catholic League, which was organized by Catholics anxious to defend their religion. The King held a '' lit de justice'' in the

Parlement of Paris The ''Parlement'' of Paris () was the oldest ''parlement'' in the Kingdom of France, formed in the 14th century. Parlements were judicial, rather than legislative, bodies and were composed of magistrates. Though not representative bodies in the p ...

on 14 May to subvert pending opposition in the strongly Catholic ''parlement'' and to ensure that the Edict was duly inscribed.According to the papal nuncio, Antonio Maria Salviati, "La corte non voleva emologare le lettere, ma il Re in persona vi è andato..." Holt 1988, ''eo. loc.''. In December 1576, however, the States-General of Blois declared itself against the Edict of Beaulieu. Thereupon the Protestants took up arms under the leadership of Henry of Navarre, who, escaping from the Court, had returned to the

Calvinism Reformed Christianity, also called Calvinism, is a major branch of Protestantism that began during the 16th-century Protestant Reformation. In the modern day, it is largely represented by the Continental Reformed Christian, Presbyteri ...

which he had abjured at the time of the Massacre of St. Bartholomew. The advantage was on the Catholic side, thanks to some successes achieved by the duc d'Anjou. In September 1577, the Treaty of Bergerac, confirmed by the Edict of Poitiers, left the Huguenots the free exercise of their religion only in the

suburb A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area. They are oftentimes where most of a metropolitan areas jobs are located with some being predominantly residential. They can either be denser or less densely populated ...

s of one town in each

bailiwick A bailiwick () is usually the area of jurisdiction of a bailiff, and once also applied to territories in which a privately appointed bailiff exercised the sheriff's functions under a royal or imperial writ. In English, the original French combi ...

(''bailliage''), and in those places where it had been practiced before the outbreak of hostilities and which they occupied at the current date.

References

Sources

*Pierre Miquel, ''Les Guerres de religion'', Fayard, 1980. . *Wilkinson, Maurice, "The Wars of Religion in the Périgord", ''The English Historical Review'' 21, No. 84., October 1906, (Oxford University Press). {{Edicts and Treaties of the French Wars of Religion 1576 works French Wars of Religion 1576 in France Beaulieu Beaulieu Henry III of France 1576 in Christianity 1576 treaties

See also

References

Sources