Lecture 8: Is the King to Blame? Reactions to the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre

Is the King to Blame? Reactions to the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre I. Reactions to the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre II. Resistance Theories: Tyranny vs. Counsel III. Anti-Italianism at Court IV. The Challenge of the Religious Wars

Militant Catholic Reactions to the Massacre Letter of Joachim Opser to the Abbot of St. Gall “I want to transmit some details on these scenes that will give you a true pleasure, for I do not think it will bore you to tell you about how an event as unexpected as it is useful to our cause is developing and not only enrapturing the Christian world with admiration but also raising it to the summits of happiness... The opinion of the people of the better sort is that the kingdom of France will now regain its health, for after having defeated the leaders, it should be easy to get rid of the rest of the wicked ones.” From Diefendorf, The Saint Bartholomew’s Day Massacre: A Brief History with Documents, pp. 132-33

Reaction of Pope Gregory XIII

Medal struck by Gregory XIII to celebrate the Massacre

Giorgio Vasari, “Assassination of Admiral Coligny,” in the Sala Regia at the Vatican.

Protestant Reconversions Nicolas Pithou, Protestant historian from Troyes: “But above and beyond all of these pitiful things that were then to be seen, the saddest and most lamentable was that most of those who had previously professed the Protestant religion and taken Communion in the Lord’s Church lost no time returning to the Mass—some out of fear, others (so dazed were they) without being forced. In short,... there remained in the city only twenty who retained their purity and did not pollute themselves with the abominations of the papacy.... The number of those who rushed forward was so great, and there was such a press of them [wanting to convert], that one penitentiary priest was not enough, and so they had to give him an assistant.”

The Malcontents

François de Valois, duke of Alençon, leader of the Malcontents among the Catholic nobility

French Wars of Religion and Peace Edicts • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

First War (1562-1563) Edict of Amboise (March 1563)

Second War (1567-1568) Edict of Longjumeau (March 1568) Third War (1568-1570) Edict of Saint-Germain (August 1570) St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre (24 Aug. 1572) Fourth War (1572-1573) Edict of Boulogne (July 1573) Fifth War (1574-1576) Peace of Monsieur (1576) [Monsieur= the duke of Alençon] Sixth War (1576-1577) Edict of Poitiers (October 1577) Seventh War (1579-1580) Peace of Fleix (November 1580) Eighth War (The League) (1585-1598) Edict of Nantes (June 1598)

Calvin: Do the Faithful have the right to resist?

François Hotman and Elective Monarchy

Franco-Gallia, originally published in 1573

Protestant Resistance Theory and the “Monarchomaques” Theodore Beza, On the right of magistrates (1573)

Vindiciae contra tyrannos (Defense against tyrants) (1579)

The “Black Legend” of Catherine de’ Medici

Catherine de’ Medici in 1555, vs. in a portrait by Clouet as a widow.

Innocent Gentillet and the “Black Legend” of Catherine de’ Medici

French Wars of Religion and Peace Edicts • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

First War (1562-1563) Edict of Amboise (March 1563)

Second War (1567-1568) Edict of Longjumeau (March 1568) Third War (1568-1570) Edict of Saint-Germain (August 1570) St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre (24 Aug. 1572) Fourth War (1572-1573) Edict of Boulogne (July 1573) Fifth War (1574-1576) Peace of Monsieur (1576) Sixth War (1576-1577) Edict of Poitiers (October 1577) Seventh War (1579-1580) Peace of Fleix (November 1580) Eighth War (The League) (1585-1598) Edict of Nantes (June 1598)

1574: from Charles IX to Henri III

Charles IX (r. 1560-1574)

Henri III (r. 1574-1589)

Criticisms of Henri III

Henri III with his mignons and lap-dogs

Louise de Lorraine, Queen of France

Valois Tapestries: Festival at Bayonne, 1565

Valois Tapestries: Festival at the Tuilleries, 1573

“Ballet Comique de la Reine,” 1582

Ball at the court of Henri III, 1580

Catherine de’ Medici, Loyal Widow of Henri II Germain Pilon, Monument for the Heart of Henri II (1560) Pilon and Primaticcio, Tomb of Henri II and Catherine de’ Medici at St. Denis (1563)

Jean-Louis de Nogaret, duc d'Epernon (a key mignon)