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157224 August 1572 · Paris

St Bartholomew's Day massacre

The Gothic church of Saint-Germain-l'Auxerrois and the matching town hall, opposite the Louvre
Photo: Tangopaso. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Days after the Protestant Henri of Navarre married the king's sister in Paris, a match meant to seal peace, the royal council ordered the killing of the Protestant leader Admiral Coligny. Paris crowds then turned on the Huguenots gathered for the wedding, and the killing spread to other towns for weeks, leaving thousands dead. Henri survived, became Henri IV, and granted toleration in 1598.

Sites

  1. Site 1: Saint-Germain-l'AuxerroisThe Louvre's parish church, whose bell is said to have signalled the killing.Map ↗
  2. Site 2: Louvre PalaceThe royal palace where the court decided on the killings.Map ↗
  3. Site 3: Oratoire du LouvreA Protestant church with a memorial to Coligny, near where he was murdered.Map ↗

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