Parliament of Tours
Encyclopedia
The Parliament of Tours was a faction of parliamentarians from the parliament of Paris faithful to the king and sitting at Tours
from June 1589 to April 1594. It was also known as the King's Parliament, in opposition to the Catholic League
's Parliament in Paris.
In 1589, Paris was effectively in the hands of the League. To escape, Henry III of France
summoned the parliament of Paris to meet at Tours, but only a small faction of its parliamentarians accepted the summons. (Henry also held a parliament at Châlons
, a town remaining faithful to the king, known as the parliament of Châlons.) Following the king's assassination by the monk Jacques Clément
, the parliament of Tours continued to sit during the first years of Henry IV of France
's reign.
The royalist members of the other provincial parliaments also split off—the royalist members of the parlement de Rouen seceded to Caen
, those in the parlement de Toulouse to Carcassonne
, and those of parlement de Dijon to Semur
and to Flavigny
.
Tours
Tours is a city in central France, the capital of the Indre-et-Loire department.It is located on the lower reaches of the river Loire, between Orléans and the Atlantic coast. Touraine, the region around Tours, is known for its wines, the alleged perfection of its local spoken French, and for the...
from June 1589 to April 1594. It was also known as the King's Parliament, in opposition to the Catholic League
Catholic League (French)
The Catholic League of France, sometimes referred to by contemporary Roman Catholics as the Holy League, a major player in the French Wars of Religion, was formed by Duke Henry of Guise in 1576...
's Parliament in Paris.
In 1589, Paris was effectively in the hands of the League. To escape, Henry III of France
Henry III of France
Henry III was King of France from 1574 to 1589. As Henry of Valois, he was the first elected monarch of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth with the dual titles of King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1573 to 1575.-Childhood:Henry was born at the Royal Château de Fontainebleau,...
summoned the parliament of Paris to meet at Tours, but only a small faction of its parliamentarians accepted the summons. (Henry also held a parliament at Châlons
Chalons
Chalons may refer to:Places* Châlons, in France's Isère département* Châlons-en-Champagne, formerly Châlons-sur-Marne, in the Marne département* Chalon-sur-Saône, in the Saône-et-Loire département* Roman Catholic Diocese of Châlons...
, a town remaining faithful to the king, known as the parliament of Châlons.) Following the king's assassination by the monk Jacques Clément
Jacques Clément
Jacques Clément was the assassin of the French king Henry III.He was born at Serbonnes, in today's Yonne département, in Burgundy, and became a Dominican lay brother....
, the parliament of Tours continued to sit during the first years of Henry IV of France
Henry IV of France
Henry IV , Henri-Quatre, was King of France from 1589 to 1610 and King of Navarre from 1572 to 1610. He was the first monarch of the Bourbon branch of the Capetian dynasty in France....
's reign.
The royalist members of the other provincial parliaments also split off—the royalist members of the parlement de Rouen seceded to Caen
Caen
Caen is a commune in northwestern France. It is the prefecture of the Calvados department and the capital of the Basse-Normandie region. It is located inland from the English Channel....
, those in the parlement de Toulouse to Carcassonne
Carcassonne
Carcassonne is a fortified French town in the Aude department, of which it is the prefecture, in the former province of Languedoc.It is divided into the fortified Cité de Carcassonne and the more expansive lower city, the ville basse. Carcassone was founded by the Visigoths in the fifth century,...
, and those of parlement de Dijon to Semur
Semur-en-Auxois
Semur-en-Auxois is a commune of the Côte-d'Or department in eastern France.Semur-en-Auxois has a medieval core, built on a pink granite bluff more than half-encircled by the River Armançon...
and to Flavigny
Flavigny
Flavigny is the name or part of the name of several communes in France:* Flavigny, in the Cher département* Flavigny, in the Marne département* Flavigny-le-Grand-et-Beaurain, in the Aisne département...
.