Siege of Privas
Encyclopedia
The Siege of Privas was undertaken by Louis XIII of France
from 14 May 1629, and the city of Privas
was captured on 28 May 1629. It was one of the last events of the Huguenot rebellions
(1621-1629).
of the main Protestant stronghold of La Rochelle
. Louis XIII then moved to eliminate the remaining Huguenot resistance in the south of France. With Alès
and Anduze
, the city of Privas was at the center of a string of Protestant strongholds in the Languedoc
, stretching from Nîmes
and Uzes
in the east, to Castres
and Montauban
in the west. Privas was selected by Antoine Hercule de Budos, marquis des Portes (1589-1629), as a strategic target; capturing it would break a line of Huguenot defences and disconnect their main centers of Nîmes
and Montauban
.
The city was defended by Alexander du Puy, a leading protestant from Montbrun-les-Bains
in the Dauphiné
, already active in Montauban (1621).
In a letter to the Queen
, Richelieu reported the destruction in wording that minimized active responsibility on the part of royal Catholic forces:
One girl who escaped the massacre was adopted by Richelieu, and was nicknamed "La Fortunée de Privas". The Marquis des Portes was killed in the siege.
in June 1629. The remaining Huguenot cities rapidly fell too, and finally Montauban surrendered after a short siege led by Bassompierre.
These last sieges of the Huguenot rebellion were followed by the Peace of Alès (27 September 1629), which settled the revolt by guaranteeing the practice of the Huguenot religion and judicial protection, but requiring Huguenot strongholds as well as political assemblies to be dismantled.
In 1640, Richelieu commissioned painter Nicolas Prévost
to paint the siege, based on the engraving by Abraham Bosse
. The painting is now located at the Château de Richelieu.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
from 14 May 1629, and the city of Privas
Privas
Privas is a commune of France, capital of the Ardèche department. It is the second-smallest administrative center of any department in France, larger than only the commune of Foix. It is the fifth-largest commune in the Ardèche, behind Annonay, Aubenas, Guilherand-Granges, and Tournon-sur-Rhône. It...
was captured on 28 May 1629. It was one of the last events of the Huguenot rebellions
Huguenot rebellions
The Huguenot rebellions, sometimes called the Rohan Wars after the Huguenot leader Henri de Rohan, refers to events of the 1620s in which French Protestants , mainly located in southwestern France, revolted against royal authority...
(1621-1629).
Context
The Siege of Privas followed the disastrous capitulationSiege of La Rochelle
The Siege of La Rochelle was a result of a war between the French royal forces of Louis XIII of France and the Huguenots of La Rochelle in 1627-1628...
of the main Protestant stronghold of La Rochelle
La Rochelle
La Rochelle is a city in western France and a seaport on the Bay of Biscay, a part of the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Charente-Maritime department.The city is connected to the Île de Ré by a bridge completed on 19 May 1988...
. Louis XIII then moved to eliminate the remaining Huguenot resistance in the south of France. With Alès
Alès
Alès is a commune in the Gard department in the Languedoc-Roussillon region in southern France. It is one of the sub-prefectures of the department. It was formerly known as Alais.-Geography:...
and Anduze
Anduze
Anduze is a commune in the Gard department in southern France.-Population:-References:*...
, the city of Privas was at the center of a string of Protestant strongholds in the Languedoc
Languedoc
Languedoc is a former province of France, now continued in the modern-day régions of Languedoc-Roussillon and Midi-Pyrénées in the south of France, and whose capital city was Toulouse, now in Midi-Pyrénées. It had an area of approximately 42,700 km² .-Geographical Extent:The traditional...
, stretching from Nîmes
Nîmes
Nîmes is the capital of the Gard department in the Languedoc-Roussillon region in southern France. Nîmes has a rich history, dating back to the Roman Empire, and is a popular tourist destination.-History:...
and Uzes
Uzès
Uzès is a commune in the Gard department in southern France.It lies about 25 km north-northeast of Nîmes.-History:Originally Ucetia, Uzès was a small Gallo-Roman oppidum, or administrative settlement. The town lies at the source of the Eure, from where a Roman aqueduct was built in the first...
in the east, to Castres
Castres
Castres is a commune, and arrondissement capital in the Tarn department and Midi-Pyrénées region in southern France. It lies in the former French province of Languedoc....
and Montauban
Montauban
Montauban is a commune in the Tarn-et-Garonne department in the Midi-Pyrénées region in southern France. It is the capital of the department and lies north of Toulouse....
in the west. Privas was selected by Antoine Hercule de Budos, marquis des Portes (1589-1629), as a strategic target; capturing it would break a line of Huguenot defences and disconnect their main centers of Nîmes
Nîmes
Nîmes is the capital of the Gard department in the Languedoc-Roussillon region in southern France. Nîmes has a rich history, dating back to the Roman Empire, and is a popular tourist destination.-History:...
and Montauban
Montauban
Montauban is a commune in the Tarn-et-Garonne department in the Midi-Pyrénées region in southern France. It is the capital of the department and lies north of Toulouse....
.
The city was defended by Alexander du Puy, a leading protestant from Montbrun-les-Bains
Montbrun-les-Bains
Montbrun-les-Bains is a commune in the Drôme department in southeastern France.The commune is well known for its spa treatments for managing respiratory disease and other medical disorders. The village is also very popular with cyclists, with cycle routes leading to the popular Mont...
in the Dauphiné
Dauphiné
The Dauphiné or Dauphiné Viennois is a former province in southeastern France, whose area roughly corresponded to that of the present departments of :Isère, :Drôme, and :Hautes-Alpes....
, already active in Montauban (1621).
The siege
Privas was captured on 28 May 1629 after a siege of 15 days, at which Louis XIII was present. 500 to 600 Huguenot men who had barricaded themselves in a fort surrendered, but some attempted to blow up themselves with Royal troops, leading to a massacre. The city was destroyed by looting and burning.In a letter to the Queen
Anne of Austria
Anne of Austria was Queen consort of France and Navarre, regent for her son, Louis XIV of France, and a Spanish Infanta by birth...
, Richelieu reported the destruction in wording that minimized active responsibility on the part of royal Catholic forces:
One girl who escaped the massacre was adopted by Richelieu, and was nicknamed "La Fortunée de Privas". The Marquis des Portes was killed in the siege.
Aftermath
After Privas, Alès soon fell in the Siege of AlèsSiege of Alès
The Siege of Alès was undertaken by Louis XIII of France, and the city captured in 17 June 1629.-The siege:The Siege of Alès followed the disastrous capitulation of the main Protestant stronghold of La Rochelle, in the Siege of La Rochelle. Huguenot resistance persisted in the south of France...
in June 1629. The remaining Huguenot cities rapidly fell too, and finally Montauban surrendered after a short siege led by Bassompierre.
These last sieges of the Huguenot rebellion were followed by the Peace of Alès (27 September 1629), which settled the revolt by guaranteeing the practice of the Huguenot religion and judicial protection, but requiring Huguenot strongholds as well as political assemblies to be dismantled.
In 1640, Richelieu commissioned painter Nicolas Prévost
Nicolas Prévost
Nicolas Prévost was a French painter at the court of Louis XIII and Richelieu. In 1640, Richelieu commissionned him to paint the Siege of Privas, based on the engraving by Abraham Bosse, as well as several more of his personal achievements. The painting is now located at the Château de Richelieu....
to paint the siege, based on the engraving by Abraham Bosse
Abraham Bosse
Abraham Bosse was a French artist, mainly as a printmaker in etching, but also in watercolour.-Life:...
. The painting is now located at the Château de Richelieu.