16 nov 1572 - St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacres (1572)

Description:

French Calvinists – They followed the teachings of John Calvin
and frequently challenged the power of the Catholic French
monarchy. Many Huguenots would flee France after thousands of
them became victims of a series of massacres known as the St.
Bartholomew’s Day Massacres approved by the French monarchy
This series of massacres began on Aug. 22, 1572 (St.
Bartholomew’s Day) the day after the wedding between King
Henry of Navarre (a Huguenot) and Princess Margot of France (aa
Catholic). The French Queen Mother, Catherine de Medici and her
son, the young King Charles IX of France, approved of the
massacre of thousands of Huguenots who had come to Paris for the
wedding of her Catholic daughter. This king-approved massacre
resulted in the death of thousands of Huguenots in Paris and
throughout France. Killings of Huguenots continued until October
3 of the same year. The pope sent a golden rose as sign of his
approval to the French King Charles IX and ordered that a “Te
Deum” or hymn of thanksgiving be performed. On hearing of the
Huguenot slaughter in France, King Philip II of Spain, son of
Emperor Charles, was said to have “laughed for the only time on
record.” Many of the surviving French Huguenots fled to The
Netherlands (where they would later help create the Dutch
Republic).