The Battle of Orthez was fought during the
French Wars of Religion
The French Wars of Religion is the term which is used in reference to a period of civil war between French Catholic Church, Catholics and Protestantism, Protestants, commonly called Huguenots, which lasted from 1562 to 1598. According to estim ...
, at
Orthez
Orthez (; eu, Ortheze; oc, Ortès, ) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, and region of New Aquitaine, southwestern France.
It lies 40 km NW of Pau on the Southern railway to Bayonne. The town also encompasses the sma ...
on Wednesday August 24, 1569.
Huguenot
The Huguenots ( , also , ) were a religious group of French Protestants who held to the Reformed, or Calvinist, tradition of Protestantism. The term, which may be derived from the name of a Swiss political leader, the Genevan burgomaster Be ...
forces under the leadership of
Gabriel de Montgomery defeated Royalist forces under General
Terride in
French Navarre. Following the battle, Huguenot forces killed many of their Catholic prisoners.
Background
In the later half of the sixteenth century, all
Aquitaine
Aquitaine ( , , ; oc, Aquitània ; eu, Akitania; Poitevin-Saintongeais: ''Aguiéne''), archaic Guyenne or Guienne ( oc, Guiana), is a historical region of southwestern France and a former administrative region of the country. Since 1 January ...
above the
Garonne
The Garonne (, also , ; Occitan, Catalan, Basque, and es, Garona, ; la, Garumna
or ) is a river of southwest France and northern Spain. It flows from the central Spanish Pyrenees to the Gironde estuary at the French port of Bordeaux – a ...
except for
Bordeaux
Bordeaux ( , ; Gascon oc, Bordèu ; eu, Bordele; it, Bordò; es, Burdeos) is a port city on the river Garonne in the Gironde department, Southwestern France. It is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the prefectur ...
was in
Protestant
Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...
hands. At that time,
Orthez
Orthez (; eu, Ortheze; oc, Ortès, ) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, and region of New Aquitaine, southwestern France.
It lies 40 km NW of Pau on the Southern railway to Bayonne. The town also encompasses the sma ...
was the largest and most dynamic city of
Béarn
The Béarn (; ; oc, Bearn or ''Biarn''; eu, Bearno or ''Biarno''; or ''Bearnia'') is one of the traditional provinces of France, located in the Pyrenees mountains and in the plain at their feet, in southwest France. Along with the three Bas ...
. It was a market town which served as the main funnel for products making their way to
Bayonne
Bayonne (; eu, Baiona ; oc, label= Gascon, Baiona ; es, Bayona) is a city in Southwestern France near the Spanish border. It is a commune and one of two subprefectures in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine re ...
for export. Orthez was therefore quite wealthy. One wealthy Protestant,
Adrien-Arnaud de Gachassin, had gifted his mansion in
Orthez
Orthez (; eu, Ortheze; oc, Ortès, ) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, and region of New Aquitaine, southwestern France.
It lies 40 km NW of Pau on the Southern railway to Bayonne. The town also encompasses the sma ...
to
Jeanne d' Albret in 1555 (today, it is called Maison of Jeanne d' Albret and has become a museum of how wealthy Protestants lived). The
Huguenots
The Huguenots ( , also , ) were a Religious denomination, religious group of French people, French Protestants who held to the Reformed, or Calvinist, tradition of Protestantism. The term, which may be derived from the name of a Swiss politica ...
were therefore desirous of capturing the important and wealthy town of
Orthez
Orthez (; eu, Ortheze; oc, Ortès, ) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, and region of New Aquitaine, southwestern France.
It lies 40 km NW of Pau on the Southern railway to Bayonne. The town also encompasses the sma ...
.
En route to Orthez
The
Protestant
Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...
forces of
Montgomery and
Montamat
Montamat is a commune in the Gers department in southwestern France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Ameri ...
had left
Castres
Castres (; ''Castras'' in the Languedocian dialect, Languedocian dialect of Occitan language, Occitan) is the sole Subprefectures in France, subprefecture of the Tarn (department), Tarn Departments of France, department in the Occitania (administ ...
around noon on July 27, 1569. They
pillaged along the way, passing through Mazères in
Foix
Foix (; oc, Fois ; ca, Foix ) is a commune, the former capital of the County of Foix. It is the capital of the department of Ariège as it is the seat of the Préfecture of that department. Foix is located in the Occitanie region of southwe ...
. The troops crossed the
Garonne
The Garonne (, also , ; Occitan, Catalan, Basque, and es, Garona, ; la, Garumna
or ) is a river of southwest France and northern Spain. It flows from the central Spanish Pyrenees to the Gironde estuary at the French port of Bordeaux – a ...
and the
Gave
GAVE may refer to:
* Gave (Melgaço), a parish in Portugal
* Gave (placename element), a French word meaning ''torrential river'' in the west Pyrenees
* Gastric antral vascular ectasia (GAVE), a medical condition
* Gabinete de Avaliação Educacio ...
at
Coarreze and by August 9, they reached
Queen Jeanne d' Albret’s castle at
Navarrenx
Navarrenx (; oc, Navarrencs, ; eu, Nabarrengose, eu, label=Zuberoan dialect, Zuberoan, Nabarrenkoxe) is a town and communes of France, commune in the departments of France, French department of Pyrénées-Atlantiques (Béarn) and the region of ...
. On August 11, the troops were on the move again and now headed for
Orthez
Orthez (; eu, Ortheze; oc, Ortès, ) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, and region of New Aquitaine, southwestern France.
It lies 40 km NW of Pau on the Southern railway to Bayonne. The town also encompasses the sma ...
. By August 15, after a relentless siege, Montgomery had weakened
Orthez
Orthez (; eu, Ortheze; oc, Ortès, ) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, and region of New Aquitaine, southwestern France.
It lies 40 km NW of Pau on the Southern railway to Bayonne. The town also encompasses the sma ...
greatly. On August 24, Huguenots captured the town and massacred many of the imprisoned Catholics. Among the victims were
Terride,
Bassillon, governor of
Navarrenx
Navarrenx (; oc, Navarrencs, ; eu, Nabarrengose, eu, label=Zuberoan dialect, Zuberoan, Nabarrenkoxe) is a town and communes of France, commune in the departments of France, French department of Pyrénées-Atlantiques (Béarn) and the region of ...
, as well as other leadership and troops in Terride’s defenses, local clergy, and people of
Orthez
Orthez (; eu, Ortheze; oc, Ortès, ) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, and region of New Aquitaine, southwestern France.
It lies 40 km NW of Pau on the Southern railway to Bayonne. The town also encompasses the sma ...
. A special death was contrived for the clergy - they were thrown to their deaths from the heights of Orthez's
Le Pont-Vieux over the
Gave de Pau
The Gave de Pau () is a river of south-western France. It takes its name from the city of Pau, through which it flows. The river is long ( including the Gaves réunis), and its source is at the Cirque de Gavarnie in the Pyrenees mountains. The ...
. In addition, the local
Moncade castle was destroyed as well as the town’s churches and many homes.
Aftermath
Massacre of religious opponents characterised much of the Wars of Religion.
Montgomery’s Huguenot troops committed subsequent massacres of Catholics in
Artix,
Tarbes
Tarbes (; Gascon: ''Tarba'') is a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in the Occitanie region of southwestern France. It is the capital of Bigorre and of the Hautes-Pyrénées. It has been a commune since 1790. It was known as ''Turba'' ...
, and elsewhere, while a massacre of Protestants took place in Paris and a number of other cities in August-September 1572.
Jeanne III d'Albret (1528–1572), queen of Navarre, and considered “queen of the Huguenots” played a leading role during the
French Wars of Religion
The French Wars of Religion is the term which is used in reference to a period of civil war between French Catholic Church, Catholics and Protestantism, Protestants, commonly called Huguenots, which lasted from 1562 to 1598. According to estim ...
in the vast territory of
Guyenne
Guyenne or Guienne (, ; oc, Guiana ) was an old French province which corresponded roughly to the Roman province of '' Aquitania Secunda'' and the archdiocese of Bordeaux.
The name "Guyenne" comes from ''Aguyenne'', a popular transformation o ...
in southwestern France. Her goal was to create a
Protestant
Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...
Guyenne
Guyenne or Guienne (, ; oc, Guiana ) was an old French province which corresponded roughly to the Roman province of '' Aquitania Secunda'' and the archdiocese of Bordeaux.
The name "Guyenne" comes from ''Aguyenne'', a popular transformation o ...
by force of arms. Based on correspondence and the memoirs of Jeanne III d'Albret, as well as the fact that the war was taken specifically to
Orthez
Orthez (; eu, Ortheze; oc, Ortès, ) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, and region of New Aquitaine, southwestern France.
It lies 40 km NW of Pau on the Southern railway to Bayonne. The town also encompasses the sma ...
and
Navarrenx
Navarrenx (; oc, Navarrencs, ; eu, Nabarrengose, eu, label=Zuberoan dialect, Zuberoan, Nabarrenkoxe) is a town and communes of France, commune in the departments of France, French department of Pyrénées-Atlantiques (Béarn) and the region of ...
by her direct orders, the historian
Communay
Communay () is a commune in the Rhône department in eastern France. It is around 15 km south of the centre of Lyon.
See also
*Communes of the Rhône department
The following is a list of the 208 communes of the Rhône department of Fra ...
posits that she herself may have ordered the slaughter of the Catholic prisoners. Doubtless, however, the Huguenots were so enraged from the persecution inflicted on them by the Catholics that they could not be restrained from the massacre.
The massacre at Orthez occurred three years to the day before the
St. Bartholomew's Day massacre in Paris, which some historians suggest may have been a revenge killing for the massacre of Catholics in Orthez. In all, both events fit into the bigger picture of the Wars of Religion.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Orthez, Battle of
History of Catholicism in France
Battles of the French Wars of Religion
Battles in Nouvelle-Aquitaine
History of Pyrénées-Atlantiques
1569 in France
Conflicts in 1569