The Battle of Saint-Denis was fought on 10 November 1567 between a Royalist army and
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 ...
rebels during the second of 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 ...
. Although their 74 year old commander,
Anne de Montmorency
Anne, Duke of Montmorency, Honorary Knight of the Garter (15 March 1493, Chantilly, Oise12 November 1567, Paris) was a French soldier, statesman and diplomat. He became Marshal of France and Constable of France and served five kings.
Early lif ...
, was killed in the fighting, the Royalists forced the rebels to withdraw, allowing them to claim victory.
The only major conflict of the second phase, the battle came about when Montmorency attempted to break
Condé's siege of
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
. The Huguenot army retreated towards the border, where they linked up with forces led by their ally
John Casimir of the Palatinate-Simmern
John Casimir, Count Palatine of Simmern (German: ''Johann Casimir von Pfalz-Simmern'') (7 March 1543 – Brockhaus Geschichte Second Edition) was a German prince and a younger son of Frederick III, Elector Palatine. A firm Calvinist, he was a lead ...
, before
besieging Chartres in February 1568. The war ended shortly thereafter.
Prelude to battle
Paris invested
After the failure of the Protestants to capture the king in the
Surprise of Meaux
The surprise of Meaux (''La surprise de Meaux'') was a failed coup attempt by leading aristocratic Huguenots which precipitated the second French War of Religion. Dissatisfied with their lot, and under the pretext of fear of extermination, Loui ...
,
Charles IX and the
queen mother
A queen mother is a former queen, often a queen dowager, who is the mother of the reigning monarch. The term has been used in English since the early 1560s. It arises in hereditary monarchies in Europe and is also used to describe a number of ...
rushed to Paris. Keen not to waste his mobilisation advantage, Conde made camp at
Saint-Denis on 2 October, hoping to quickly starve the capital out before the full royal army could mobilise. Simultaneous risings across France in
Orléans
Orléans (;["Orleans"](_blank)
(US) and [Nîmes
Nîmes ( , ; oc, Nimes ; Latin: ''Nemausus'') is the prefecture of the Gard department in the Occitanie region of Southern France. Located between the Mediterranean Sea and Cévennes, the commune of Nîmes has an estimated population of 148,5 ...]
and
Montpellier
Montpellier (, , ; oc, Montpelhièr ) is a city in southern France near the Mediterranean Sea. One of the largest urban centres in the region of Occitania (administrative region), Occitania, Montpellier is the prefecture of the Departments of ...
aided 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 ...
cause. Conde seized first
Charenton-le-Pont
Charenton-le-Pont () is a Communes of France, commune in the southeastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the Kilometre Zero, centre of Paris, to the north of the confluence of the Seine and Marne (river), Marne rivers; the () pa ...
, a strategic town in the suburbs of Paris that supplied the city with its grain and flour.
Lagny-sur-Marne
Lagny-sur-Marne (, literally ''Lagny on Marne'') is a commune in the eastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France from the centre of Paris.
The commune of Lagny-sur-Marne is part of th ...
,
Argenteuil
Argenteuil () is a Communes of France, commune in the northwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the Kilometre Zero, center of Paris. Argenteuil is a Subprefectures in France, sub-prefecture of the Val-d'Oise Departments of France, ...
and
Aubervilliers
Aubervilliers () is a commune in the Seine-Saint-Denis department, Île-de-France region, northeastern suburbs of Paris, France. The inhabitants of the commune are known as ''Albertivillariens'' or ''Albertivillariennes''.
Geography
Localisati ...
also fell to his forces, leaving Paris surrounded.
Further afield
Montereau,
Étampes
Étampes () is a commune in the metropolitan area of Paris, France. It is located south-southwest from the center of Paris (as the crow flies). Étampes is a sub-prefecture of the Essonne department.
Étampes, together with the neighboring c ...
and
Dreux
Dreux () is a commune in the Eure-et-Loir department in northern France.
Geography
Dreux lies on the small river Blaise, a tributary of the Eure, about 35 km north of Chartres. Dreux station has rail connections to Argentan, Paris and Granvi ...
were seized, each of which controlled important roads towards the capital.
Windmills were burned by 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 ...
in the
Faubourg
"Faubourg" () is an ancient French term historically equivalent to " fore-town" (now often termed suburb or ). The earliest form is , derived from Latin , 'out of', and Vulgar Latin (originally Germanic) , 'town' or 'fortress'. Traditionally, t ...
s of Paris, while many churches were looted of their valuables, further alienating the population of the city from their cause. Merchants were subject to forced loans, while peasants were conscripted into
Corvée
Corvée () is a form of unpaid, forced labour, that is intermittent in nature lasting for limited periods of time: typically for only a certain number of days' work each year.
Statute labour is a corvée imposed by a state for the purposes of ...
labour for the besieging army. Meanwhile, the city of Paris offered up 400,000 écus for the kings cause, and the clergy a further 250,000 for the defeat of the Huguenots.
Negotiation stalling
Conscious of their precarious situation the crown sent out the moderate
Chancellor
Chancellor ( la, cancellarius) is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the or lattice work screens of a basilica or law cou ...
,
Marshal Vielleville and
Jean de Morvilliers to negotiate, as a method of buying time for the crowns army to assemble.
Conde, feeling confident, set out aggressive demands asking for the expulsion of Italian financiers, the repeal of all taxes created since
Louis XII
Louis XII (27 June 14621 January 1515), was King of France from 1498 to 1515 and King of Naples from 1501 to 1504. The son of Charles, Duke of Orléans, and Maria of Cleves, he succeeded his 2nd cousin once removed and brother in law at the tim ...
, the free exercise of religion regardless of station, the calling of an
Estates General and four fortified towns to be given to them, as surety.
While these negotiations were ongoing, the
Duke of Savoy
The titles of count, then of duke of Savoy are titles of nobility attached to the historical territory of Savoy. Since its creation, in the 11th century, the county was held by the House of Savoy. The County of Savoy was elevated to a Duchy of Sav ...
was sending recruits north, the main body under
Strozzi Strozzi is an Italian surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Numerous members of the Strozzi family, an ancient later ennobled family from Florence
** Alessandra Macinghi Strozzi (c. 1408–1471), an Italian businesswoman and aristocr ...
travelling north via
Piedmont
it, Piemontese
, population_note =
, population_blank1_title =
, population_blank1 =
, demographics_type1 =
, demographics1_footnotes =
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, demographics1_title2 ...
with
Gaspard II de Coligny
Gaspard de Coligny (16 February 1519 – 24 August 1572), Seigneur de Châtillon, was a French nobleman, Admiral of France, and Huguenot leader during the French Wars of Religion. He served under kings Francis I and Henry II during the It ...
and La Noue trying to intercept.
Pope Pius V
Pope Pius V ( it, Pio V; 17 January 1504 – 1 May 1572), born Antonio Ghislieri (from 1518 called Michele Ghislieri, O.P.), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 8 January 1566 to his death in May 1572. He is v ...
also sent troops up north, meanwhile, the Protestant hope that their religious Swiss brethren could be persuaded to switch side fell flat, as the 6000 Swiss troops remained loyal to the crown.
On October 8 the crown offered pardon to the rebels, if they would lay down their arms. Condé was however, only increasing in confidence, with the capture of
Soissons
Soissons () is a commune in the northern French department of Aisne, in the region of Hauts-de-France. Located on the river Aisne, about northeast of Paris, it is one of the most ancient towns of France, and is probably the ancient capital ...
and
Orléans
Orléans (;["Orleans"](_blank)
(US) and [Calais
Calais ( , , traditionally , ) is a port city in the Pas-de-Calais department, of which it is a subprefecture. Although Calais is by far the largest city in Pas-de-Calais, the department's prefecture is its third-largest city of Arras. Th ...]
Boulogne
Boulogne-sur-Mer (; pcd, Boulonne-su-Mér; nl, Bonen; la, Gesoriacum or ''Bononia''), often called just Boulogne (, ), is a coastal city in Northern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department of Pas-de-Calais. Boulogne lies on the ...
and
Metz
Metz ( , , lat, Divodurum Mediomatricorum, then ) is a city in northeast France located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers. Metz is the prefecture of the Moselle department and the seat of the parliament of the Grand E ...
as their surety towns, that one church in every bonne ville''
' be handed over to the Huguenots, and that his troops be paid to lay down their arms.
The tide however was already beginning to turn against the Huguenots, with the Constable being made Lieutenant-General of the army to consolidate military opposition to him, Brissac raising 20 companies in Paris to form the core of his force. On November 6 Strozzi destroyed one of the boat bridges Condé was utilising to cut off Paris, the following day the
Duke of Nemours Duke of Nemours was a title in the Peerage of France. The name refers to Nemours in the Île-de-France region of north-central France.
History
In the 12th and 13th centuries, the Lordship of Nemours, in the Gatinais, France, was a possession of th ...
captured another Parisian bridge.
Misjudging his position Condé weakened his besieging forces further, by sending
François de Coligny d'Andelot
François d'Andelot de Coligny (18 April 1521, Châtillon-sur-Loing - 27 May 1569, Saintes, Charente-Maritime) was one of the leaders of French Protestantism during the French Wars of Religion. The son of Gaspard I de Coligny, he was the younger ...
to take
Poissy
Poissy () is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. It is located in the western suburbs of Paris, from the centre of Paris. Inhabitants are called ''Pisciacais'' in French.
Poissy is one of ...
and
Gabriel de Lorges, Count of Montgomery
Gabriel de Lorges, Count of Montgomery, Lord of Lorges and Ducey (5 May 153026 June 1574), was a French nobleman of Scottish extraction and captain of the Scots Guard of King Henry II of France. He is remembered for mortally injuring Henry II in ...
to seize
Pontoise
Pontoise () is a commune in the northwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris, in the " new town" of Cergy-Pontoise.
Administration
Pontoise is the official ''préfecture'' (capital) of the Val-d'Oise ''dépa ...
, the former leaving him 800 arquebusiers and 500 horse shorter.
On 9 November Condé was forced to abandon
Charenton setting fire to it as he departed.
It was now that Montmorency, who had slowly been building struck.
Battle
On 10 November battle was joined between the forces under Condé and the forces of Montmorency.
Condé had at his disposal 1200 foot and 1500 horse, with no artillery.
Montmorency by contrast, boasted 10,000 foot, of which 6000 was drawn from the Swiss guard, and 3000 horse, with 18 artillery pieces. Coligny commanded Condé's right flank, around the town of
Saint-Ouen while Genlis held his left near
Aubervilliers
Aubervilliers () is a commune in the Seine-Saint-Denis department, Île-de-France region, northeastern suburbs of Paris, France. The inhabitants of the commune are known as ''Albertivillariens'' or ''Albertivillariennes''.
Geography
Localisati ...
.
Facing them Montmorency led the main body, while his son
Marshal Montmorency commanded the Swiss.
The battle began at 3pm with an attack up the hill by Condé, the Marshal was met with quick success and his experienced Swiss troops tore into the Huguenot lines.
The Parisian levies under the command of Montmorency were however far weaker, and Condé was able to break the line with his cavalry, exposing Montmorency's position.
Robert Stuart approached Montmorency, and fired two bullets into his back, fatally wounding the Constable. By this point Condé's horse had been shot out from under him, and he had to be carried off the field, allowing time for Montmorency to be withdrawn from the fray, his wounded body dispatched to Paris where he would die on 12 November.
The stronger remnants of Montmorency's army under his son would however hold the field, and, thus although both sides would take similar casualties of around 300-400 men, the battle would be won for the crown.
Fighting continues and the war ends
On 14 November Conde withdrew from Saint Denis. Conscious of his critical position, but granted breathing room by the death of his opposing commander, he sought to make his way to link up with the forces under
John Casimir. He travelled first to Melun in the south, where he linked up with the forces under
La Rochefoucauld.
This accomplished he headed towards Troyes, pursued by an army under
Duke of Nevers
The counts of Nevers were the rulers of the County of Nevers, which became a French Duchy of Nivernais, duchy in 1539, with the rulers of the duchy calling themselves Duke, dukes.
History
The history of the County of Nevers is closely connected ...
where John Casimir's forces were, the young
Henry I, Duke of Guise
Henry I, Prince of Joinville, Duke of Guise, Count of Eu (31 December 1550 – 23 December 1588), sometimes called ('Scarface'), was the eldest son of Francis, Duke of Guise, and Anna d'Este. His maternal grandparents were Ercole II d'Este, Du ...
in
Champagne
Champagne (, ) is a sparkling wine originated and produced in the Champagne wine region of France under the rules of the appellation, that demand specific vineyard practices, sourcing of grapes exclusively from designated places within it, spe ...
failing to stop the link up.
The royal army was now under the command of the king's brother, the
Duke of Anjou
The Count of Anjou was the ruler of the County of Anjou, first granted by Charles the Bald in the 9th century to Robert the Strong. Ingelger and his son, Fulk the Red, were viscounts until Fulk assumed the title of Count of Anjou. The Robertians ...
, who was made
Lieutenant-General
Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...
of the army, with
Charles de Cossé, and the
Duke of Montpensier
The French lordship
A lordship is a territory held by a lord. It was a landed estate that served as the lowest administrative and judicial unit in rural areas. It originated as a unit under the feudal system during the Middle Ages. In a lordshi ...
as his deputies.
He narrowly missed a chance to bring the Huguenots to battle at
Notre-Dame-d'Épine.
Condé now completed the final consolidation of his army with the addition of forces of the Viscounts of Quercy and Rouergue who were fresh off relieving the weak royal siege of Orléans.
Together the army resolved to siege and sack
Chartres
Chartres () is the prefecture of the Eure-et-Loir department in the Centre-Val de Loire region in France. It is located about southwest of Paris. At the 2019 census, there were 170,763 inhabitants in the metropolitan area of Chartres (as d ...
.
The siege would go poorly for the Huguenots, with the defenders reinforced at the last minute to such a degree as making their numbers fairly insufficient, especially when combined with the poor placement of the limited cannons Condé now possessed. The war would however be concluded by a truce and then peace, declared on 13 March.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint-Denis, Battle of (1567)
Battles involving France
Battles of the French Wars of Religion
1567 in France
Conflicts in 1567
Battles in Île-de-France
History of Seine-Saint-Denis
Saint-Denis, Seine-Saint-Denis