Image of the Massacre in Vassy

Jacques Tortorel · 1569

Religious tension increased in France throughout the 16th century. Although in a minority, the Reformation won over a section of the population and important figures within the nobility. Religious conflicts followed one another, culminating in 8 civil wars between 1562 and 1598. The massacre at Vassy, where Protestants were attacked by the troops of the Catholic Duke of Guise, was the starting point for these conflicts.