Edict of Longjumeau, 23 March 1568

This gave the Huguenots the right to worship in any town where they had been worshiping on 7 March 1563, apart from Paris. They were also allowed to worship in the suburb of one town in each bailiwick in France, and on noble estates. These rights had been eroded in the years between the two wars, and were now restored in full. In addition Huguenot noblemen were allowed to let strangers worship in their households - under the earlier edict the right had been limited to their vassals.

The leading Huguenots, starting with Louis Bourbon, prince of Condé, were pardoned for any acts committed during the war and were acknowledged as good and faithful subjects of the crown. In return the Huguenots agreed to disband their armies, surrender their fortresses and renounce foreign alliances. The Edict also provided funds to pay off the German reiters who had supported the Huguenot cause.

Not every Huguenot leader supported the peace. Admiral Coligny was convinced that the crown was not sincere, and that the edict had only been agreed to save Chartres from the Huguenots. While the Royal negotiators themselves were probably sincere, Charles IX almost certainly wasn't and the Third War of Religion began at the end of the same year.

The French Religious Wars 1562-1598, Robert Jean Knecht. A useful guide to the complex series of nine French Wars of Religion, including an examination of who the wars began and the main players on both sides, narrative accounts of the wars, overviews of the most important battles and sieges. Also looks at the impact of the wars on France’s neighbours, many of whom got dragged into the conflict, and on a selection of soldiers and civilians. Supported by a series of maps that help show how complex the conflict was

How to cite this article: Rickard, J (26 January 2011), Edict of Longjumeau, 23 March 1568 , http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/edict_longjumeau.html