The hilltop defensive wall. Ménerbes is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of South-eastern France.
Ménerbes is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of South-eastern France. The walled village on a hilltop in the Luberon mountains, foothills of the French Alps, is the main settlement The village of Ménerbes and its citadel were the site of a major battle between Huguenots and Catholics, called the siege de Ménerbes, which lasted from 1573 to 1578 during the French Wars of Religion. Following early battles across France, Protestants decided to intentionally antagonize Pope Pius V by establishing a stronghold in Ménerbes, initially with 150 soldiers and followers led by Scipione de Valvoire, Gaspard Pape de Saint-Auban, and a baron from Germany. General mobilization on both sides followed, with Catholic forces led by Henri d'Angoulême for the Pope. Despite the balance of power being strongly in favour of the Catholics, the fighting dragged on, increasing in force as time passed. Surrounded by trenches with opposing soldiers, the citadel suffered more than 900 blows by cannonballs, assaults by 14 tons of lead bullets, and barrages by incendiary weapons leading to destruction of its towers. The Protestants finally agreed to negotiations, surrendering on 9 December 1578 to a "glorious capitulation." The battle, which lasted five years, two months and eight days, had been costly, draining the coffers of the towns in the Comtat Venaissin and putting a heavy financial burden on papal accounts.
Size: 3648px × 5472px
Location: Menerbes, France
Photo credit: © Roger Hollingsworth / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
Keywords: alpes, beautiful, catholics, cote, dazur, defence, france, hilltop, huguenots, luberon, menerbes, provence, settlement, vaucluse, village, walled, war
