Albert de Gondi: one of the initiators of St. Bartholomew's night

St. Bartholomew's night went down in history as one of the bloodiest events that occurred in France in the XVI century. On August 24, Catholics staged a mass murder against the Huguenots. It is believed that 3 thousand people were killed in one night in Paris alone, but if you take the entire territory of France, this number was about 30 thousand people. It is believed that the initiator of the massacre was Queen Catherine de'Medici, but the idea itself belonged to her advisers, in particular, Albert de Gondi.

Albert de Gondi, Duc de Retz, was the Queen's favorite. Born in Florence, he grew up at court because his mother had to look after the children of Catherine de ' Medici. During the reign of Charles IX, he remained loyal to the crown and became one of the most influential people at court. Albert de Gondi proved himself as a militia commander, leading armed groups during the Religious wars - a conflict that lasted more than 30 years. Participated in the suppression of unrest in the Piedmontese city of Sluzzo, and in 1573 received the Marshal's baton. However, after St. Bartholomew's night, the Duke's power began to gradually weaken – now he can not influence the king, as it was before. Therefore, albert de Gondi began to pay more attention to ensuring a good future for his children. His grandson, cardinal de Retz, is known by many as a prominent representative of the anti-government Fronde movement.