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Paris Under Siege During the War of Religion
Rare early map of the area around Paris, showing the Siege of Paris by Henri de Navarre in the summer of 1590.
This plan represents the siege of Paris by Henri de Navarre (then Protestant and Huguenot supported claimant to the to the French throne), during the French Wars of Religion. The map identifies, among other things, the presence of Philippe-Auguste's enclosure on the right bank. Additional fortifications and improvements are shown in the suburbs of the left bank, as well as those of the west, on the right bank, which were protected by earthen fortifications.
Further up the Seine, the course of the river is blocked by two series of chains resting on boats, near the Arsenal and the Porte Saint-Bernard. A bridge of boats is also shown crossing the Seine, upstream of the Pont de Saint-Cloud.
All around the city, Henri IV's troops are shown moving toward the city. Note that the Pont Neuf has been shown as completed, but without any link to Ile de la Cité.
1590 Siege of Paris
After prevailing against the the Catholic forces commanded the Duke of Mayenne and Duke of Aumale at the Battle of Ivry on March 14, 1590, the Henri de Navarre (Henri IV) advanced with his troops to Paris, in a final push to confirm his contested claim to the French throne. Paris was then a walled city, with a population of about 250,000 inhabitants.
Henri's forces surrounded the city on May 7, 1590, Henri's army surrounded the city and established a blockade. Outnumbered by the defenders and without sufficient heavy siege artillery to effectuate a quick occupation of Paris, Henry moved to compel surrender by starvation. Paris's defenses were commanded by Charles Emmanuel, Duke of Nemours. Henri bombarded the town from the hills of Montmartre and by July added another 25,000 troops to his forces. By August, Henri's forces controlled the suburbs, but was unable to negotiate a surrender.
On August 30, 1590, Charles Emmanuel received word that the Duke of Parma was leading a Spanish-Catholic army was en route to Paris to combat Henri's siege. The Duke of Parma's forces broke the siege and and resupplied the city, resulting in Henri's withdrawal, but not before inflicting severe casualties on the part of the Parisienne inhabitants over the course of the 4 month siege.
![[ Paris Wall Map ] Plan Geometral de Paris a L'Echelle de 0.001 pour 10 Metres ( 1/100,000)](https://storage.googleapis.com/raremaps/img/small/97781.jpg)
