 |
| Assassination of Henri IV and arrest of Ravaillac |
Location: 6 Rue de la Ferronnerie
English translation
"It was here that Ravaillac assassinated Henri IV on Friday, May 14, 1610. In order to observe the preparations on Rue Saint-Denis for the entrance of Queen Marie de Médicis, crowned at Saint-Denis on the Sunday, the king left the Louvre in his carriage with its leather curtains raised. In the congestion created by two carts colliding loaded with hay and barrels of wine, Ravaillac took advantage of the carriage's halt to stab the sovereign. Narrowed by the stalls leaning against the wall of the Cimetière des Innocents on the even-numbered side, Rue de la Ferronnerie was no more than 4 metres wide. Henri II had unsuccessfully ordered its widening in 1554, but it wasn't until 1669 that its width was increased to eleven metres." (Translated by DeepL and ChatGPT)
Background notes
- François Ravaillac was a Catholic zealot who assassinated King Henri IV of France (1553-1610) on May 14, 1610. He believed he was acting on divine instructions to prevent Henri IV's policies of religious tolerance, particularly towards Protestants (see the Edict of Nantes), which he saw as a threat to the Catholic faith.
- Marie de' Medicis (1575-1642) was crowned Queen of France a day before Henri IV's assassination at the Basilica Saint-Denis. Henri IV was assassinated on Monday, May 14, 1610 (not Friday as the sign indicates). Marie de' Medicis’s coronation occurred on Sunday, May 13, 1610, just one day prior.
- The coronation was a political move to legitimise Marie's potential regency and ensure continuity of governance in case Henri IV had to leave for war. King Henry IV was preparing to depart for a military campaign in the War of Succession over the United Duchies of Jülich-Cleves-Berg (now Western Germany). Henri IV and Marie had been married since 1600, but the coronation was delayed for political reasons. Marie was a member of the powerful Medici family and brought a substantial dowry to the marriage.
- Queen Marie de Médicis “entrance" refers to the plan to celebrate her coronation. These "Entrées Royales" (Royal Entries) processions were highly symbolic and grand events meant to showcase royal authority and legitimacy. This "entrance" was to take place along Rue Saint-Denis, a major thoroughfare in Paris, a traditional route for such royal processions. The event never took place as planned due to the king's assassination.
- Ravaillac interpreted the king's decision to intervene in the Jülich-Cleves succession crisis as the beginning of a conflict with the Catholic Church, particularly since Henri IV supported Protestant rulers. However, this interpretation was based mainly on Ravaillac's religious fanaticism rather than the actual political situation.
- Ravaillac was arrested immediately after the assassination. He was put on trial, found guilty of regicide, and executed (drawn and quartered) on May 27, 1610, in a brutal public spectacle.
- After the assassination, Marie de' Medicis became regent for her son, the new King Louis XIII, who was only eight years old at the time. Marie served as regent from 1610 to 1617, although her legal mandate expired in 1614 when Louis XIII reached the age of majority (13). She continued to rule until she was removed by a coup initiated by her son Louis XIII in 1617.