Henri IV - An unfinished reign

Glossary

Iconoclasm

Iconoclasm refers to the destruction of religious icons, such as images of God and the saints.

It has a strong pedagogic component: by destroying statues, crucifixes and relics, iconoclasts seek to show that these items are merely pieces of stone, wood or bone, and have no miraculous powers. Iconoclasm was initially the work of isolated individuals, and concerned the southern part of the kingdom for the most part. After the outbreak of the first conflict in the Wars of Religion, it became widespread and reached its height between April and October of 1562.

Copyright:

© RMN / René-Gabriel Ojéda

Caption:

Pillaging of churches by Calvinists, engraving by Frans Hogenberg, 1585. Musée national du château de Pau, P55-35-28