Conflicts & Resolutions · Peace

Edict of Nantes

1598 · 16th century · Part of the French Wars of Religion

The Edict of Nantes was issued by Henry IV of France in April 1598 to end the French Wars of Religion. It granted the Protestant Huguenots freedom of conscience, rights of worship in defined places, civil equality and fortified towns as security. Louis XIV revoked it in 1685 with the Edict of Fontainebleau, driving many Huguenots abroad.

Edict of Nantes
Image: Henry IV of France. · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 3 profiles

Kingdom of FranceSummaryProtestant ReformationOutcomes, SummaryAbsolute monarchyHistory

Mentioned in 1 state history

Kingdom of France

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Edict of Nantes. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/edict-of-nantes
MLA
“Edict of Nantes.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/edict-of-nantes. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Edict of Nantes.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/edict-of-nantes.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Edict of Nantes’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/edict-of-nantes (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻