Jérémie Foa, Associate Professor of History at Aix Marseille Université on research-leave at Iméra in 2024-2025, is organising a symposium on the theme of wars of religion and environmental issues with Brian Sandberg, Professor of History at Northern Illinois University and former resident at Iméra.
A “little ice age” during the wars of religion
While the French Wars of Religion (1562-1598) are well studied by researchers, it is less well known that the contemporaries of these dramatic events experienced a sudden climatic change: in the space of a few years, in the mid-1560s, the climate suddenly cooled, with the apogee of the “Little Ice Age”. Harsh winters were followed by dreary summers, leading to famines, plagues and population collapses.
Through case studies on wolves, the siege of La Rochelle or the plague, the aim of this study day is to consider the Wars of Religion as a global crisis, and not just a politico-religious one.. What were the effects of environmental disorders on political issues, and vice versa? How did contemporaries adapt to these changes, how did they experience and interpret the sudden freezing of rivers, the flooding of their villages, the repeated assaults of wolves?
Programme of the ‘Religious wars and environmental issues’ study day
9:30 am: Zoé Esclavissat-Lopez (amU, TELEMMe): « La malice du temps continuant si longtemps : France et Angleterre face aux troubles environnementaux et religieux (1560-1588) ».
10:30 am: Ariane Godbout (UQaM): « Une histoire environnementale du grand siège de La Rochelle (1627-1628) ».
11:30 am: Brian Sandberg (Northern Illinois Univ): « ‘La misère de ce temps’ : Souffrir de privation et de la famine pendant les dernières guerres de Religion (1588-1629) ».
Lunch break
2:00 pm: Jean-Marc Moriceau (Université de Caen Normandie) : « Entre l’homme et le sauvage : l’apogée des attaques de loups (1560-1610) ? ».
3:00 pm: Jérémie Foa (amU, TELEMMe) : « La peste au temps des guerres de Religion »
Pedestrian access: meet at the gate at 2 place Leverrier, 13004 Marseille.
PRM access: entrance via Allée Jean-Louis Pons, 13004 Marseille.
It will also be possible to follow the day remotely on Zoom.
