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Interpreting the French Wars of Religion

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21 May 2026 - 22 May 2026

9:15AM - 3:30PM

7 Owengate, Durham, DH1 3HB.

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Thursday 21 May 9.15am–6pm, Friday 22 May 9.30am–3.30pm. Conference organised by Tom Hamilton (Durham) and David van der Linden (Groningen).

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Anonymous, The Sacking of Lyon by the Calvinists, after 1562, oil on panel, 98.5 x 131 cm. Musée d’Histoire de Lyon, N 3819.

This conference brings together international experts on the French Wars of Religion (1562–1598) to assess the state of the field and explore new directions for research. It prepares the way for a planned Oxford Handbook of the French Wars of Religion. Panels will discuss key themes including the agents and theatres of conflict, violence and peace-making, the cultural and transnational aspects of the wars, and reconstruction under the Edict of Nantes.
Confirmed speakers include Thierry Amalou (Artois), Rosanne Baars (Leiden), Sherilyn Bouyer (Groningen), Gayle Brunelle (Fullerton), Emma Claussen (Cambridge), Annette Finley-Crosswhite (Old Dominion), Alison Forrestal (Galway), Nicolas Fornerod (Geneva), Tom Hamilton (Durham), Marc Jaffré (Groningen), Susanne Lachenicht (Bayreuth), Sophie Nicholls (Oxford), Penny Roberts (Warwick), Pierre-Jean Souriac (Lyon), Elizabeth Tingle (De Montfort), Jonas van Tol (Amsterdam), David van der Linden (Groningen), and Philippa Woodcock (Highlands and Islands).
The conference includes a visit to consult rare books held at Special Collections in Palace Green Library, as well as a launch event for David van der Linden’s new book Remembering the  Wars of Religion: Conflict and Coexistence in Early Modern France, published by Oxford University Press in the Past and Present book series.
Registration includes refreshments and lunch on both days. There is no cost to register but places are limited. Please register by 1 May 2026.
If you have any questions about this event, please contact ifs.imems@durham.ac.uk.

Pricing

Free

Where and when

The venue is on the ground floor of the IMEMS building and is accessible (step-free) from the outside road. It should be noted that the road outside is cobbled and sloped. The vestibule entrance may be quite tight for a wheelchair user, depending on the size/shape. IMEMS also has an accessible toilet on the ground floor. Should you require further information regarding accessibility, please do not hesitate to contact admin.imems@durham.ac.uk.