The Edict of Nantes
A page of the Edict of Nantes, issued by Henry IV in April 1598 to end the French Wars of Religion.
The edict granted Huguenots freedom of conscience, limited freedom of worship, full civil rights and — unusually — fortified towns they could garrison themselves. It was a settlement between exhausted parties rather than a statement of principle, and it lasted eighty-seven years until Louis XIV revoked it and several hundred thousand Protestants left France. Read the full story in our article on The Edict of Nantes: Securing Religious Toleration in Early Modern France.
Public domain — source (Wikimedia Commons). Free to reuse under the stated licence.
