Queen Jeanne and the Promised Land: Dynasty, Homeland, Religion and Violence in Sixteenth-Century France

Jeanne III d'Albret (1528-1572), queen of Navarre, is a subject of great controversy and fascination, yet only two modern monographs have been written about her, and both are general biographies. This book fills the gap for scholars by concentrating on Jeanne’s leading role during the Wars of Religion in the vast territory of Guyenne in southwestern France. Part One, ‘The Promised Land’, portrays the growth of Protestantism in Guyenne, the rise of the Albret dynasty, and Jeanne’s evangelisation. In part Two, ‘Exodus’, Queen Jeanne emerges as a Huguenot war leader in the attempt, shown in Part Three, ‘Sanctuary’, to create a Protestant Guyenne by force of arms. The book makes extensive use of contemporary sources, including unpublished diplomatic and military dispatches, and a controversial collection of copies of Jeanne’s private correspondence.