Treaties of Cateau-Cambrésis

There exist two Traités of Cateau-Cambrésis .

The first treaty (March 12th and April 2nd 1559)

The first treaty of the Cateau-Cambrésis, was concluded in two times, the March 12th and April 2nd 1559, between Henri II, king of France, and Elisabeth I {{Re}}, queen of England. It allowed in particular France, n the other hand of a payment of 500.000 ecus, to preserve Calais, taken again on the English the January 8th 1558, after a seat of only 8 days (Edouard III had spent 11 months to take the city, in 1347) by French forces under the orders of the lieutenant-general of the kingdom François de Guise.

The second treaty (April 3rd 1559)

The second treaty, also called peace of Cateau-Cambrésis , was signed the April 3rd 1559 between the king of France Henri II and Philippe II of Spain. It put an end to 65 years of conflict for the control of Italy (the Guerres of Italy).

It had become necessary to the two parts which had become exhausted financially and in particular for France which, already weakened by the defeats of Saint-Quentin (1557) and Gravelines (1558) was also in prey with religious disorders between partisans of the Roman Church and Huguenots.

France could preserve the Three bishoprices: Metz, Toul and Verdun which it had conquered in 1552, but it had to return the Duché of Savoy and the principal places of the Piedmont, the Charolais, the Bugey and the Bresse with Emmanuel-Philibert of Savoy, combined of Spain. It also had to make the Corsica to Genoa and to give up its claims on the Milanais. Spain found its dominant position on Italy, even if it left in France five fortresses, of which Turin.

The treaty envisaged also the marriage of the sister of Henri II, Marguerite, with the Duc of Savoy and that of his/her oldest daughter Elisabeth with the king of Spain, widower since the death of Marie Tudor.

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