ThePeace of Vervins[1] orTreaty of Vervins was signed between the representatives ofHenry IV of France andPhilip II of Spain under the auspices of the papal legates ofClement VIII, on 2 May 1598 at the small town ofVervins inPicardy, northern France, close to the territory of theHabsburg Netherlands.
Henry had declared war on Spain in 1595[2] and after victory at theSiege of Amiens in 1597,[3] he then promulgated theEdict of Nantes, on 13 April the following year. The Edict effectively brought theWars of Religion in France including theBrittany Campaign to an end, which had spread to a European-wide conflict.[4]
The parties to the treaty were hosted byGuillemette de Coucy, co-seigneur of Vervins, in herChâteauneuf de Vervins (fr)[a] Close to the Spanish Netherlands, theThiérache region[b] had suffered much damage in the recent fighting. Its numerous 16th-century fortified churches still bear witness today.
The terms were worked out under the auspices of thepapal legate ofClement VIII,Alessandro de' Medici,[c] the "architect of the treaty", according to Bernard Barbiche.[5]
By its terms, Philip recognized the formerlyProtestant Henry as King of France and withdrew his forces from French territory, depriving the remnants of the falteringCatholic League of their support. Additionally, the vitally important city of Calais and the coastal fortress of Risban, which had been captured by the Spaniards in 1596, were returned to the French.[1]
Philip died on 13 September, but his heirPhilip III respected the terms of the treaty.Carlo Emanuele, duke of Savoy, who had held back from the treaty, was defeated by Henry IV in 1599. He signed a separateTreaty of Lyon with Henry in 1601.
Some historians have seen this as the final defeat of Philip II, who had furthered dynastic causes through championing ultra-Catholic principles, and a sign of the long downfall of Habsburg Spain and the gradual rise in Europeanhegemony of France during the ensuingGrand Siècle.[5]
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