Lordship of Happlaincourt: A 16th-century Tale of Religious Rebellion

Located in the rural township of Villers-Carbonnel, France, the Lordship of Happlaincourt was a medieval fortress dating back to the 13th century. Partially destroyed during the First World War, it consisted of a quadrilateral of buildings on a flat stone platform enclosed by moats. In June 1576, local lords gathered at the castle to support a religious manifesto written and published by Jacques d’Humières in February 1577. This manifesto, an appeal to the princes and prelates of the kingdom, urged them to restore the Catholic religion and ‘obedience to His Majesty. The Ligue Catholique movement, which gained support in cities such as Péronne, Abbeville, Amiens, Corbie, Encre, Saint-Quentin, Beauvais, extended to the ruins of the Lordship of Happlaincourt. The ruins were inscribed as historical monuments by decree on 24 April 1926.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons