Privas

Privas stands above the Ouvèze valley in the Vivarais of southern France. The town became an important Protestant centre during the religious conflicts of the sixteenth century. Its mostly Protestant inhabitants resisted the prospect of submission to a Catholic lord, and in 1629 royal forces under Louis XIII besieged Privas. As the town was about to fall, remaining defenders withdrew to the citadel on Montoulon, a height overlooking Privas. Royal troops stormed the position, killing many of its defenders; the citadel was then ordered demolished. The town was burned and suffered heavy losses. Protestant life continued in the surrounding Vivarais despite later restrictions and the revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685. Privas was rebuilt, and the silk trade helped give the town renewed economic life in the eighteenth century.