January 17, 1562 - Catherine de Medici issues Edict of St. Germain

French Protestants, also known as Huguenots, received a short-lived freedom to practice their religion on January 17, 1562, when Queen-Regent Catherine de Medici issued the Edict of St. Germain. Though France was undoubtedly a Catholic nation, this edict legalized the practice of other religions. However, it also emphasized that France would remain a Catholic country (Catherine’s great uncle was Pope Leo X, demonstrating a personal connection of Catherine to Catholicism). The castle of St. Germain (pictured) is located about fifteen miles from Paris and was the location of many significant treaties and actions of the French government.