Anne de Pierre

Anne de Pierre was the daughter of the lord of Chamel in the Dauphiné, France. In 1566 she married Claude de Saussure. They had four sons and two daughters. After their marriage, probably in Geneva (where Claude lived), the couple moved to the Dauphiné, believing they would be protected by Anne's powerful father. It is clear that Claude was Huguenot. It is likely that Anne's family was, as well.

The Dauphiné, in Southeastern France, suffered heavily in the religious wars as it was a center of Protestantism in France, in cities such as Gap, Die, and La Mure. François de Beaumont, the Huguenot leader, became famous for his cruelty and his destructions. The execution of Charles du Puy-Montbrun, leader of the Protestants, by the king of France, led to more violence and struggles between the two parties.

In 1575, Lesdiguières became the new leader of the Protestants and obtained several territories in the province. After the accession of Henry IV to the throne of France, Lesdiguières allied with the governor and the lieutenant general of Dauphiné. However, this alliance did not put an end to the conflicts. Indeed, a Catholic movement, la Ligue, which took Grenoble in 1590, refused to make peace. After months of assaults, Lesdiguières defeated the Ligue and took back Grenoble. He became the leader of the entire province.

The conflicts were over, but Dauphiné was destroyed and its people exhausted. The enactment of the Edict of Nantes (1598) restored some civil rights to the Huguenots and brought peace for a short time, but the wars resumed soon afterward.