Abstract—
This article explores the memory of a traumatic event across several generations. It focuses on the legacy of the Saint Bartholomew’s Day massacre and its impact on the political decisions taken by the descendants of the massacre’s first victim, Admiral Gaspard de Coligny, especially the admiral’s son François de Châtillon (1557–91) and grandson Gaspard III of Châtillon (1584–1646). It argues that the tragic events surrounding the massacre played a crucial role in the identity and collective memory of a major aristocratic family in early modern France. This collective memory evolved as it was passed on and appropriated by each successive generation. While François de Châtillon pursued above all a desire to avenge Admiral Coligny’s ignominious death by continuing his fight against the house of Guise, for Gaspard III de Châtillon the admiral’s legacy became a moral obligation to continue his work in support of royal authority.
