Execution of Urbain Grandier
- When
- 1632–1634
- Where
- Loudun
- Episodes
- 3
Urbain Grandier, a French Catholic priest, was burned at the stake in Loudun on 18 August 1634 after being convicted of witchcraft. The execution followed accusations by Ursuline nuns and a trial overseen by Laubardemont, with some modern commentators alleging political motivation by Cardinal Richelieu.
Episodes
- Accusations by Nuns
Ursuline nuns accused Grandier of bewitching them in 1632.
- Legal Investigation
Laubardemont investigated the case in 1633 and 1634.
- Torture and Condemnation
Grandier was subjected to torture and condemned to death.
Background and detail
Background. Urbain Grandier served as the parish priest for the Church of Saint-Pierre-du-Marche in Loudun, a position he held from 1617. In 1632, nuns from the local Ursuline convent accused him of bewitching them, claiming he sent demons to commit evil acts. These accusations triggered a legal investigation and subsequent trial.
Trial and Conviction. Laubardemont was commissioned to investigate the matter in November 1633. In May 1634, a decree confirmed his powers and prohibited other judges from interfering. The judges condemned Grandier and ordered him to be subjected to the 'extraordinary question,' a form of torture usually administered to those scheduled for immediate execution.
People involved
- Urbain Grandier · French Catholic priest and accused sorcerer
- Laubardemont · Investigator and judge
- Ursuline nuns · Accusers
Sources
- Urbain Grandier Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-06
- Loudun Wikipedia, revision of 2026-08-08
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.