Battle of Craon

Battle of Craon
Part of the French Wars of Religion
Coat of arms of Philippe Emmanuel, Duke of Mercœur.
Date 21–24 May 1592 Location Craon, Mayenne, France Result Spanish-Catholic victory
Belligerents
French Royal Army England	Spain Catholic League of France
Commanders and leaders
Duke of Montpensier Prince of Conti John Norreys	Juan del Águila Duke of Mercœur Marquis de Sablé
Casualties and losses
1,500 dead Hundreds of prisoners All the artillery taken	24 dead or wounded

The Battle of Craon took place between 21–24 May 1592, between the French Royal army under the Duke of Montpensier and François de Bourbon, Prince of Conti, reinforced by English contingents under Sir John Norreys, against the combined forces of Spain and the Catholic League of France during the War of the Three Henrys and the Anglo-Spanish War (1585–1604), in the context of the French Wars of Religion.Craon was besieged by the army of Henry of Navarre, but the defenders, supported by a Catholic relief force recruited by Philippe Emmanuel, Duke of Mercœur, resisted. At the end, Craon was liberated by the Spaniards under Don Juan del Águila, who defeated the Anglo-French besiegers.

The commander of the Catholic League of France in the region, the Duke of Mercœur, Governor of Brittany, ordered his chief lieutenant, Urbain de Laval Boisdauphin, to strengthen Craon. In 1590, Mercœur rebelled against the accession to the throne of France of Henry of Navarre and becomes the head of the Catholic League of Brittany, aiming to return to restore the autonomy of the former Duchy, and proclaimed protector of the Catholic Church in the region of Brittany.

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