The sack of Liège 1468 is one of the darkest episodes in the history of my region, and yet many people in Liège know it only as a street name or a staircase. In a few days in October, Charles the Bold crushed the city, despite the desperate attack of those who would be called the 600 Franchimontois. I will tell you about the background, the facts as historians establish them today, and the places where you can still feel this history.
Liège against Burgundy: the background
In the 15th century, the Prince-Bishopric of Liège was an ecclesiastical state, governed by a prince-bishop, but with rich towns proud of their liberties. Its neighbours, the dukes of Burgundy, controlled a large part of the Low Countries and wanted to turn the principality into a protectorate.
In 1456, Duke Philip the Good had his nephew, Louis de Bourbon, a young man with no religious vocation, placed on the episcopal throne. The people of Liège resented him. In 1465, the Estates of Liège deposed him. The King of France, Louis XI, an enemy of the Burgundians, promised the people of Liège his support. But on 20 October 1465, their army, made up largely of civilians, was beaten at Montenaken by Charles, son of Philip the Good. The Peace of Sint-Truiden that followed stripped Liège of most of its rights.
From Brustem to Péronne: the spiral
The revolt did not die out. In 1466, Dinant, a town of the principality, was punished terribly: the town was burned and hundreds of its inhabitants were drowned in the Meuse. In 1467, after the death of Philip the Good, Charles, now duke, faced the people of Liège again. On 28 October 1467 they were beaten at Brustem, near Sint-Truiden. The city surrendered in November, its walls had to be dismantled and a Burgundian governor, Guy de Humbercourt, moved in.
In October 1468, Liège exiles returned to the city led by Jean de Wilde, Vincent de Bueren and Gossuin de Streel. Humbercourt and the Burgundian garrison fled. At the same time, on 14 October 1468, Charles met Louis XI at Péronne. When he learned that the people of Liège had risen up, at the king’s instigation in his view, he flew into a rage. Louis XI had to sign a very unfavourable treaty and agree to accompany the duke against Liège, to witness the punishment of those he had encouraged. The chronicler Philippe de Commynes, then in the duke’s service, was present and left an account of those days.
The night of the 600 Franchimontois
The Burgundian army marched on Liège. On 22 October, some 500 Liège militiamen who had taken refuge in the church at Lantin were burned alive there. Jean de Wilde, wounded during a sortie on 26 October, died two days later. The city, without ramparts, had hardly any means left to defend itself.
On the night of 29 to 30 October 1468, a group of men led by Vincent de Bueren and Gossuin de Streel attempted a daring stroke: to leave the city, surprise the sleeping enemy camp and kill the duke and the king, so that the leaderless army would withdraw. The attack failed. The attackers were massacred, their two leaders with them.
Tradition speaks of 600 men from the marquisate of Franchimont, the area around Theux and Spa. Today’s historians are more cautious: the number is no doubt greatly exaggerated, and probably not all of them came from Franchimont. They also believe the attack went through the Sainte-Marguerite gate, and not up the steps on Sainte-Walburge hill that now bear the name of Bueren.
The sack: a city given to the fire
On 30 October, Liège fell. On the duke’s orders, hundreds of inhabitants were tied together and thrown into the Meuse. Then the city was methodically plundered and burned. Sources report that the fire is said to have lasted several weeks, seven according to some. A large part of the medieval city disappeared. The perron, symbol of Liège’s liberties, was dismantled and taken to Bruges. The principality lost its institutions and came under Burgundian control.
The consequences of the sack of Liège
Burgundian domination did not last. Charles the Bold was killed outside Nancy in January 1477. His daughter, Mary of Burgundy, renounced Burgundian claims to the principality on 19 March 1477. The perron in fact returned to Liège about ten years after it had left, reinstalled by Louis de Bourbon. He was murdered in 1482 by William de La Marck, who had the backing of Louis XI: the principality long remained a battleground between great powers.
Rebuilding took decades. The Palace of the Prince-Bishops that you visit today dates mainly from the 16th century, under Prince-Bishop Érard de La Marck. As for the 600 Franchimontois, their memory was transformed in the 19th century: after 1831, the young Belgian state made them an example of sacrifice and resistance, taught in schools. In 1914, King Albert I invoked their memory to encourage Walloon soldiers.
What you can see today
The Montagne de Bueren
This staircase of 374 steps, built in the 19th century to link the centre with the citadel barracks, bears the name of Vincent de Bueren. We now know the Franchimontois did not come this way, but it is the best place to think of them, as you climb slowly. I talk about it in my article on the Montagne de Bueren.
The perron, Place du Marché
The perron, taken to Bruges and then returned, still stands on the Place du Marché, above the fountain. During the 2018-2019 renovation, the Three Graces group that crowns it was replaced by a copy; the original is on display at the Grand Curtius.
The Palace of the Prince-Bishops
Right next door, its inner courtyard is a reminder of the rebuilding after the destruction. See my article on visiting the Palace of the Prince-Bishops.
Franchimont Castle, in Theux
The ruins of the castle that gave the Franchimontois their name can be visited. They open on a seasonal calendar (roughly every day in summer, at weekends in April and October), to be checked before you go. A medieval fair is held there every year in August.
My practical tips
- Start with the Place du Marché and the palace, then climb the Montagne de Bueren: it can all be done on foot in half a day.
- The Montagne de Bueren is steep: take your time, there are landings where you can catch your breath.
- At the Grand Curtius, allow at least two hours.
- For Theux, check the castle’s opening hours before you go, as they change with the season.
- Read the information panels, but bear in mind that the legend of the 600 was heavily embellished in the 19th century.
- At the end of October, the anniversary of the attack, commemorations are sometimes organised: ask locally.
As a writer of crime novels set in Liège, I find this story fascinating: it partly explains the rebellious character of the Cité ardente, and why the perron matters so much to the people of Liège.
Frequently asked questions
When did the sack of Liège take place?
The city was taken on 30 October 1468, the day after the Franchimontois attack, then plundered and burned for several weeks.
Were the 600 Franchimontois really 600?
Probably not. The number is traditional, and historians consider it greatly exaggerated.
Did the Franchimontois go up the Montagne de Bueren?
No. The staircase dates from the 19th century and bears their name in tribute. The attack is thought to have passed through the Sainte-Marguerite gate.
Where can you see traces of the sack of Liège today?
At the perron on the Place du Marché, the Palace of the Prince-Bishops, the Grand Curtius and Franchimont Castle in Theux.
The book
The Empty Wall is the second book of Oscar’s Notebook, a series of crime novels set in Liège.
