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| Gilles de Raïs(*) |
(*) No picture of Gilles de Raïs has survived. The only historically correct portrait available today, here used with permition from www.galleryhistoricalfigures.com, is this incredible work of art by artist-historian George Stuart.
September 4, 1404 - Champtocé-sur-Loire, Anjou - Gilles de Montmorency-Laval is born
January(?) 1(?), 1407 - Champtocé-sur-Loire - Younger brother René is born
October 30(?), 1415 - Champtocé-sur-Loire - His parents die. Gilles and his brother René are placed under the tutelage of their maternal grandfather, Jean de Craon
January 14, 1417 - Vannes - Jean de Craon arranges a marriage for Gilles to a rich heiress of Normandy, Jeanne Paynel, however, the Paris Parliament prohibits the marriage until Jeanne Paynel reaches majority
November 28, 1419 - Vannes - Jean de Craon arranges a marriage for Gilles to Béatrice de Rohan, niece of Duke Jean V of Brittany, but it has no follow-up
May 8, 1420 - Champtoceaux, Anjou - The Siege of Champtoceaux begins - 15 year old Gilles goes to war for the first time with Jean de Craon =(START)
July 5, 1420 - Champtoceaux, Anjou - End of the Siege of Champtoceaux - Decisive victory for the bretons
July 12, 1420 - Nantes - Duke Jean V thanks Jean de Craon and "his little son Rays" for "their good and worthy services"
November 30, 1420 - ? - Gilles de Raïs marries her cousin Catherine de Thouars of Brittany, heiress of La Vendée and Poitou. Their union is annulled and declared incestuous by the Church
April 24, 1422 - ? - The papal delegate addresses Hardouin de Bueil, bishop of Angers, so that the latter prounounces a sentence of separation against Gilles and Catherine, but he imposes on them a penance before absolving them of the crime of incest and allows their marriage in proper form
June 26, 1422 - Château de Chalonnes-sur-Loire - Hardouin de Bueil marries Gilles and Catherine
September 26, 1423 - La Brossinière - Battle of La Gravelle - French victory
August 17, 1424 - N of Verneuil-sur-Avre, Normandy - Battle of Verneuil - Decisive english victory
January 16, 1425 - ? - Baron Gilles de Raïs is rewarded with a royal gift of 200 "livres"
September 1(?), 1425 - Saumur - Gilles de Raïs is introduced to the court of Charles VII
October 7, 1425 - Saumur - Charles VII signs an Alliance Treaty with Jean V of Brittany in the presence of the Dowager Duchess of Anjou
March 1(?), 1426 - Saint-James de Beuvron - The Constable of Richemont suffers a bitter blow against the english under the walls of Saint-James de Beuvron. Gilles de Raïs participates in the battle
September 1(?), 1426 - near Mount Saint-Michel - The Constable of Richemont fails again in a skirmish against the english in front of Mount Saint-Michel
January 15, 1427 - Pontorson, Normandy - Talbot and Warwick lay siege to the norman city of Pontorson, fortified and occupied by the breton men-at-arms of the Constable of Richemont
April 1(?), 1427 - Ramefort | Malicorne - Gilles de Raïs assaults the fortresses of Ramefort (Formerly Rainefort, Rennefort, Ramessort or Romfort, according to the fluctuating spelling) and Malicorne. He spares the english, but not men "from the french language"
May 8, 1427 - Pontorson, Normandy - Surrender of Pontorson to the english
June 19, 1427 - Sablé-sur-Sarthe - Yolande of Aragon establishes his advisor Jean de Craon lieutenant general in Anjou and Maine. Probably on this occasion, the lord of La Suze endows his grandson with a military mentor in the person of Guillaume de la Jumellière, lord of Martigné-Briant, also advisor of Yolande of Aragon to the ducal court of Anjou. The curative influence of his family seems to consolidate Gilles' commitment in the war against the English at the edge of Maine, resulting in the appointment of the young baron as captain of the place of Sablé in the name of the duke of Anjou
September 8, 1427 - ? - Jean V of Brittany, himself in the grip of the English assaults, negotiates in July 1427 with the duke of Bedford, regent of the kingdom of France. On the 8th of September, 1427, the Duke of Brittany proceeded to a new revival of the alliance by recognizing the Treaty of Troyes and ordering his vassals to cease the fight against the English troops. With his cousins Laval and Viscount Rohan, Gilles de Raïs is one of the most notable Breton lords to disobey his overlord by remaining faithful to the king of France
December(?) 1(?), 1427 - Le Lude, Pays-de-la-Loire - Battle for the Château du Lude, where he takes the english captain, Blackburn, prisoner
January(?) 1(?), 1429 - ? - Daughter Marie is born
March 1(?), 1429 - Chinon - Jeanne d'Arc arrives at Chinon to meet with the Dauphin and to be examined by church officials in Poitiers. "When Joan appeared at Chinon, Charles wanted to test her claim to be able to recognise him despite never having seen him, and so he disguised himself as one of his courtiers. He stood in their midst when Joan entered the chamber in which the court was assembled. Joan identified Charles immediately. She bowed low to him and embraced his knees, declaring "God give you a happy life, sweet King!" Despite attempts to claim that another man was in fact the king, Charles was eventually forced to admit that he was indeed such. Thereafter Joan referred to him as "Dauphin" or "Noble Dauphin" until he was crowned in Reims four months later. After a private conversation between the two (Charles later stated that Joan knew secrets about him that he had voiced only in silent prayer to God), Charles became inspired and filled with confidence" (Wikipedia).
April 8, 1429 - Chinon(?) - In a letter dated April 8, 1429, signed by his hand and with his seal, the young baron formed an alliance with his cousin Georges I of La Trémoille, pledging to serve him with all his power. to death and for life, to all and against all lords and others, without any one except ..., in the good grace and love of the king. The grand chamberlain pursues his strategy of bilateral alliances with members of the nobility in order to "stabilize his policy", to maintain his fragile situation with the king and to guard against the plots fomented by the constable of Richemont and his allies
April 25, 1429 - Blois - Jeanne d'Arc arrives at Blois to find ready a convoy of food, weapons and ammunition and a strong escort commanded by Gilles de Rais and Jean de Brosse, Marshal Boussac
April 27, 1429 - Blois - The convoy sets off, following the River Loire on the left bank
April 29, 1429 - Blois - Gilles de Raïs returns to Blois to gather more troops
May 4, 1429 - Orléans - Gilles de Raïs returns to Orléans with the rest of the troops gathered at Blois. The Armagnacs attack and capture the outlying fortress of Saint Loup
May 5, 1429 - Orléans - The Armagnacs capture the fortress of Saint-Jean-le-Blanc
May 7, 1429 - Orléans - The Armagnac troops, led by Jeanne, attack the main english stronghold, called "Les Tourelles". Jeanne is wounded by an arrow, but later returns to lead the assault
May 8, 1429 - Orléans - The english retreat from Orléans
June 11, 1429 - Jargeau - Battle of Jargeau (11 and 12), the french recapture the district after Orléans
June 15, 1429 - Meung-sur-Loire - Battle of Meung-sur-Loire - French Victory
June 16, 1429 - Beaugency - Battle of Beaugency (16 and 17) - French Victory
June 18, 1429 - Patay, N of Orléans - Battle of Patay - Decisive french victory
July 17, 1429 - Reims - De Raïs is chosen as one of four lords for the honor of bringing the Holy Ampulla from the Abbey of Saint-Remy to Notre-Dame de Reims for the consecration of Charles VII as King of France. On the same day, he was officially created a Marshal of France
August 15, 1429 - Montépilloy - The french and the anglo-burgundian armies arrive to Montépilloy facing each other
August 26, 1429 - Montépilloy - Battle of Montépilloy
September 3, 1429 - Paris - Joan of Arc accompanied by the Dukes of Alençon and Bourbon, the counts of Vendôme and Laval, Marshals Gilles de Rais and La Hire and their troops, lodge in the village of La Chapelle
September 8, 1429 - Paris - End of the siege of Paris. Jeanne d'Arc is wounded - English victory
September 21, 1429 - Gien, E-SE of Orléans - The french army withraws to the Loire and is dismissed
June 11, 1430 - Janneyrias, near Lyon - Battle of Anthon - defeat against the army of the province of Dauphiné
December 26, 1430 - Louviers (28km from Rouen) - De Raïs is spotted at Louviers, which can be interpreted as a desire or plan to release Jeanne d'Arc
February 22, 1431 - Champtocé-sur-Loire, Anjou - Meeting with Duke Jean V at Champtocé castle (until 24th)
July 1(?), 1432 - Lagny-sur-Marne - The english lay siege to Lagny
August 20, 1432 - Lagny-sur-Marne - End of the Siege of Lagny-sur-Marne - the english return to Paris
November 1(?), 1432 - Château de Tiffauges(?) - His grandfather Jean de Craon dies - A turning point in his life as shortly after he starts kidnapping, torturing and killing young children in horrific ways
March 1(?), 1433 - ? - De Raïs sells to Duke Jean V of Brittany the places of Mauléon, Saint-Etienne-de-Mer-Morte, Loroux-Bottereau, Pornic and Champtocé-sur -Loire
January 25, 1434 - Nantes - He obtains the seigniory of La Suze with his brother René before the ducal court in Nantes
February 1(?), 1434 - Sillé-le-Guillaume, Sarthe - The english threaten Sillé - De Raïs and both his Laval cousins participate in a military expedition led by the Constable of Richemont
August 15, 1434 - Grancey-le-Château-Neuvelle, Bourgogne - Probably already ruined by his expenses, Gilles de Raïs hardly tries to prevent the troops of Duke Philip of Burgundy from seizing Grancey. After the fall of this city, King Charles VII summons his marshal and threatens to remove his office
September 1(?), 1434 - Orléans - De Raïs moves to Orléans and begins squandering his fortune, mostly in festivities and theatre personnel
May 8, 1435 - Orléans - His play, "Le Mistère du Siège d'Orléans" is first performed
June 1(?), 1435 - (While in Orléans) - Family members gather to put a curb on Gilles. They appeal to Pope Eugene IV to disavow the Chapel of the Holy Innocents (which he refuses to do) and carry their concerns to the king
July 2, 1435 - (While in Orléans) - A royal edict is proclaimed in Orléans, Tours, Angers, Pouzauges and Champtocé-sur-Loire denouncing Gilles as a spendthrift and forbidding him from selling any further property. No subject of Charles VII is allowed to enter into any contract with him, and those in command of his castles are forbidden to dispose of them. Gilles' credit falls immediately and his creditors press upon him. He borrows heavily, using his art objets, manuscripts, books and clothing as security
September(?) 1(?), 1435 - Orléans - De Raïs leaves Orléans. The town is littered with precious objects he is forced to leave behind
January(?) 1(?), 1436 - Château de Tiffauges - Needing money to continue his lifestyle, De Raïs turns his interest to alchemy and black magic.
January(?) 1(?), 1437 - Château de Tiffauges | Machecoul - Forty naked bodies of children are discovered in Machecoul
January(?) 1(?), 1438 - Château de Tiffauges - According to the testimony at his trial in 1440, from the priest Eustache Blanchet and the cleric François Prelati, de Rais sent out Blanchet to seek individuals who knew alchemy and demon summoning. Blanchet contacted Prelati in Florence and persuaded him to take service with his Master. Having reviewed the magical books of Prelati and a traveling Breton, de Rais chose to initiate experiments, the first taking place in the lower hall of his castle at Tiffauges, attempting to summon a demon named Barron. De Raïs provided a contract with the demon for riches that Prelati was to give to the demon at a later time
January 15, 1439 - Nantes - Gilles de Raïs retains his property of Saint-Étienne-de-Mer-Morte by agreeing with his younger brother
January(?) 1(?), 1440(?) - Saint-Étienne-de-Mer-Morte - Gilles alienates again Saint-Etienne-de-Mer-Morte following a transaction with Geoffroy Le Ferron, treasurer and man of confidence of Duke Jean V of Brittany. The ducal officer entrusts the administration of the chatellenie to his brother Jean Le Ferron, clerk tonsured. However, the Baron de Raïs again tries to reclaim the castle, this time to sell it to his cousin, the sire of Vieillevigne. Jean Le Ferron opposes it
May 15, 1440 - Saint-Étienne-de-Mer-Morte - In retaliation, on the day of Pentecost or the day after this religious holiday, Gilles de Raïs ambushes a troop of fifty to sixty men in a wood near Saint-Étienne-de-Mer-Morte. He enters the parish church in arms and interrupts the high mass of Jean Le Ferron, insulting him and threatening to kill him with a guisarme if he doesn't leave the sanctuary. After opening the doors of the castle of Saint-Etienne-de-Mer-Morte to his attackers, Jean Le Ferron is incarcerated there with Jean Rousseau, sergeant-general of the duchy of Brittany.
In this way, Gilles de Rais commits sacrilege by violating ecclesiastical immunities, and on the other hand, he holds hands with ducal servants in the diocese of the bishop of Nantes, Jean de Malestroit, the influential chancellor of Jean V of Brittany.
The Breton duke condemns his vassal to make the fortress to Jean Le Ferron under penalty of having to pay a fine of 50,000 gold crowns. Gilles de Rais then sends his prisoner to Tiffauges, located outside the Breton jurisdiction. His act prompts an investigation by the Bishop of Nantes, during which evidence of Gilles' crimes is uncovered
July 1(?), 1440 - Josselin - De Raïs goes to Josselin to meet his sovereign Jean V of Brittany
July 29, 1440 - (While in Château de Tiffauges) - The Bishop of Nantes releases his findings, and subsequently obtains the prosecutorial cooperation of De Raïs's former protector, John VI, Duke of Brittany
August 1(?), 1440 - Château de Tiffauges - Gilles de Raïs murders his last victims, the son of Éonnet de Villeblanche and his wife Macée
September 15, 1440 - Nantes - De Raïs and his servants Poitou and Henriet are arrested following a secular investigation which parallels the findings of the investigation from the Bishop of Nantes. De Raïs's prosecution would likewise be conducted by both secular and ecclesiastical courts, on charges which included murder, sodomy and heresy
September 18, 1440 - (While in Nantes) - The cleric Jean de Touscheronde begins to collect the testimony of the parents of missing children
September 19, 1440 - Nantes - De Raïs appears before the officials of Nantes and the ecclesiastical court.
October 8, 1440 - Nantes - After days hearing the testimonies of missing children's parents, De Raïs is accused of Rebellion, Pact with the Devil and Sodomy
October 13, 1440 - Nantes - Gilles de Raïs is excommunicated
October 16, 1440 - Nantes - Francesco Prelati, a tuscan cleric, and Eustache Blanchet, both servants of Gilles de Raïs, appear before the ecclesiastical court. These two servants of the Lord of Rais affirm that their master indulged in alchemy in order to find the philosopher's stone. To this end, the baron sent to seek in the kingdom of France and abroad "masters who intermingle the art of arquemie", a charge that will later be taken by the heirs of Gilles in the memoir to demonstrate his prodigality. Blanchet thus recruited Prelati in 1438, during a trip to Florence. In addition to the alchemical experiments, Prelati claims to have tried to invoke a familiar demon named "Barron" at Tiffauges Castle, in the presence of Gilles de Rais. The cleric also claims to have interviewed Barron in a meadow near Josselin, therefore not far from the castle where was held the July 1440 interview between the Duke Jean V of Brittany and Gilles de Rais
October 21, 1440 - Nantes - After De Raïs admits to the charges. the court cancels a plan to torture him into confessing. Peasants of the neighboring villages had earlier begun to make accusations that their children had entered Gilles' castle begging for food and had never been seen again. The transcript, which includes testimony from the parents of many of these missing children as well as graphic descriptions of the murders provided by Gilles' accomplices, is said to be so lurid that the judges order the worst portions to be stricken from the record
October 23, 1440 - Nantes - The secular court hears the confessions of Poitou and Henriet and condemns them both to death, followed by Gilles' death sentence on 25 October. De Raïs is allowed to make confession, and his request to be buried in the church of the monastery of Notre-Dame des Carmes in Nantes is granted
October 26, 1440 - Nantes - Gilles de Raïs is garrotted, then burned in a pyre. His family is allowed to remove the body to bury it before it is completely destroyed by fire =(END)
July 12, 1420 - Nantes - Duke Jean V thanks Jean de Craon and "his little son Rays" for "their good and worthy services"
November 30, 1420 - ? - Gilles de Raïs marries her cousin Catherine de Thouars of Brittany, heiress of La Vendée and Poitou. Their union is annulled and declared incestuous by the Church
April 24, 1422 - ? - The papal delegate addresses Hardouin de Bueil, bishop of Angers, so that the latter prounounces a sentence of separation against Gilles and Catherine, but he imposes on them a penance before absolving them of the crime of incest and allows their marriage in proper form
June 26, 1422 - Château de Chalonnes-sur-Loire - Hardouin de Bueil marries Gilles and Catherine
September 26, 1423 - La Brossinière - Battle of La Gravelle - French victory
August 17, 1424 - N of Verneuil-sur-Avre, Normandy - Battle of Verneuil - Decisive english victory
January 16, 1425 - ? - Baron Gilles de Raïs is rewarded with a royal gift of 200 "livres"
September 1(?), 1425 - Saumur - Gilles de Raïs is introduced to the court of Charles VII
October 7, 1425 - Saumur - Charles VII signs an Alliance Treaty with Jean V of Brittany in the presence of the Dowager Duchess of Anjou
March 1(?), 1426 - Saint-James de Beuvron - The Constable of Richemont suffers a bitter blow against the english under the walls of Saint-James de Beuvron. Gilles de Raïs participates in the battle
September 1(?), 1426 - near Mount Saint-Michel - The Constable of Richemont fails again in a skirmish against the english in front of Mount Saint-Michel
January 15, 1427 - Pontorson, Normandy - Talbot and Warwick lay siege to the norman city of Pontorson, fortified and occupied by the breton men-at-arms of the Constable of Richemont
April 1(?), 1427 - Ramefort | Malicorne - Gilles de Raïs assaults the fortresses of Ramefort (Formerly Rainefort, Rennefort, Ramessort or Romfort, according to the fluctuating spelling) and Malicorne. He spares the english, but not men "from the french language"
May 8, 1427 - Pontorson, Normandy - Surrender of Pontorson to the english
June 19, 1427 - Sablé-sur-Sarthe - Yolande of Aragon establishes his advisor Jean de Craon lieutenant general in Anjou and Maine. Probably on this occasion, the lord of La Suze endows his grandson with a military mentor in the person of Guillaume de la Jumellière, lord of Martigné-Briant, also advisor of Yolande of Aragon to the ducal court of Anjou. The curative influence of his family seems to consolidate Gilles' commitment in the war against the English at the edge of Maine, resulting in the appointment of the young baron as captain of the place of Sablé in the name of the duke of Anjou
September 8, 1427 - ? - Jean V of Brittany, himself in the grip of the English assaults, negotiates in July 1427 with the duke of Bedford, regent of the kingdom of France. On the 8th of September, 1427, the Duke of Brittany proceeded to a new revival of the alliance by recognizing the Treaty of Troyes and ordering his vassals to cease the fight against the English troops. With his cousins Laval and Viscount Rohan, Gilles de Raïs is one of the most notable Breton lords to disobey his overlord by remaining faithful to the king of France
December(?) 1(?), 1427 - Le Lude, Pays-de-la-Loire - Battle for the Château du Lude, where he takes the english captain, Blackburn, prisoner
January(?) 1(?), 1429 - ? - Daughter Marie is born
March 1(?), 1429 - Chinon - Jeanne d'Arc arrives at Chinon to meet with the Dauphin and to be examined by church officials in Poitiers. "When Joan appeared at Chinon, Charles wanted to test her claim to be able to recognise him despite never having seen him, and so he disguised himself as one of his courtiers. He stood in their midst when Joan entered the chamber in which the court was assembled. Joan identified Charles immediately. She bowed low to him and embraced his knees, declaring "God give you a happy life, sweet King!" Despite attempts to claim that another man was in fact the king, Charles was eventually forced to admit that he was indeed such. Thereafter Joan referred to him as "Dauphin" or "Noble Dauphin" until he was crowned in Reims four months later. After a private conversation between the two (Charles later stated that Joan knew secrets about him that he had voiced only in silent prayer to God), Charles became inspired and filled with confidence" (Wikipedia).
April 8, 1429 - Chinon(?) - In a letter dated April 8, 1429, signed by his hand and with his seal, the young baron formed an alliance with his cousin Georges I of La Trémoille, pledging to serve him with all his power. to death and for life, to all and against all lords and others, without any one except ..., in the good grace and love of the king. The grand chamberlain pursues his strategy of bilateral alliances with members of the nobility in order to "stabilize his policy", to maintain his fragile situation with the king and to guard against the plots fomented by the constable of Richemont and his allies
April 25, 1429 - Blois - Jeanne d'Arc arrives at Blois to find ready a convoy of food, weapons and ammunition and a strong escort commanded by Gilles de Rais and Jean de Brosse, Marshal Boussac
April 27, 1429 - Blois - The convoy sets off, following the River Loire on the left bank
April 29, 1429 - Blois - Gilles de Raïs returns to Blois to gather more troops
May 4, 1429 - Orléans - Gilles de Raïs returns to Orléans with the rest of the troops gathered at Blois. The Armagnacs attack and capture the outlying fortress of Saint Loup
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| Siege of Orléans, 1429 |
May 7, 1429 - Orléans - The Armagnac troops, led by Jeanne, attack the main english stronghold, called "Les Tourelles". Jeanne is wounded by an arrow, but later returns to lead the assault
May 8, 1429 - Orléans - The english retreat from Orléans
June 11, 1429 - Jargeau - Battle of Jargeau (11 and 12), the french recapture the district after Orléans
June 15, 1429 - Meung-sur-Loire - Battle of Meung-sur-Loire - French Victory
June 16, 1429 - Beaugency - Battle of Beaugency (16 and 17) - French Victory
June 18, 1429 - Patay, N of Orléans - Battle of Patay - Decisive french victory
July 17, 1429 - Reims - De Raïs is chosen as one of four lords for the honor of bringing the Holy Ampulla from the Abbey of Saint-Remy to Notre-Dame de Reims for the consecration of Charles VII as King of France. On the same day, he was officially created a Marshal of France
August 15, 1429 - Montépilloy - The french and the anglo-burgundian armies arrive to Montépilloy facing each other
August 26, 1429 - Montépilloy - Battle of Montépilloy
September 3, 1429 - Paris - Joan of Arc accompanied by the Dukes of Alençon and Bourbon, the counts of Vendôme and Laval, Marshals Gilles de Rais and La Hire and their troops, lodge in the village of La Chapelle
September 8, 1429 - Paris - End of the siege of Paris. Jeanne d'Arc is wounded - English victory
September 21, 1429 - Gien, E-SE of Orléans - The french army withraws to the Loire and is dismissed
June 11, 1430 - Janneyrias, near Lyon - Battle of Anthon - defeat against the army of the province of Dauphiné
December 26, 1430 - Louviers (28km from Rouen) - De Raïs is spotted at Louviers, which can be interpreted as a desire or plan to release Jeanne d'Arc
February 22, 1431 - Champtocé-sur-Loire, Anjou - Meeting with Duke Jean V at Champtocé castle (until 24th)
July 1(?), 1432 - Lagny-sur-Marne - The english lay siege to Lagny
August 20, 1432 - Lagny-sur-Marne - End of the Siege of Lagny-sur-Marne - the english return to Paris
November 1(?), 1432 - Château de Tiffauges(?) - His grandfather Jean de Craon dies - A turning point in his life as shortly after he starts kidnapping, torturing and killing young children in horrific ways
March 1(?), 1433 - ? - De Raïs sells to Duke Jean V of Brittany the places of Mauléon, Saint-Etienne-de-Mer-Morte, Loroux-Bottereau, Pornic and Champtocé-sur -Loire
January 25, 1434 - Nantes - He obtains the seigniory of La Suze with his brother René before the ducal court in Nantes
 |
| A romantic 1835 vision of the Maréchal de France and later, serial killer |
August 15, 1434 - Grancey-le-Château-Neuvelle, Bourgogne - Probably already ruined by his expenses, Gilles de Raïs hardly tries to prevent the troops of Duke Philip of Burgundy from seizing Grancey. After the fall of this city, King Charles VII summons his marshal and threatens to remove his office
September 1(?), 1434 - Orléans - De Raïs moves to Orléans and begins squandering his fortune, mostly in festivities and theatre personnel
May 8, 1435 - Orléans - His play, "Le Mistère du Siège d'Orléans" is first performed
June 1(?), 1435 - (While in Orléans) - Family members gather to put a curb on Gilles. They appeal to Pope Eugene IV to disavow the Chapel of the Holy Innocents (which he refuses to do) and carry their concerns to the king
July 2, 1435 - (While in Orléans) - A royal edict is proclaimed in Orléans, Tours, Angers, Pouzauges and Champtocé-sur-Loire denouncing Gilles as a spendthrift and forbidding him from selling any further property. No subject of Charles VII is allowed to enter into any contract with him, and those in command of his castles are forbidden to dispose of them. Gilles' credit falls immediately and his creditors press upon him. He borrows heavily, using his art objets, manuscripts, books and clothing as security
September(?) 1(?), 1435 - Orléans - De Raïs leaves Orléans. The town is littered with precious objects he is forced to leave behind
January(?) 1(?), 1436 - Château de Tiffauges - Needing money to continue his lifestyle, De Raïs turns his interest to alchemy and black magic.
January(?) 1(?), 1437 - Château de Tiffauges | Machecoul - Forty naked bodies of children are discovered in Machecoul
January(?) 1(?), 1438 - Château de Tiffauges - According to the testimony at his trial in 1440, from the priest Eustache Blanchet and the cleric François Prelati, de Rais sent out Blanchet to seek individuals who knew alchemy and demon summoning. Blanchet contacted Prelati in Florence and persuaded him to take service with his Master. Having reviewed the magical books of Prelati and a traveling Breton, de Rais chose to initiate experiments, the first taking place in the lower hall of his castle at Tiffauges, attempting to summon a demon named Barron. De Raïs provided a contract with the demon for riches that Prelati was to give to the demon at a later time
January 15, 1439 - Nantes - Gilles de Raïs retains his property of Saint-Étienne-de-Mer-Morte by agreeing with his younger brother
January(?) 1(?), 1440(?) - Saint-Étienne-de-Mer-Morte - Gilles alienates again Saint-Etienne-de-Mer-Morte following a transaction with Geoffroy Le Ferron, treasurer and man of confidence of Duke Jean V of Brittany. The ducal officer entrusts the administration of the chatellenie to his brother Jean Le Ferron, clerk tonsured. However, the Baron de Raïs again tries to reclaim the castle, this time to sell it to his cousin, the sire of Vieillevigne. Jean Le Ferron opposes it
May 15, 1440 - Saint-Étienne-de-Mer-Morte - In retaliation, on the day of Pentecost or the day after this religious holiday, Gilles de Raïs ambushes a troop of fifty to sixty men in a wood near Saint-Étienne-de-Mer-Morte. He enters the parish church in arms and interrupts the high mass of Jean Le Ferron, insulting him and threatening to kill him with a guisarme if he doesn't leave the sanctuary. After opening the doors of the castle of Saint-Etienne-de-Mer-Morte to his attackers, Jean Le Ferron is incarcerated there with Jean Rousseau, sergeant-general of the duchy of Brittany.
In this way, Gilles de Rais commits sacrilege by violating ecclesiastical immunities, and on the other hand, he holds hands with ducal servants in the diocese of the bishop of Nantes, Jean de Malestroit, the influential chancellor of Jean V of Brittany.
The Breton duke condemns his vassal to make the fortress to Jean Le Ferron under penalty of having to pay a fine of 50,000 gold crowns. Gilles de Rais then sends his prisoner to Tiffauges, located outside the Breton jurisdiction. His act prompts an investigation by the Bishop of Nantes, during which evidence of Gilles' crimes is uncovered
July 1(?), 1440 - Josselin - De Raïs goes to Josselin to meet his sovereign Jean V of Brittany
July 29, 1440 - (While in Château de Tiffauges) - The Bishop of Nantes releases his findings, and subsequently obtains the prosecutorial cooperation of De Raïs's former protector, John VI, Duke of Brittany
August 1(?), 1440 - Château de Tiffauges - Gilles de Raïs murders his last victims, the son of Éonnet de Villeblanche and his wife Macée
September 15, 1440 - Nantes - De Raïs and his servants Poitou and Henriet are arrested following a secular investigation which parallels the findings of the investigation from the Bishop of Nantes. De Raïs's prosecution would likewise be conducted by both secular and ecclesiastical courts, on charges which included murder, sodomy and heresy
September 18, 1440 - (While in Nantes) - The cleric Jean de Touscheronde begins to collect the testimony of the parents of missing children
September 19, 1440 - Nantes - De Raïs appears before the officials of Nantes and the ecclesiastical court.
October 8, 1440 - Nantes - After days hearing the testimonies of missing children's parents, De Raïs is accused of Rebellion, Pact with the Devil and Sodomy
October 13, 1440 - Nantes - Gilles de Raïs is excommunicated
October 16, 1440 - Nantes - Francesco Prelati, a tuscan cleric, and Eustache Blanchet, both servants of Gilles de Raïs, appear before the ecclesiastical court. These two servants of the Lord of Rais affirm that their master indulged in alchemy in order to find the philosopher's stone. To this end, the baron sent to seek in the kingdom of France and abroad "masters who intermingle the art of arquemie", a charge that will later be taken by the heirs of Gilles in the memoir to demonstrate his prodigality. Blanchet thus recruited Prelati in 1438, during a trip to Florence. In addition to the alchemical experiments, Prelati claims to have tried to invoke a familiar demon named "Barron" at Tiffauges Castle, in the presence of Gilles de Rais. The cleric also claims to have interviewed Barron in a meadow near Josselin, therefore not far from the castle where was held the July 1440 interview between the Duke Jean V of Brittany and Gilles de Rais
October 21, 1440 - Nantes - After De Raïs admits to the charges. the court cancels a plan to torture him into confessing. Peasants of the neighboring villages had earlier begun to make accusations that their children had entered Gilles' castle begging for food and had never been seen again. The transcript, which includes testimony from the parents of many of these missing children as well as graphic descriptions of the murders provided by Gilles' accomplices, is said to be so lurid that the judges order the worst portions to be stricken from the record
October 23, 1440 - Nantes - The secular court hears the confessions of Poitou and Henriet and condemns them both to death, followed by Gilles' death sentence on 25 October. De Raïs is allowed to make confession, and his request to be buried in the church of the monastery of Notre-Dame des Carmes in Nantes is granted
October 26, 1440 - Nantes - Gilles de Raïs is garrotted, then burned in a pyre. His family is allowed to remove the body to bury it before it is completely destroyed by fire =(END)
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