✓ WikipediaCulture & Curiosity
A duchess held off a 1342 siege of her Breton port city
Joanna of Montfort commanded Hennebont's defense and repelled Charles of Blois during a month-long 1342 siege.
Between late May and late June 1342, forces under Charles of Blois laid an unsuccessful siege to the fortified Breton port of Hennebont in what is now France. The town was commanded by Joanna of Montfort, wife of a rival claimant to the duchy.
The conflict was part of the Breton Civil War, a dynastic struggle between two contenders for Brittany. It was tangled with the wider Hundred Years' War: Philip VI of France backed his nephew Charles, while Edward III of England pledged support to Joanna.
Why it mattersA woman leading a successful medieval defense is a striking reminder of how local dynastic feuds fed into Europe's great wars.
Open this story in InSnip →
