Kirchenakte Documented events from judgments, reports and church documents
Person 1542-1546 · about 4 years old · show in timeline

Étienne Dolet

The French humanist and printer Étienne Dolet printed ancient and contemporary works in Lyon, including the New Testament and Rabelais, and advocated reading the Bible in the vernacular. In 1542 he was imprisoned on a charge of atheism. After a second arrest and escape he was arrested again, branded a relapsed atheist by the theology faculty of the Sorbonne, and on 3 August 1546 tortured, strangled and burned on the Place Maubert in Paris.

Life dates
1542-1546 (about 4 years old)
Country
France
Institutions
Theology faculty of the Sorbonne
Category
Torture, Heresy trials, Censorship
Level of evidence
B two independent scholarly sources · what does this mean?

What happened to the people

How were they charged and sentenced?

  1. In 1542 his enemies succeeded in having him imprisoned on the charge of atheism. After fifteen months he was released through the advocacy of the bishop of Tulle; from a second imprisonment in 1544 he escaped. On returning from Piedmont he was arrested again and branded a relapsed atheist by the theological faculty of the Sorbonne.
    Evidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911), Artikel
    „who succeeded in imprisoning him (1542) on the charge of atheism“
    Dolet, Étienne, Artikel. Original
    Evidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911), Artikel
    „branded as a relapsed atheist by the theological faculty of the Sorbonne“
    Dolet, Étienne, Artikel. Original
    Evidence: The Nuttall Encyclopædia, James Wood (1900), Artikel Dolet, Étienne
    „suffered persecution after persecution at the hands of the Church“
    Dolet, Étienne, Artikel Dolet, Étienne. Original

What happened to those affected?

  1. In 1889 a statue of Dolet was erected on the Place Maubert.
    Evidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911), Artikel
    „A statue of Dolet was erected on the Place Maubert in 1889.“
    Dolet, Étienne, Artikel. Original

Background

Course of events

  1. Dolet was born at Orléans on 3 August 1509.
    Evidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911), Artikel
    „was born at Orleans on the 3rd of August 1509“
    Dolet, Étienne, Artikel. Original
  2. On 3 August 1546, his birthday, Dolet was tortured, strangled and burned on the Place Maubert in Paris.
    Evidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911), Artikel
    „on the 3rd of August 1546 put to the torture, strangled and burned in the Place Maubert“
    Dolet, Étienne, Artikel. Original
    Evidence: The Nuttall Encyclopædia, James Wood (1900), Artikel Dolet, Étienne
    „was burned in the Place Maubert, Paris“
    Dolet, Étienne, Artikel Dolet, Étienne. Original

Why? Justification and motives (according to the sources)

  1. His press in Lyon produced ancient and modern, sacred and secular works, from the New Testament in Latin to Rabelais in French. According to the Britannica he repeatedly advocated reading the Scriptures in the vernacular.
    Evidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911), Artikel
    „from the New Testament in Latin to Rabelais in French“
    Dolet, Étienne, Artikel. Original
    Evidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911), Artikel
    „His repeated advocacy of the reading of the Scriptures in the vulgar tongue is especially noticeable.“
    Dolet, Étienne, Artikel. Original

See also

Scholarly literature and reference works

  1. Reference work
    Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911): Dolet, Étienne, 1 January 1911. Original (retrieved 31 Oct 2026)
  2. Reference work
    The Nuttall Encyclopædia, James Wood (1900): Dolet, Étienne, 1 January 1900. Original (retrieved 31 Oct 2026)
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Last changed on 31 October 2026. Is something missing or wrong? Suggest an addition or correction.