COLIGNY, GASPARD de. - Celebrated French Huguenot general of the 16th century, born at Châtillon-sur-Loing in 1519 and died in Paris on 24 Aug. 1572. His father, marshal of France, died when G. de C. was 3 years old; the boy grew up amid continual wars and family struggles; he was first colonel-general of the French infantry, then admiral of the fleet with which he undertook expeditions to Brazil and Florida, but without success. Particularly famous was the siege he sustained at S. Quintino in 1557, from which he emerged a prisoner; he was released only after the peace of Cateau-Cambrésis.
A follower of reforming ideas, he soon became the leader of the Huguenot party and was involved in civil and religious struggles, alternately suffering defeats and winning resounding victories. Having achieved relative peace within the country, he was persuading the king to wage war against Spain when, on leaving the Louvre, he was attacked and struck by an arquebus shot; two days later the massacre of S. Bartolomeo broke out, in which C. too met his death.