Treaty of the Pyrenees
Pheasant Island, Bidasoa River, France–Spain border
What happened
Cardinal Mazarin for Louis XIV of France and Luis Méndez de Haro for Philip IV of Spain made peace after 24 meetings. France and Spain had been at war since 1635. Their chief ministers met on Pheasant Island, a tiny island in the river that forms the border, and signed a peace treaty. France gained Roussillon and lands in Flanders, and the Pyrenees mountains became the border.
Why it matters
Why it matters: According to the historian J. H. Elliott, it was Spain's 'decisive admission of defeat' in its bid to dominate Europe. It made the Pyrenees the border between the two kingdoms.
What came next
The treaty arranged the marriage of Louis XIV and Maria Theresa of Spain, and the royal families met on the island in June 1660. Her unpaid dowry later led to another war.
Did you know?
Pheasant Island is still shared: it is run by Spain for six months of the year and by France for the other six.
Timeline
- 1635War between France and Spain begins.
- 7 November 1659Treaty of the Pyrenees is signed on Pheasant Island.
- 7 June 1660Meeting on the Isle of Pheasants before the royal marriage.
- 1856Treaty of Bayonne settles the border at Llívia.