On 6 April 1362, Brignais was the site of one of the most significant military defeats of royal authority during the Hundred Years’ War. Here, the Tard-Venus, bands of mercenaries formed after the Treaty of Brétigny (1360), defeated the army of King Jean II “the Good”, commanded by Jacques de Bourbon, Count of La Marche, who was mortally wounded.
Led by Petit Meschin and Seguin de Badefol, these mercenary companies ravaged large parts of France, from Burgundy to Languedoc. Their victory at Brignais exposed the vulnerability of royal forces and left a lasting mark on regional memory.
In 1991, artist Jean-Paul Brochot created the installation Arrêt sur images (“Freeze-Frame”), commemorating this pivotal event.
The site of the battle corresponds to the area now occupied by Le Briscope Cultural Center, at
5 Rue Mère Élise Rivet, 69530 Brignais
