 On June 6, 1573 Charles IX signed the Peace of La Rochelle ending the Fourth Civil War and guaranteeing French Protestants religious freedom.On August 25, 1573, one day after the anniversary of the Saint Bartholomew's Day Massacre, the last of the Siege of Sancerre survivors left the fortress.Châtre entered the empty city on August 31, and commanded the peasantry from the surrounding areas to demolish the ramparts.