150 The Swiss and Their Neighbours, 1460–1560
in the Vaud to this day),685 above all Surpierre, which with its fortress Baillival
commanding the left bank of the Broye was one of the three most important
strongholds in the Vaud alongside Yverdon and Romont.686 Not only was passage
along the Broye under Fribourg surveillance; its lines of communication to
Estavayer on Lake Neuchâtel were secured. Only the abbey of Romainmôtier,
where the canons of St Nicolas cathedral had rights and revenues, lay outwith
Fribourg’s geopolitical orbit.687
On 25th February Romont, faced with a Fribourg detail of 200 men, finally
submitted,688 on condition that it never be required to take up arms against Savoy,
and, were the duke ever to regain his territory, that Romont should revert to his
allegiance. Rue also surrendered. When at the beginning of March a series of Savoy
officials and vassals accepted Fribourg’s protection, they did so on the same
terms.689 These included the lords of Estavayer, Delley, Mézières, Vuippens,
Vuissens, and Attalens, along with Franz Cuendoz, the governor (i.e. bailiff ) of the
mandement of Surpierre.690 Romainmôtier also submitted, but the abbey subse-
quently passed into Bernese hands.691
It is doubtful, however, whether these submissions betokened any deep-seated
loyalty to Savoy: the lords were simply covering their own backs. In its missive
to Duke Charles on 19th February Fribourg may have protested that it was only
concerned to preserve the Catholic faith and that it acknowledged Savoy’s reversionary
rights,692 but it is clear from the duke’s various replies that he was under no illusions
about Fribourg’s ultimate intentions.693 In explaining to Zürich its refusal to negotiate
with Bern Fribourg defended its acquisitions and declared that it would rebut any
accusations levelled by Savoy.694 That Fribourg was prepared to don the mantle of
Catholic devotion to cloak its naked territorial ambitions emerged with telling
clarity during the struggle for control of the county of Gruyère.
Traditional accounts portray Fribourg as the stout defender of the integrity of
the county of Gruyère against Bernese attempts to annex the territory and to force
685 Gasser, Territoriale Entwicklung, 162.
686 Gilliard, Eroberung, 20 [30]; Freymond, ‘Politique’, 57.
687 Gilliard, Eroberung, 103 [170].
688 Fribourg was obliged to act before the Bernese army took the town. Niquille, ‘Comte Jean de
Gruyère’, 237.
689 Gilliard, Eroberung, 108 [179]. 690 EA IV, 1c, 653–5 (no. 400: to b) (March 1536).
691 Vasella, ‘Krieg Berns’, B 85; Gilliard, Eroberung, 137 [229].
692 Castella, ‘Mémoire inédit’, 510–12: Monsieur, nous sommes marris de voz inconvéniens
comment le schavés et por ce que noz combourgeois de Berne instent de plus en plus et que voz
subiectz soy réduisent à leur obéissance et leur foy... Toutesfois quand vostre excellence aura le surplus
de vostre pais que nous sommes contentz les vous remettre en nous restituant nos missions raisonna-
bles.... The letter was as remarkable for what it left unsaid as for what it did: there was no mention of
the treaties of St-Julien or Payerne. Castella, ‘Intervention’, 104.
693 Castella, ‘Mémoire inédit’, 513–14: Nous avons receu vostre lettre [of 19 Feb.] et ne pouvons
entendre à quelle juste occasion vous veuillés prendre noz terres et les distraire de nostre dévotion et
obeissance actendu l’ancienne amytié et alliance qui est d’entre nous....
694 SAZH, Akten 212 Savoyen 1, no. 83 (5 March 1536): wenn wir nitt gehanndlet hand als si,
vnnd wie wol wir vß zogenn sindt vnnd ettlich platz hannd ingenommen, so aber f. d. von Sauoyë
oder sine anwellt vnns dorumb wellen anziechen [= beschuldigen], so wellen wir innenn gern bescheyd
vor üch vnnd andern vwern... red vnd antwurt geben.