Saint-Paul-la-Coste (Gard)

Nothing remains of the first Protestant temple.

A temple was rebuilt three centuries later on the same site

  • New temple in Saint-Paul-la-Coste (Gard)

The first temple was supposedly built around 1565, in the village perched high up in the Cévennes. It was demolished at the Revocation.

The roman chapel still serves as a reminder of the confraternity established in Saint-Paul to fight the Cathare heresy ; it was burnt by the Camisards.

In the 18th century, however, Catholics and Protestants seemed to get along quite well.

In 1835, a new temple was built according to the same principles, on the site of the former one built in 1565.

Saint-Paul-la-Coste (Gard)

Saint-Paul-la-Coste

Itinerary to this location

Bibliography

  • Books
    • DUBIEF Henri et POUJOL Jacques, La France protestante, Histoire et Lieux de mémoire, Max Chaleil éditeur, Montpellier, 1992, rééd. 2006, p. 450
    • LAURENT René, Promenade à travers les temples de France, Les Presses du Languedoc, Millau, 1996, p. 520
    • REYMOND Bernard, L’architecture religieuse des protestants, Labor et Fides, Genève, 1996

Associated notes

  • The war of the Camisards (1702-1710)
    The « Cévennes war » was the name given in the 18th century to the guerrilla warfare that devastated the Cévennes in the early years of the century and tried to re-establish...

  • The Désert museum
    The “Désert” period in French Protestantism lasted from the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes by Louis XIIV (1685) to the Edict of Tolerance (1787), when Louis XVI restored civil...

  • Museum of the Cevenol Valleys
    In this traditionally deeply protestant region, this hostile environment has had its effect on the local inhabitants : farmers here had to be tough, uncompromising, brave and with great willpower to...

  • Protestant temples : from the 16th century to the Revocation
    In 16th century France Reformed services were held in former Catholic churches and in new buildings.

  • Saint-Jean-du-Gard (Gard)
    In 1551, the entire population of Saint-Jean-du-Gard was reformed. This was the result of the work accomplished by the three brothers from the Piedmont, Pierre, Jean et François Barbier.

  • Saint-Jean-de-Maruejols (Gard)
    Of the temple built in 1598 after the Edict of Nantes, only the Communion table remains

  • Sainte-Croix-de-Caderle (Gard)
    An early roman chapel that became a priory in 1420 was used for Protestant worship in the 16th century.

  • Sainte-Croix-Vallée-Française (Lozère)
    The Boissonnade chapel, dedicated to the Virgin Mary in 1063, became a Protestant temple around 1560.