Saint-Ambroix (Gard)
The medieval village may have been named after the protector of the original church, Saint-Ambroise, archbishop of Milan.
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.
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
Saint-Paul-la-Coste (Gard)
Nothing remains of the first Protestant temple.
Sedan (Ardennes)
In 1562, Robert de la Marck, duke of Bouillon and sovereign prince of Sedan, adhered to the reformed religion together with his wife Françoise de Bourbon. In 1593 their daughter...
Vialas (Lozère)
After the Edict of Nantes, the Protestant population of Vialas was large enough to have a temple built in 1612 at its own expenses. The Reformed, being merely tolerated by...
Psalm singing
The reformers wished for congregational singing during services of worship. A new church music repertoire had to be created. In their services French-speaking reformed Churches gave much importance to psalm...
Loys Bourgeois (about 1510-1560)
The French musician Loys Bourgeois played a key role in preparing the Huguenot Psalter. He composed most of the Psalter tunes.
Claude Goudimel (about 1520-1572)
Claude Goudimel was one of the most important French composers of the XVIth century. He composed a polyphonic four-part version of the 150 psalms in the Geneva Psalter for singing...
Claude Le Jeune (about 1530-1600)
Claude Le Jeune was a court musician. Since he was attracted to Protestantism, he composed many polyphonic versions of the psalms.
Protestant music
The reformers urged for congregational hymn singing. They strongly supported musical creations to renew the repertoire, namely Chorales for the Lutheran Church and Psalms for the Reformed Church.
Clément Marot (1496-1544)
The famous 16th century French poet put into verse the biblical Psalms that were to be sung all over France and become the well-known Huguenot Psalter.
Agrippa d’Aubigné (1552-1630)
A soldier and Protestant writer, he first took part in the wars of religion with Henri de Navarre and later told of the sufferings endured by the Protestants in his work...
Robert Estienne (1503-1559)
Robert Estienne was born in a well-known family of Parisian typographers who were in touch with humanistic circles all over Europe.
Sébastien Castellion (1515-1563)
Sébastien Castellion is looked upon today as an apostle of tolerance and freedom of thought. He maintained that the Bible could have several different interpretations, and that this implied a...
François Hotman (1524-1590)
François Hotman questioned royal absolutism.
Guillaume Du Bartas (1544-1590)
Du Bartas was a diplomat, a poet, and a fervent Calvinist.