H is for Huguenots – Devout Protestants
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H is for Huguenots – Devout Protestants

ByVincento

A contribution to the #AtoZchallenge 2024 What made Huguenots special? The Huguenots were devout Protestants, who followed the teaching of the theologian, John Calvin. They emphasised salvation by faith in Jesus alone and the authority of Scripture. Their places of worship – referred to as temples rather than churches – were deliberately plain, lacking the…

G is for Galley slaves – Never to return
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G is for Galley slaves – Never to return

ByVincento

A contribution to the #AtoZchallenge 2024 After the revocation of the Edict of Nantes by King Louis XIV in 1685, the Huguenot faith was banned in France. Everyone had to accept the Catholic faith and attend mass. Whereas women who refused to abjure their Protestant faith could be imprisoned, e.g. in the infamous Tour de…

F is for Françoise – The Unknown Queen
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F is for Françoise – The Unknown Queen

ByVincento

A contribution to the #AtoZchallenge 2024 More than one of the twenty or so women who frequented Louis XIV’s bedroom answered to the name of Françoise. In fact, his most celebrated maîtresse-en-titre was Françoise-Athénaïs de Rochechouart. She had the title of Marquise de Montespan by marriage, but chose to be called Athénaïs. This post is,…

D is for Dragonnade – Persuasion by any means
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D is for Dragonnade – Persuasion by any means

ByVincento

A contribution to the #AtoZchallenge 2024 A Huguenot farmer experiences the full force of a dragonnade The year was 1681. King Louis XIV decided to put an end to ‘Calvin’s heresy’ by striking a great blow. On the advice of his entourage, regiments of dragoons were sent to the Poitou province to persuade the lost…

Tour de Constance
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C is for Constance – A dungeon for women

ByVincento

A contribution to the #AtoZchallenge 2024 Constance means perseverance. The Tour de Constance in Aigues-Mortes in the south of France demanded a great deal of perseverance from the Huguenot women imprisoned there. This unique tower was erected in 1242 by King Louis IX, on the site of a previous structure built by Charlemagne in about…

B is for Benoist – Historian of the Edict of Nantes
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B is for Benoist – Historian of the Edict of Nantes

ByVincento

A contribution to the #AtoZchallenge 2024 Imagine being thrown out of your own country as a rebel with fifteen days’ notice, and having to leave your daughters behind. This happened to Pastor Élie Benoist when, in 1685, King Louis XIV revoked the Edict of Nantes. Although from a humble background, Élie Benoist was a learned…

Games?
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Games?

ByVincento

‘Games’ by Patrick Oberholzer is a remarkable book – remarkable in its oversized format, remarkable in its dramatic design, and particularly remarkable in its message. It is also a very instructive book. It makes us aware of the traumatic experiences of many Afghans refugees who arrive in comfortable Western Europe. “We speak of ‘games’ to refer…