Opus IX: Abode of Chaos / Demeure du Chaos 1999-2013

Page 250
Le Temple Protestant de
Saint-Romain de Couzon
The Protestant Temple of
Saint-Romain de Couzon
Page 251
Sculptures dans le Temple Protestant
Sculptures in the Protestant Temple
Propagation of the Faith "for the
instruction of persons who, born
into Protestantism, wish to embrace
Catholicism." This creation
was confirmed by letters patent in
1677 under the name "Company
of the Propagation of the Faith."
This Company managed to convert
380 people in Lyons between 1659
and 1682. Neuville’s initiative was
supported by the implementation
of a system of purchasing conversions
which produced very poor results.
But what particularly upset
the Protestants was the introduction
of a number of trade and occupational
restrictions and many
either converted to Catholicism or
emigrated to Switzerland and other
Refuge countries.
Finally, in 1685, impatient to completely
eradicate Protestantism,
Louvois wrote to the Archbishop
about pushing the greater part of
the religionists of the city of Lyons
to convert by deliberation and
threatening them to send troops
to force them if necessary; but
those who are Swiss or German
were not involved. This was done,
as in Paris, and Lyons thereby
avoided the Dragonnades that the
government did not wish to im­
plement and could thank Louvois
and the Archbishop: The king was
pleased to learn, by the addition
you put in the letter that you took
the trouble to write to me on the
13th of this month, of the deliberations
made by the main religionists
of the city of Lyons and
which His Majesty attributes to
your efforts, and he has commanded
me to make sure that you know
how grateful he is. I am pleased to
share in your satisfaction and remain,
as ever, your..."
As a result of the Edict of
Fontainebleau of 10 October 1685,
250 251
revoking the Edict of Nantes,
the Temple of Saint­Romainde­Couzon
was demolished and
Protestantism formally prohibited.
The discovery of the Protestant
Temple (1630­1685) and its underground
rooms was the secret origin
of my conflict with the local
town hall because the loans extended
to inhabitants of Saint­
Romain by the Protestants were
never honoured ... Mayor Pierre
Dumont coincidentally started
the conflict with the Abode of
Chaos a few weeks after the dis­
covery of the Temple. Old Saint­
Romain families have told me that
for generations they kept on burying
the Temple under about 900
cubic metres of earth in order to
hide what we can now call the secret
of Saint­Romain­au­Montd'Or.
In 2012, the local town hall
continues to deny the existence
of the Protestant Temple in spite
of the historical writings instantly
available at the Municipal archives
of Lyons, and it continues
to lie brazenly, suggesting that the
Domaine de la Source was a coaching
inn, which is absolute fiction.
thierry Ehrmann
© Histoire des Protestants à Lyon des
origines à nos jours by Roland Gennerat.
Editions Au Jet d'Ancre.
Camille de Neuville (Rouen 22 August
1606 - Lyons 3 June 1693) was also
Lieutenant General in the General
Government of the Lyons region.
On this topic, see the excellent work of
Odile Martin: La conversion protestante
à Lyon (1659-1687) In: Histoire du
Lyonnais par les textes. Pages 140-141.
sens sacré