Pierre Richier, also Pierre Richer, dit de Lisle, (circa 1506–1580) was a French Calvinist theologian, who accompanied

Philippe de Corguilleray Philippe de Corguilleray, Sieur du Pont, was a Burgundian nobleman who is known for leading a group of Calvinist men from Geneva to the French colony of France Antarctique in Brazil in 1556. The contingent he led included writer Jean de Léry. Ph ...

on a French expedition to Brazil in 1556, to reinforce the colony of France Antarctique. He was a member of a contingent of 14 Calvinist people dispatched from Geneva.''History of a voyage to the land of Brazil, otherwise called America'' by Jean de Léry, p.53''ff''
/ref> He later became the main actor in developing La Rochelle as a Huguenot capital. Pierre Richer was initially ordained as a

Carmelite , image = , caption = Coat of arms of the Carmelites , abbreviation = OCarm , formation = Late 12th century , founder = Early hermits of Mount Carmel , founding_location = Mount Car ...

and was from the congregation of Albi. He was a member of a Paris convent, when he fled the Order for Geneva in 1556. Pierre Richier accompanied

to Brazil in 1556 at the request of the French soldier and explorer Villegagnon. After the failure of the expedition, Pierre Richier returned in 1558 to the city of La Rochelle, where his preaching became very influential.''Fortress of the soul'' by Neil Kamil p.133
/ref> Pierre de Richier became "''Ministre de l'église de la Rochelle''" ("Minister of the Church of La Rochelle", also "''Ministre de la parole de Dieu''" or "Minister of the Word of God"), and was able to grow considerably the Huguenot presence in La Rochelle, from a small base of about 50 souls who had been secretly educated to Lutheranism by

Charles de Clermont Charles de Clermont, called la Fontaine, was a Protestant preacher who was active in La Rochelle in 1557. The arrival of Charles de Clermont followed a period of repression against Calvinist propagation, through the establishment of "Cours présid ...

the previous year. La Rochelle, together with a few other cities such as Sancerre, became the last Protestant strongholds in the French Wars of Religion, following the failure of colonization ventures in the New World which

Gaspard de Coligny Gaspard de Coligny may refer to: *Gaspard I de Coligny Gaspard I de Coligny, Count of Coligny, seigneur de Châtillon (1465/1470–1522), known as the Marshal of Châtillon, was a French soldier. He was born in Châtillon-Coligny, the second son ...

had been promoting. In 1561, Pierre Richier published in Genève a pamphlet against Villegagnon's actions in Brazil, entitled ''"Réfutation des folles resveries, excecrable blasphèmes, erreurs et mensonges de Nicolas Durand, qui se nomme Villagagnon"''. In La Rochelle, Pierre Richier virulently preached against the subversion of the January 1562 Edicts of toleration by Charles IX of France and

Catherine de' Medici Catherine de' Medici ( it, Caterina de' Medici, ; french: Catherine de Médicis, ; 13 April 1519 – 5 January 1589) was an Florentine noblewoman born into the Medici family. She was Queen of France from 1547 to 1559 by marriage to King ...

.''Fortress of the soul'' by Neil Kamil p.39
/ref> He had been described, by

Lancelot Voisin de La Popelinière Henri Lancelot Voisin de La Popelinière (1541–1608), historian and historiographer from eastern Poitou, France. He studied the classics in Paris and then aw?at the University of Toulouse. He was a Protestant, and took part in the early Wars of ...

, as ''"le père de l'église de La Rochelle"'' ("The Father of the Church of La Rochelle"). Pierre Richier died in La Rochelle in 1580.

Notes

{{authority control French Calvinist and Reformed theologians Huguenots Carmelites France Antarctique