The Protestant cemetery of Montpellier () is a historic, church-owned and operated
Protestant
Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...
cemetery located in the city of
Montpellier
Montpellier (; ) is a city in southern France near the Mediterranean Sea. One of the largest urban centres in the region of Occitania (administrative region), Occitania, Montpellier is the prefecture of the Departments of France, department of ...
, in
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
. The triangular-shaped cemetery surrounded by high walls on Palavas avenue is the fourth and only existing Protestant cemetery in Montpellier, as well as being the oldest active cemetery in the city.
History and description
At the start of the
Reformation
The Reformation, also known as the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation, was a time of major Theology, theological movement in Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the p ...
in Montpellier, followers of the
new faith and converts to Protestantism were buried in the Catholic cemeteries. But in 1565, the Catholic officials applied to the governor of Languedoc,
Henri de Montmorency for securing an injunction against Protestants from using the Roman Catholic cemeteries, and the new law prohibited the burial of Protestants on consecrated ground. Therefore, Protestants had to bury their deceased brethren clandestinely on private property until the
Edict of Nantes
The Edict of Nantes () was an edict signed in April 1598 by Henry IV of France, King Henry IV and granted the minority Calvinism, Calvinist Protestants of France, also known as Huguenots, substantial rights in the nation, which was predominantl ...
granted the religious minorities some freedom which required city administrators to provide the non-Catholic citizens suitable land for their burial in a decent manner.
In 1565, the
Huguenot
The Huguenots ( , ; ) are a Religious denomination, religious group of French people, French Protestants who held to the Reformed (Calvinist) tradition of Protestantism. The term, which may be derived from the name of a Swiss political leader, ...
gentleman, François des Urcières de Gaudette donated his private land to the Protestant community to serve as a burial place for his fellow Protestant countrymen. This first cemetery was seriously damaged during the
siege
A siege () . is a military blockade of a city, or fortress, with the intent of conquering by attrition, or by well-prepared assault. Siege warfare (also called siegecrafts or poliorcetics) is a form of constant, low-intensity conflict charact ...
of 1622 and was demolished in 1624 during the construction of the
citadel
A citadel is the most fortified area of a town or city. It may be a castle, fortress, or fortified center. The term is a diminutive of ''city'', meaning "little city", because it is a smaller part of the city of which it is the defensive core.
...
by
Louis XIII
Louis XIII (; sometimes called the Just; 27 September 1601 – 14 May 1643) was King of France from 1610 until his death in 1643 and King of Navarre (as Louis II) from 1610 to 1620, when the crown of Navarre was merged with the French crown.
...
.
After the closure of their first burial ground, the Protestant community of Montpellier owned two more cemeteries which no longer exist today. The current cemetery created in 1809 is the fourth Protestant cemetery in Montpellier with an area of 3,500 m2, and the first burial was recorded on November 20, 1809, a 21-year-old woman named Marguerite Bouvier.
The cemetery was enlarged for the first time in 1824, then in 1856 and again in 1880 when a chapel was built on the cemetery ground.
Notable burials
List is sorted in order of the year of death.
*
Louis Médard (1768-1841), French
indiennes merchant
A merchant is a person who trades in goods produced by other people, especially one who trades with foreign countries. Merchants have been known for as long as humans have engaged in trade and commerce. Merchants and merchant networks operated i ...
and rare books
bibliophile
A bookworm or bibliophile is an individual who loves and frequently reads or collects books. Bibliophilia or bibliophilism is the love of books.
Bibliophiles may have large, specialized book collections. They may highly value old editions, aut ...
*
Frédéric Bazille
Jean Frédéric Bazille (; December 6, 1841 – November 28, 1870) was a French Impressionist painter. Many of Bazille's major works are examples of figure painting in which he placed the subject figure within a landscape painted '' en plein ai ...
(1841-1870), French Impressionist painter
*
Jacques-Louis Hénon
Jacques-Louis Hénon (31 May 1802 in Lyon – 28 March 1872 in Montpellier) was a French republican politician. He was member of the Corps législatif in 1852 and from 1857 to 1869. He was the mayor of Lyon from 1870 to 1872.
Earlier in his ...
(1802-1872), French republican politician
*
François Perrier (French Army officer) François Perrier may refer to:
* François Perrier (French Army officer) (1835–1888), French soldier and geodesist
* François Perrier (painter) (1590–1650), French painter
* François Perrier (psychoanalyst) (1922–1990), French psychoanalys ...
(1833-1888), French soldier and
geodesist
*
Jules Émile Planchon
Jules Émile Planchon (21 March 1823 – 1 April 1888) was a French botanist born in Ganges, Hérault. He was a brother of Gustave Planchon who also studied medicinal plants.
Biography
After receiving his Doctorate of Science at the Universit ...
(1823-1888), French botanist
*
Gustave Chancel
Gustave Charles Bonaventure Chancel (18 January 1822 – 5 August 1890) was a French chemist who conducted research on organic and analytical chemistry while also examining chemical aspects of wine making. A method for determining the fineness of ...
(1822-1890), French chemist
*
Armand Sabatier
Armand Sabatier (, , ; 13 January 1834 – 22 December 1910) was a French zoologist known for his studies of comparative anatomy of animals, and for his work in photography, discovering and publishing in 1860 the Sabattier effect, also known as ps ...
(1834-1910), French zoologist
*
Max Leenhardt
Michel Maximilien Leenhardt (2 April 1853, Montpellier – 15 May 1941, Clapiers) was a French painter, known for landscapes, history paintings and genre scenes.
Biography
His father was a bank manager. (1853-1941), French painter
*
Jeanne Galzy
Jeanne Galzy (1883–1977), born Louise Jeanne Baraduc, was a French novelist and biographer from Montpellier. She was a long-time member of the jury for the Prix Femina. Largely forgotten today, she was known as a regional author, but also wrot ...
(1883-1977), French novelist and biographer
*
Henri Victor Vallois Henri Victor Vallois (11 April 1889 – 27 August 1981) was a French anthropologist and paleontologist. He was one of the editors in chief of the ''Revue d'Anthropologie'' from 1932 to 1970, and became director of the Musée de l'Homme
The Musée ...
(1889-1981), French anthropologist and paleontologist
Gallery
File:Schéma de l'historique.JPG
File:Chapelle cimetiere protestant.JPG
File:Tombe Frédéric Bazille Cimetière protestant Montpellier.jpg
File:Grab Gaston Giraud.jpg
File:Vue d'une allée.JPG
File:Grab Paul Gervais de Rouville.jpg
See also
*
Protestantism in France
Protestantism in France has existed in its various forms, starting with Calvinism and Lutheranism since the Protestant Reformation. John Calvin was a Frenchman, as were numerous other Protestant Reformers including William Farel, Pierre Viret ...
References
External links
*
The official websiteAbout the Protestant Cemetery of MontpellierProtestant Cemetery of Montpellier on Musée Protestant (in French)
{{Cemeteries in France
Cemeteries in France
Lutheran cemeteries
Protestant Reformed cemeteries
Huguenot cemeteries
Protestantism in France
Buildings and structures in Montpellier
Cemeteries established in the 1800s