An historical explanation
Historical events have been narrated in the House of Protestantism since 2002 through a description of the life of Jean Migault, a primary school teacher from Poitou who had to flee to the Low Countries. He wrote a journal to each of his children so that they would be aware of their own history.
There are four scenes : Jean Migault describes Calvin’s arrival in Poitiers, local wars of religion and the edict of Nantes, what is was like to have the king’s dragoons in Poitou (they inflicted so much suffering that many protestants escaped to the “Countries of Refuge”) and finally life lived in secrecy in the “Désert” in the countryside of Poitou.
A guide accompanies you throughout the tour – at the end of the visit you can admire the architecture of the temple de Beauvais (which used to be a Romanesque church) and learn about the local landscape through explanations about family churchyards, the umbrella pines, etc.
It is also possible to walk for 3-7 kilometres along a “Huguenot” path for those who are interested.
Possibility of guided tours in English.
Notices in the museum have subtitles in English and German.
It is possible to hire a guide for a school activity or a bus trip.
There are activities in the museum throughout the year (guided walks, shows).
The archives
There is a Resource centre and a protestant genealogy centre in the village of La Couarde. In the House of Protestantism you can find the “Dictionnaire des familles protestantes du Poitou” by Pastor Jean Rivierre and documents belonging to Monsieur and Madame Dez.
The genealogy centre is open all year long on Saturdays from 9.30 to 12.30 and from Tuesdays to Fridays by appointment.
The House of Protestantism in Poitou
F-79370 Beaussais
Tel. +33 (0) 5 49 32 83 16
Contact : maison-protestantisme@wanadoo.fr
