Geneva
Members of Geneva's 1602 Company commemorate the 400th anniversary of the Escalade© julia slater / swissworld.org
Calvin's activities in Geneva had a lasting impact on the city and beyond. His attempt to establish rule by clergy left no-one indifferent, whether they praised or ridiculed its nickname of "Hieropolis", the Holy City.
The character of Geneva changed considerably under Calvin, not only because of the new form of government which he introduced, but also because of the huge influx of refugees, from countries such as France, Italy, the Netherlands and England as the persecution of Protestants increased in Europe. These incomers naturally tended to be supporters of Calvin, and as such caused resentment among many native Genevans, who saw them as a threat to their own power and influence. However, in 1555 an uprising against them was put down, making Calvin's system secure.
When 27 year-old Calvin came to Geneva in July 1536, he was on his way to Strasbourg to continue his studies, and intended to stay only one night. But the Reformist preacher Guillaume Farel prevailed upon him to stay and help spread the new religion. Calvin said later that he felt that "the hand of God was stretched down from heaven, that it laid hold of him, and fixed him irrevocably to the place he was so impatient to leave."
Promising refugees were trained for the ministry, and spread Calvin's teaching. Among his most important followers was John Knox, founder of the Church of Scotland.
Since the refugees included many printers and publishers, they also helped spread the new religion by printing biblical texts and works of theology, not only in Latin but also in French. The new academy and college, which opened in 1559, attracted many students to Geneva.
One of the printers who fled to Geneva was the great French lexicographer and grammarian Robert Estienne, who with his son Henri played an important role in standardising the French language.
The influx of people fleeing religious persecution also included many who made a lasting contribution to the city, whether as skilled craftsmen, as bankers or in other fields.
"This place [Geneva] is the most perfect school of Christ that ever was in the earth since the days of the Apostles."
John Knox (1513-72), Letter to Anne Locke, 1556
"Your words and your weapons are only those common to every despotism; and they can but give you a temporal, not a spiritual dominance, a dominance based upon coercion, and not upon the love of God."
Words addressed to Calvin by Sebastian Castellion (1515-1563), to protest at the burning of the Spanish scholar Michael Servetus for heresy in 1553
The Escalade
Among the city's most implacable opponents was the House of Savoy, which still harboured territorial claims against it.
Duke Charles-Emmuanuel I of Savoy made a final attempt to recover Geneva in 1602, but a night-time attack on the city was foiled by the alert citizens. The incident is known as the Escalade (= climbing), after the ladders used by Savoyard troops to scale the city walls.
Savoy gave up all claim to the city in the Treaty of St Julien signed in 1603.
Links to other websites
- Sebastian Castellion
- Servetus
- Servetus and religious freedom Michael Servetus Institute
- John Knox English Bible History
- Geneva celebrates 400th anniversary of its final defeat of Savoy swissinfo (2002)