Let’s go back a few centuries to understand the existence of these places of Protestant memory.
Aurore
Top of the templeDetail of the temple of Luneray|
Top of the temple
The Protestant TempleListed building with typical Normandy materials|
LunerayHeritage of a Protestant bastion
AuroreTop of the temple
The Protestant TempleEntrance portal of the protestant church|
A bit of history...
The historical contextIn 1685, the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes restricted the freedoms of Protestants. Many temples and schools were then destroyed. Protestants had to submit to Catholic baptism and marriage, and were forbidden to emigrate on pain of being conscripted into the galleys.
The ban on Protestantism in France, from 1685 to 1787, led to the disappearance of Protestant cemeteries, and forced “new converts” to be buried in the Catholic faith.
Remaining secretly faithful to their faith, Protestants buried their dead clandestinely. The ceremonies, of extreme simplicity, took place mainly at night. The deceased were buried in cellars, gardens and meadows, hidden from view. No stele or other clue made it possible to locate their locations because the discovered graves risked exhumation and the families’ property could be confiscated!
Once hidden,The graves are adorned with memorials...
Protestant burialsProtestant Enclosure located in Luneray|
Protestant CemeteryProtestant enclosure in Gruchet-Saint-Siméon|
Protestant burials gradually became tolerated despite the laws in force, and in Luneray a plot of land was allocated for the burial of “non-Catholics”, it was the Clos Philippot! This was later used as the official Protestant cemetery. It still exists, by the way, through the dense foliage, one can see some graves, at the intersection of the rue des Poitreaux and the rue du Marquis de Radiolle.
Protestant enclosures
After the revolution, Protestant cemeteries were again adorned with steles and tombstones.
Some families still retained a plot of land to bury their dead. Many small family cemeteries and enclosures would still be present in the city.
One is found in front of the Luneray temple. In Gruchet-Saint-Siméon, one is also seen at the intersection of Rue du Coudray and Rue du Temple.
Family CemeteryProtestant Gravestones|
Read more
Would you like to learn more about the history of this commune?
Take a tour of Luneray’s history with the “Luneray on Foot” brochure!
