Dragonnade louis xiv biography
Dragonnade louis xiv biography
Louis xiv brother.
Repression and persecution
of the Reformed Church (1685-1700)
Missionaries and dragoons chased the "religionnaires"
About three quarters of Reformed Church members stayed in France.
In the face of the “dragonnades” and all kinds of persecution that intensified between 1685 and 1700, most of these recanted.
They officially became Catholic, as stated by King Louis XIV in the introduction to the Edict of Fontainebleau (1685) : “the best and the great majority of our subjects that used to belong to the allegedly Reformed Church (“Religion Prétendue Réformée” or RPR) have become Catholics” (« la meilleure et la plus grande partie de nos sujets de la dite RPR” ont embrassé la catholique »).
They were called the New Converts (N.C.).
Persecution and restriction of freedom of conscience
The N.C. were closely monitored. They had to practice their new religion :
- be regular