Lesson 5
The origins and history of Reformed churches in Europe
   (Print) (Debate platform)

1. Switzerland
2. The Development of the Reformed Church in France after 1598
3. The Netherlands
4. Scotland
5. Italy (Waldenses)
6. The Protestant Church of the Bohemian Brothers
7. Hungary
8. Romania (Transylvania)

5. Italy (Waldenses)

The Waldensian movement, which had already arisen before the Reformation, joined the Reformation after much consideration in 1532 (see lesson 1). It thus changed from being a not particularly organised society into an established church with a clear structure. The Waldenses had charisma and grew. In the year 1555 the first of their own church buildings were erected – a sign of their adjustment to the public and also an expression of their self-confidence. However, the phase of their expansion did not last long. In the train of the Counter-Reformation, all the communities were wiped out apart from a small few in the Valleys of Piemont.

The symbol of the Waldenses on an Italian postage stamp

The Waldenses were once again restricted to their old territories in the area of their religious centre, Torre Pelice. The Waldensian communities spent about 150 years in this Alpine ghetto, where they were constantly oppressed, if not always persecuted. The inaccessible region and the intervention of several Swiss catons and of England prevented anything worse. At the beginning of the 18th Century a thorough re-Catholisation began, and subsequently some of the Waldenses left Piemont and moved to Württemberg, where they founded new communities. Henri Arnaud (1641-1721) is to be mentioned in this context. He first of all fled in 1685 from Piemont to Geneva, then returned from there and after having been driven out again, became a pastor in the Waldensian colony of Dürrmenz-Schönenberg (Württemberg) in 1699. After 1848 the Waldenses gained full rights of citizenship in Italy. In connection with a revivalist piety and missionary activities growing out of this, small Waldensian communities arose in many places in Italy (e.g. Turin, Florence, Rome and Sicily). In addition to this there were emigrations, above all to the area of the Rio de la Plata in South America. In 1905 the old and new communities united to form the “Chiesa Evangelica Valdese” (Protestant Waldensian Church). Today the Waldensian Church has roughly 135 parishes in Italy and about 28000 members, of which roughly 11000 live in the Valleys of Piemont. There work has an emphasis on social matters. The Waldensian Church also has its own faculty in Rome.