Revocation of the Edict of Nantes and the Arrival of the Dragoons

In the summer and autumn of 1685, Mizoën went through a period of profound upheaval linked to the revocation of the Edict of Nantes and to the royal policy of repressing Protestantism. Nothing happened suddenly: warning signs had been accumulating for several years. As early as 1682, neighboring temples were destroyed, notably at Les Terrasses and Le Chazelet, while that of Mizoën was maintained by exemption, proof of both its fragility and its local importance. Protestants, then described as “so-called Reformed”, were gradually excluded from public life: they could no longer hold the offices of mestral, field guard, secretary, or consul, and an ordinance even required, in June 1685, that their religious books be burned. The official revocation of October 18, 1685 was not immediately felt as a catastrophe; what truly marked people’s minds was the fear caused by the arrival of the dragoons. These troops, commanded by the Count of Marcieu, advanced through the valleys to impose conversions by force. Mizoën, still overwhelmingly Protestant, found itself trapped between pressure from the authorities, threats of military occupation, and the anguish of having to choose between abjuration, exile, or clandestinity. This moment marked the beginning of the collapse of the old Reformed community of the village.