Auditoire de Calvin, Geneva




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At the the Auditoire de Calvin in Geneva, the Scottish reformer John Knox preached from 1556 to 1559 and the French reformer John Calvin founded a Christian academy in 1559.
Before it became a Protestant lecture hall at the Reformation, the Auditoire was a 13th-century Gothic chapel built on a 5th-century predecessor. It is right next door to the Geneva Cathedral.
Calvin used this sober chapel to teach missionaries his doctrines of puritanical reform. He also encouraged Protestant refugees from around Europe to hold services in their native English, Italian, Spanish, German, and Dutch.
The Auditoire is still used by the Church of Scotland, the Dutch Reformed Community, and the Waldensian Church of Italy. The Church of Scotland welcomes visitors to its Sunday-morning service at 11.
The side chapels have informative placards and collages commemorating John Calvin and showing the spread and impact of the Reformation movement in Geneva.
| Names: | Auditoire de Calvin; Calvin's Oratory |
| Type of site: | Protestant chapel; Reformation historical site |
| Dates: | Built 13th-century; Calvin's academy founded 1559 |
| Architecture: | Gothic |
| Address: | 1 pl. de la Taconnerie, Geneva, Switzerland |
| Neighborhood: | Vielle Ville (Old Town) |
| Phone: | 022/9097000 |
| Hours: | Mon.-Sat. 10-noon and 2-5 |
| Cost: | Free |
Sources
- Personal visit (December 2006).
- The Rough Guide to Switzerland
- Fodor's Switzerland 2005.




