War of the Squads 1702-1704 (≈ 1703)
Protestant revolt in the Cevennes.
1685-1789
Desert Period
Desert Period 1685-1789 (≈ 1737)
Protestant persecutions after the revocation of the edict of Nantes.
1910
Creation of the museum
Creation of the museum 1910 (≈ 1910)
Foundation by Edmond Hugues and Frank Puaux.
1911
Opening of the museum
Opening of the museum 1911 (≈ 1911)
Opening to the public at Mas Soubeyran.
2012
Label Maison des illustres
Label Maison des illustres 2012 (≈ 2012)
Distinction by the Ministry of Culture.
2019
Museum renovation
Museum renovation 2019 (≈ 2019)
Four new rooms open.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Key figures
Pierre Laporte (dit Rolland) - Camiard chef
Born in Mas Soubeyran, figure of resistance.
Edmond Hugues - Museum co-founder
Initiator of the project in 1910.
Frank Puaux - Museum co-founder
Collaborator of Edmond Hugues.
Origin and history
The Desert Museum, inaugurated in 1911 at Mas Soubeyran in Mialet (Gard, Occitanie), is dedicated to the history of French Protestantism, especially Cevenol. It covers the period of Desert (1685-1789), marked by the revocation of the edict of Nantes and persecution against the Huguenots, until the French Revolution. The term Desert refers to the hiding and clandestine assemblies of Protestants in the Cevennes, with reference to the biblical exodus.
Created in 1910 in the home of Camisard chef Pierre Laporte (known as Rolland), the museum belongs to the Société de l'histoire du Protestantisme français. It offers a 20-room tour, illustrating the daily lives of Protestants (objects, books forbidden, weapons), persecutions (galeries, prisons), and the countries of the Refuge that have hosted exiles (Switzerland, England, etc.). Since 2019, four new rooms have modernized its museum.
Each year, the museum organizes Desert Assemblies: a night meeting in July and a cult in September, bringing together 15,000 to 20,000 people. These events commemorate the forbidden assemblies of the eighteenth century. The museum received the Maison des illustrieux label in 2012, highlighting its heritage importance.
The course is divided into three parts: the Reformation at the Revocation, the War of the Chassards (1702-1704) in the house of Rolland, and a memorial of persecution. Reconstitutions (illegal family culture) and original documents (illegal records, Bibles) are presented, providing a unique testimony of this period.
Mas Soubeyran, an emblematic place, also houses architectural elements typical of the Cevennes, such as caches to escape the king's dragons. The museum maintains a rich collection of objects of worship, furniture and archives, illustrating Protestant resistance and its cultural heritage.
