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Origin and history

The Protestant temple of Dieulefit was built at the beginning of the 19th century on land ceded by the commune in 1805 in the district of Châteauras. As early as 4 August 1806, a first cult was celebrated there, before its official consecration on 8 November 1810. This 32-metre-long rectangular building, typical of the Protestant neo-classical style, was gradually embellished: organ and stands added in 1821, then replaced the ceiling with a vault in 1831. Its geometric stained glass windows, surrounded by colourful vegetal friezes, were made by artisan Fulbrand Brunet.

During the Second World War, Dieulefit became a refuge for Jews and resistors, like the Chambon-sur-Lignon. The local pastor, in collaboration with the priest and the secretary of town hall, organized the manufacture of false papers to protect the persecuted. This period marked deeply the history of the temple, now inscribed in historical monuments since 7 December 2010.

Architecturally, the temple is distinguished by its sober facade surmounted by a bell tower housing a clock. Originally girded by an external grid removed in the 20th century, it illustrates the austerity and functionality of Protestant places of worship of the time. Its recent inscription as a historical monument underscores its heritage and memorial importance, linked to both religious history and the Resistance.

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