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Origin and history

The Protestant temple of Aix-les-Bains is part of a Savoyard Protestant history marked by persecution and migration. From the Renaissance, La Savoie, an Alpine crossroads between Geneva (Calvinist home), the Vaud valleys and France, saw the idea of reform spread. Repressed by the Dukes Emmanuel-Philibert and Charles-Emmanuel I, Protestants fled to Switzerland. Their exodus is today commemorated by a European cultural route through Aix-les-Bains, a city that later became a popular spa.

In the 19th century, Aix-les-Bains attracted a foreign Protestant clientele, particularly British. In 1852, the Anglican Church of St.Swithun was founded, frequented by Queen Victoria. After the annexation of Savoy to France in 1860, the Reformed Church gradually established itself: a building was acquired in Chambéry in 1869 to serve as a chapel and school, under the leadership of Pastor André Fournier. In 1875 he created a Protestant asylum near the spas of Aix-les-Bains, financed by Swiss and Scottish donations.

The current art deco building was built in 1932 by architect André Farde. Named L-Estal ("home" in Savoyard), he has an evangelical motto on his porch and a bell with a nestled cross. A plaque commemorates 28 dead parishioners for France. In 1986, the parish merged with the Vallées to form the Reformed Church of Savoy. In 2017, although the building was sold to a promoter, the hall remained dedicated to Protestantism.

The region, marked by thermalism and Alpine exchanges, saw Protestantism re-establish there after centuries of repression. The temple bears witness to this history, between memory of persecutions, foreign influence and local anchoring. Its architecture, inspired by Swiss chalets, also reflects the cross-border ties that shaped its identity.

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