The Waldensians of the Pays des Écrins
In the footsteps of the Waldensians: another history of the Alps
In the discreet valleys of the Pays des Écrins, the history of the Waldensians resurfaces. As early as the twelfth century, this religious protest movement took root here, far from prying eyes, in the heart of the mountains.
It all began in Lyon, around 1170. Pierre Valdo, a rich merchant, chose poverty and preached the Bible in the popular language. Excommunicated in 1184, he inspired a movement called the Poor of Lyon, which reached the Alps. In the fourteenth century, there were many Waldensians in Vallouise, and even more so in Freissinières. Their worship was clandestine: night meetings, oral transmission, isolated villages.
But the Church is fighting back. From 1366 onwards, the ecclesiastical authorities organised a spiritual reconquest. In 1399, the preacher Vincent Ferrier preached in Puy Saint Vincent. Frescoes appeared on the walls of the chapels: painted messages to bring the faithful back into line.
The Waldensians left neither cathedral nor castle. But their memory is well anchored in the stones and paths of the Pays des Écrins.
Where to walk in the footsteps of the Waldensians
- Chapel of Saint-Vincent (Puy Saint Vincent) – frescoes and sculpted lintels
- Church of Saint-Étienne de Vallouise – visible biblical cycles
- Tournoux, Dormillouse, Val-Cluson – hamlets steeped in history: Ruisseau du Prêcheur, Clos du Valdois…
- Trail “In the footsteps of the Waldensians” – 7 km loop (2h30 / +220 m) from Vallouise, with explanatory panels, ruins and superb viewpoints
- Family game booklet available at the Tourist Office
- “Patrimoine Hautes-Alpes” app : map, audio testimonies, augmented reality reconstructions. Works without a network.
- Take good shoes, a windbreaker, and a little curiosity.