Geneva (1400-1600) (Renaissance and Reformation)

Introduction

The settlement of human societies on the shore of Lake Geneva, at the mouth of the river Rhône, dates back to prehistorical times. Due to its strategic location and the fact that a bishopric was installed in the city at the beginning of the 5th century, Geneva rapidly developed into an important economic and political center. During the late Middle Ages, and especially from the 15th century, the city took advantage of the dominion of the House of Savoy and of the absence of wars in the region. The commercial development promoted by the dukes of Savoy, who supported and protected commercial traffic over the Alps, boosted Geneva’s economic growth. The subsequent development of international trade fairs and the presence of many Italian merchant-bankers (Milanese and Tuscans in particular) made Geneva one of the most important centers of the European Renaissance economy. The city’s economic development was accompanied by substantial demographic growth. The city of 5,000 inhabitants at the beginning of the 15th century grew to 10,000 people by the 1460s. The growth continued during the 16th century as a result of Protestants taking refuge in the Reformed Republic, and by the beginning of the 17th century, Geneva had 17,000 to 18,000 inhabitants. Difficulties faced by the duchy of Savoy and the expansion of the Swiss Confederacy plunged the city, by the 1470s, into economic and political crisis. During the 1520s and 1530s, Geneva allied to the Swiss Cantons, acquired political independence from the bishop, and adopted the Reformed faith (1536). The institution of Calvin’s Church, and the city’s conflicts with Bern and the duchy of Savoy, created a climate of great uncertainty and many conflicts, which ended only with the Peace of Saint-Julien (1603). Traditional Swiss scholarship considers the Reformation to have been the watershed between the medieval city and the early modern independent Republic. This dividing line has influenced historiographic production, with only a few works analyzing a given topic across the 15th and 16th centuries. While economic history generated many important studies during the 1960s and 1970s, religious and social history, especially related to Calvin’s Geneva (roughly 1540–1570), have largely dominated the Genevan bibliography. More recently, political and urban history, especially concerning the late medieval period, have received renewed attention. For more resources on Calvin’s Geneva, see the Oxford Bibliographies article in Renaissance and Reformation on John Calvin and Calvinism. Given the city’s close ties with the Swiss Confederacy, a valuable bibliography is also provided by the Oxford Bibliographies article in Renaissance and Reformation on Switzerland.

General Overviews

Chronicles of the city and narrative accounts of some of the main historical events affecting the city, such as the Reformation, have appeared since the 16th century (see Ancient Chronicles); however, the focus here is on the most recent works, with the goal of providing useful bibliographies and updated historiographic interpretations. Dufour 2014 is a good overview that offers a concise history of the city. A good starting point for a more detailed analysis is offered by Caesar 2014 and Walker 2014, which offer chapters on specific topics rather than a comprehensive narrative of events. Monter 1975; Guichonnet 1986; and Mottu-Weber, et al. 2002–2006 offer a more detailed analysis of specific periods and present helpful annotated bibliographies.

Caesar, Mathieu. Histoire de Genève. La cité des évêques (IVe – début XVIe s). Neuchâtel: Alphil, 2014.
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Overview of the history of Geneva from the origins to the 1520s. Most of the book (chapters 5 to 13) deals with the 15th and the beginning of the 16th centuries. Shows the complexity of the relations between Geneva and the duchy of Savoy, which was not simply an enemy of the city.
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Dufour, Alfred. Histoire de Genève. 5th ed. Paris: Presses Universitaires de France, 2014.
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Fifth edition of a concise, readable narrative of Geneva’s history from the Roman period to the 20th century. About one-third of the book deals with the 15th and 16th centuries. A good introductory reading, especially for students approaching the history of the city for the first time.
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Guichonnet, Paul, ed. Histoire de Genève. 3d ed. Toulouse, France: Privat, 1986.
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A collection of eight contributions covering the history of Geneva from its prehistory to the late 20th century. The late medieval period and the 16th century are covered by Louis Binz and William Monter (chapters 3 and 4). Good annotated bibliographies.
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Monter, E. William. Calvin’s Geneva. New York: J. Wiley, 1975.
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Focusing on the 16th century, this work is a classic account of the history of Geneva during the era of Calvin. Still the best English synthesis of Calvin’s Geneva, combining religious, political, economic, and social history.
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Mottu-Weber, Liliane, Anne-Marie Piuz, and Bernard Lescaze. Vivre à Genève autour de 1600. 2 vols. Geneva, Switzerland: Slatkine, 2002–2006.
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The best overview of Geneva at the beginning of the 17th century. While the first volume outlines a social-economic history of the city (chapters on economics, demography, food supply, public finances, taxation, and the countryside around Geneva), the second volume offers an overview of political and ecclesiastical institutions, pastoral care, the operation of justice, sumptuary law, and education.
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Walker, Corinne. Histoire de Genève. De la cité de Calvin à la ville française (1530–1813). Neuchâtel: Alphil, 2014.
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Second volume, following Caesar 2014, of the Histoire de Genève published by the Swiss editor Alphil. The 16th century is covered by the first five of fifteen chapters. In the spirit of the series, a limited bibliography of essential sources is presented, along with some color maps and images.
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Archives and Libraries

Two institutions preserve most of the archival sources on Renaissance and Reformation Geneva: the Archives d’État de Genève and, to a lesser extent, the Bibliothèque de Genève. Especially given the close connection of the city to the Swiss Cantons, the duchy of Savoy, and France, many important sources can be found in other archives, in particular at the Archivio di Stato di Torino. The portals Archives de France and Archives Online provide information about and access to the main French and Swiss archives. The peace treaty signed in 1947, following the end of World War II, provided for the transfer of many important documents concerning Nice and Savoy from the Turin to the French archives, and these are now preserved in the série SA (Archives de l’ancien duché de Savoie) at the Archives Départementales de la Savoie and at the Archives Départementales de la Haute-Savoie. Because these archives are many centuries old and have a complex archival structure, online sources have not completely replaced print and manuscript inventories possessed by these institutions. Thus Massabò Ricci 1994 and Santschi 2004 still provide useful information for the Archivio di Stato di Torino and the Archives d’État de Genève, respectively. For the Middle Ages, Bautier and Sornay 1968–1974 offers a very helpful annotated overview of many archival materials.

Archives d’État de Genève.
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Official website of the archives, provides information about and an overview of the principal archival series. Also provides access to Adhémar, the database of the collections and of some digitized documents.
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Archives de France.
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The portal of the French Archives. Provides information and access to the website of the departmental and main communal archives. The Archives Départementales of Savoie, Haute-Savoie and Côte-d’Or are particularly relevant to the history of Geneva.
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Archivio di Stato di Torino.
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Provides a history of the Archivio, a catalogue of the archival series, and various search functions for navigating the inventories; also provides access to some of the collections that have been digitized.
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Archives Online.
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This portal of the Swiss archives (mainly the Cantons’ State Archives: Staatsarchiv/Archives d’État) offers a meta-search engine allowing research into the archival databases of the participating archives. Also provides practical information and direct links to the official websites of each archive.
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Bautier, Robert-Henry, and Janine Sornay. Les sources de l’histoire économique et sociale du Moyen Age. Provence, Comtat Venaissin, Dauphiné, États de la Maison de Savoie. 3 vols. Paris, 1968–1974.
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The most important guide to archival sources from the Middle Ages in the territories controlled by the duchy of Savoy, including Geneva. Excellent general introductions, highly detailed and useful commentary on the different materials, and an essential bibliography. Volume 3 provides helpful indexes.
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Bibliothèque de Genève.
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Offers practical information and an overview of various printed catalogues of the collections. Particularly useful is the database of the family sources preserved at the Bibliothèque: Odyssée
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Massabò Ricci, Isabella. “Archivio di Stato di Torino.” In Guida generale degli Archivi di Stato italiani. Vol. 4. Edited by Piero D’Angiolini; Claudio Pavone, 361–641. Roma, 1994.
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An introduction to the history and highly complex structure of the Archivio di Stato. Provides helpful commentary on the different collections and on the available manuscript inventories.
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Santschi, Catherine, ed. État général des fonds. Geneva, Switzerland: Société auxiliaire des Archives d’Etat, 2004.
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A guide to the Archives d’État de Genève with a brief history of the archives and a detailed description of the documentation. Provides some bibliographical references and describes the principal inventories available at the archives.
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Reference Works and Bibliographies

Bibliographical research for both the historian and the general reader is greatly facilitated by Geisendorf 1966 and by the Bibliography on Swiss History. The Dictionnaire historique et biographique 1921–1934 and the Dictionnaire historique 2002–2014 provide excellent encyclopedic and bibliographic information, while Galiffe 1829–1895, Choisy and Dufour-Vernes 1902–1918, and Choisy 1947 provide more detailed information about the most important Genevan families.

Bibliography on Swiss History.
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Searchable database of the comprehensive Bibliography on Swiss History published since 1913 by the Swiss National Library. Database includes records beginning 1975. Volumes published from 1913 to 1974 are freely accessible online.
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Choisy, Albert. Généalogies genevoises: familles admises à la Bourgeoisie avant la Réformation. Geneva, Switzerland: Kündig, 1947.
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Offers a prosopographical catalogue of twenty Genevan families who played an important role in the city during the early modern period. Supplements the previous works of Galiffe 1829–1895 and Choisy and Dufour-Vernes 1902–1918.
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Choisy, Albert, and Louis Dufour-Vernes. Recueil généalogique Suisse. 1ère série: Genève. 3 vols. Geneva, Switzerland: A. Jullien, 1902–1918.
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Completes the catalogue of Galiffe 1829–1895. Geisendorf 1966 has published a cumulative list of families listed in Choisy and in Galiffe 1829–1895.
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Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse. 13 vols. Hauterive, France: G. Attinger, 2002–2014.
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The best encyclopedia on Swiss history with more than 36,000 entries. Each article provides an essential bibliography. Available in French, German, and Italian.
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Dictionnaire historique et biographique de la Suisse. 8 vols. Neuchâtel: Administration du Dictionnaire historique et biographique de la Suisse, 1921–1934.
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Biographical and historical encyclopedia of Swiss history. Although mostly superseded by the new Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse 2002–2014, still offers some valuable information that has been deleted from the new edition.
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Galiffe, James. Notices généalogiques sur les familles genevoises. 7 vols. Geneva, Switzerland: A. Jullien, 1829–1895.
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Published by various historians from 1829 to 1895, offers a prosopographical catalogue of Genevan families beginning in the Middle Ages. There is a second revised edition of Volumes 2 and 4 (1892 and 1908). Volumes 1 and 3 are not comprehensive and are flawed by Galiffe’s partisanship against Calvin.
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Geisendorf, Paul-Frédéric. Bibliographie raisonnée de l’histoire de Genève des origines à 1798. Geneva, Switzerland: A. Jullien, 1966.
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Monumental bibliography on the history of Geneva (everything published before 1964). With more than 4,500 entries (many of which are usefully annotated), conveniently arranged into topical sections (subjects, people, periods), this volume is still a necessary starting point for serious bibliographical research.
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Journals and Serials

Three journals, all still active, are specifically dedicated to Geneva. They focus on history, but they also devote considerable space to archeology and art history. Since the 19th century, the Bulletin de la Société d’histoire et d’archéologie de Genève has published a Bulletin and a series of Mémoires et documents. The “Musées d’art et d’histoire” of Geneva publishes its own journal annually, titled Genava.

Bulletin de la Société d’histoire et d’archéologie de Genève.
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Irregularly published since 1891, this is the official journal of the Société d’histoire et d’archéologie de Genève. Tables of contents are available online
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Genava.
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Published under various titles since 1923, this is the official journal of the Genevan Musées d’art et d’histoire. Especially focused on archeology and arts. Some digitized volumes are accessible through Réro Doc Bibliothèque numérique
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Mémoires et documents publiés par la Société d’histoire et d’archéologie de Genève.
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Irregularly published since 1841 (sixty-seven volumes). Begun as the journal of the Société d’histoire et d’archéologie de Genève, at the beginning of the 20th century, it became the title of a series of monographs on Geneva. Volumes from the 19th century contain many primary sources and still-valuable research. Titles and tables of contents available online
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Ancient Chronicles

There are no medieval chronicles of the city, but the 16th century ushered in a period of intense historiographic writing. Most of the chronicles from that period have their origin in the Reformation and were written from partisan perspectives. Bonivard 2001–2014 and Roset 1894 were the first “official” chronicles of the city, but even though they were prepared at the request of city authorities, these accounts did not meet the magistrates’ expectations and were seized. They were published for the first time only during the 19th century. Chaponnière 1854 is the edited personal journal of the city’s mayor during the late 1520s. Despite the fact that Froment 1854 and Jussie 2006 are partisan accounts from the early years of the Reformation, they nevertheless provide precious information from eyewitnesses to the events.

Bonivard, François. Chroniques de Genève. 3 vols. Edited by Micheline Tripet. Geneva, Switzerland: Droz, 2001–2014.
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The last version of Bonivard’s history of Geneva, written at the beginning of the 1560s (the first version, completed in 1551, was seized by civic authorities). This is more a civil and political history than a religious history, with the main focus being the city’s relations with the duchy of Savoy.
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Chaponnière, Jean-Jacques, ed., Journal du Syndic Jean Balard ou relation des événements qui se sont passés à Genève de 1525 à 1531. Geneva, Switzerland: Jullien, 1854.
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Not a formal chronicle, this is instead the personal journal of the syndic (mayor) Jean Balard covering the years 1525–1531. Balard’s account may be described as a personal version of the minutes of the Registres du Conseil (see Politics and Institutions: Sources)
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Froment, Antoine. Les actes et gestes merveilleux de la cité de Genève nouvellement convertie à l’évangille faictz du temps de leur Reformation et comment ils l’ont receue redigez par escript en fourme de chroniques annales ou hystoyres commençant l’an MDXXXII. Edited by Gustave Revilliod. Geneva, Switzerland: J. G. Fick, 1854.
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Written around 1550 as a complement to Bonivard 2001–2014, this chronicle covers the years 1532–1536. Froment is highly partisan and harsh concerning his enemies, both Catholics and other Reformers, and for this reason the authorities forbade its publication. The work nevertheless is an important eyewitness account of early Reformation Geneva.
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Jussie, Jeanne de. The Short Chronicle: A Poor Clare’s Account of the Reformation of Geneva. Edited and translated by Carrie F. Klaus. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2006.
DOI: 10.7208/chicago/9780226417073.001.0001Save Citation »Export Citation »E-mail Citation »
This chronicle, written by a Genevan Poor Clare, is especially valuable for the years 1530–1535, as Jussie was an eyewitness to the events in the city. Original edition of the two extant French manuscripts is Petite Chronique, edited by Helmut Feld (Mainz: P. von Zabern, 1996).
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Roset, Michel. Les chroniques de Genève. Edited by Henri Fazy. Geneva, Switzerland: Georg, 1894.
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Chronicle written around 1562 by one of the leading members of the city’s ruling elite. The chronicle interprets the history of the city in providential terms and views political independence from the duke of Savoy and the success of the Reformation as signs of God’s favor.
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Politics and Institutions

The power of the communal authorities increased greatly during the 15th century, and the urban elite played a central role in the political and religious changes of the 1530s. Roget 1870–1883 offers a detailed narrative of these events, while Cramer 1912–1950 and Dufour 1958 reconstruct the city’s relationship with the duke of Savoy during the second half of the 16th century. The ruling elite and their policies are studied in Caesar 2011 and Vuilleumier 2009. Monter 1964 offers an overview of institutional transformations that occurred during the 16th century. Finally, Naphy 1994 analyzes the conflicts among factions over control of the city government during the 1540s and 1550s. Because of their close relationship with religion and society, essential works on politics and institutions can also be found in the sections Religion and Society, Family, and Law.

Caesar, Mathieu. Le pouvoir en ville. Gestion urbaine et pratiques politiques à Genève (fin XIIIe - début XVIe siècles). Turnhout, Belgium: Brepols, 2011.
DOI: 10.1484/M.SEUH-EB.5.106344Save Citation »Export Citation »E-mail Citation »
Detailed analysis, enriched by many tables and graphics, of the municipal institutions and their daily practices of government during the late Middle Ages. Shows the complex relationships between the urban elites and the duke of Savoy, who was both a protector of and threat for the city.
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Cramer, Lucien. La Seigneurie de Genève et la Maison de Savoie. 3 vols. Geneva, Switzerland: A. Kündig, 1912–1950.
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Classic study in the French tradition of the history of diplomacy. Reconstructs the relationship and political tensions as between Geneva and the duchy of Savoy from 1559 to 1588. Volumes 1 and 3 are a year-by-year analysis, while the second volume contains an edition of 353 letters exchanged among the main political actors.
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Dufour, Alain. La Seigneurie de Genève et la Maison de Savoie de 1559 à 1605. Vol. 4, La guerre de 1589–1593. Geneva, Switzerland: A. Jullien, 1958.
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Study of the diplomatic relations between Geneva and the duchy of Savoy. Conceived as a continuation of Cramer 1912–1950, this work takes a broader approach, integrating social, economic, and military history. Shows how the war had little impact on the political scenario and caused foremost financial problems to the city.
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Monter, E. William. Studies in Genevan Government: 1536–1605. Geneva, Switzerland: Droz, 1964.
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Analytical study of the Genevan public finances and the city’s administrative and political structures. This is still an indispensable work and a good starting point for research on Genevan political history during the 16th century.
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Naphy, William G. Calvin and the Consolidation of the Genevan Reformation. Manchester, UK, New York: Manchester University Press, 1994.
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Analyzes factional struggles in Geneva during the period 1541–1555, showing their importance in the process of consolidating Calvin’s power. Demonstrates how the Calvinist faction, which included recent immigrants from France, successfully managed to control the syndics’ election of 1555 and thus obtained a ruling elite more supportive of Calvin’s agenda.
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Roget, Amédée. Histoire du peuple de Genève depuis la Réforme jusqu’à l’Escalade. 7 vols. Geneva, Switzerland: J. Jullien, 1870–1883.
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A highly detailed year-by-year history of 16th-century Geneva beginning in 1536. Largely based on primary sources, it is still an essential reference for its narrative of events during this period and should be preferred to the much more inaccurate and partisan Jean Gaberel’s Histoire de l’Eglise de Genève, vols. 1–2 (Geneva, Switzerland: Jullien, 1853–1855).
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Vuilleumier, Christophe. Les élites politiques genevoises: 1580–1652. Geneva, Switzerland: Slatkine, 2009.
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Prosopographical analysis of the Genevan ruling elite, focusing on the families sitting in the Small Council (Petit Conseil). The volume contains more than 500 pages of appendices, in particular 121 biographical records about the councilors, the list of councilors (also for the Council of Two Hundred), and other officials in charge from 1580 to 1652.
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Sources

The minutes of the Genevan city councils offer valuable information on the practices and role of the city’s municipal institutions. The preserved registers have been completely edited up to the year 1541 and are collected in Registres du Conseil 1900–1940 and Registres du Conseil 2003–2016. Rivoire and van Berchem 1927–1935 provide a selection of juridical sources from different archival collections, especially those in Geneva and Turin. The 16th-century chronicles (see Ancient Chronicles) and the series Mémoires et documents (see Journals And Serials) also offer essential sources.

Registres du Conseil de Genève. 13 vols. Geneva, Switzerland: H. Kündig, 1900–1940.
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Minutes of the city councils from 1409 to 1536 but with many gaps, especially in the first half of the 15th century. Volumes 10–13 (1525–1536) offer many additional sources. Free digitized version available online
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Registres du Conseil de Genève à l’époque de Calvin. 6 vols. Geneva, Switzerland: Droz, 2003–2016.
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Minutes of the city councils continuing from the period covered by Registres du Conseil 1900–1940. Six volumes published so far, covering 1536–1541. This edition’s footnotes also provide a significant amount of additional information on people and events. Many complementary sources have also been edited and provided in this volume.
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Rivoire, Emile, and Victor van Berchem, eds. Les sources du droit du canton de Genève. 4 vols. Aarau, Switzerland: H. R. Sauerländer, 1927–1935.
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Compilation of various sources connected with law and diplomatic history. Volumes 1 to 3 cover the Middle Ages and the 16th century. A free digitized version, with search function, is available online Collection des sources du droit suisse online
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Religion

As the seat of a vast diocese during the medieval period and as one of the main centers of the European Reformation, Geneva has drawn the attention of many researchers. Bibliographical information is particularly abundant concerning the history of the Reformation, and, given the place of religion within Renaissance and Reformation society, research on religious history cannot be separated from Politics And Institutions or Society, Family, and Law.

The Medieval Church

Geneva was the most important bishopric within the duchy of Savoy. Moreover, from the 12th century the bishop was a prince of the Holy Roman Empire, acquiring substantial political power and independence. Binz, et al. 1980 and Baud 1985 provide excellent overviews, describing the ecclesiastical institutions and their evolution. Binz 1973 analyzes the parish clergy and the way in which the diocese was governed. Morenzoni 2006 focuses on Baptiste of Mantua’s preaching in Geneva, showing the interrelationship between this preaching and political society. Naef 1936–1968 discusses Geneva’s religious climate before the Reformation.

Baud, Henri, ed. Le diocèse de Genève-Annecy. Paris: Beauchesne, 1985.
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Overview of the history of the dioceses of Geneva and Annecy, from their origins to the 20th century. The late medieval and Reformation periods are covered by Louis Binz and Henri Baud (chapters 3 and 4). A good starting point with an essential bibliography.
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Binz, Louis. Vie religieuse et réforme ecclésiastique dans le diocèse de Genève pendant le grand schisme et la crise conciliaire (1378–1450). Geneva, Switzerland: Jullien, 1973.
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Fundamental study of the diocese’s structures and functioning, analyzed especially through the preserved records of many pastoral visitations. The last part of this study, devoted to the secular clergy, is particularly valuable and presents a detailed analysis of priestly education and morality.
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Binz, Louis, Emery Jean, and Santschi Catherine. Le diocèse de Geneva, Switzerland: L’archidiocèse de Vienne en Dauphiné. Basel, Switzerland: Schwabe, 1980 (Helvetia Sacra I/3).
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A volume of the series Helvetia sacra dedicated to the diocese of Geneva. Offers a historical overview of the principal diocesan offices and biographies of bishops and other officials. The volume provides a comprehensive bibliography and a complete catalogue of sources, both printed and manuscript. Fundamental starting point for any detailed research.
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Morenzoni, Franco. Le prédicateur et l’inquisiteur: les tribulations de Baptiste de Mantoue à Genève (1430). Lyon, France: Presses universitaires de Lyon, 2006.
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Detailed reconstruction of the reception of Baptiste of Mantua’s sermons delivered in Geneva during the year 1430 and of the subsequent polemics. This study offers the edition (with French translation) of the investigation of Baptiste of Mantua ordered by authorities.
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Naef, Henri. Les origines de la Réforme à Genève. 2 vols. Geneva, Switzerland: A. Jullien, 1936–1968.
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The most detailed narrative, combining religious and political history, from the end of the 15th century to the beginning of the Reformation (not included). The second volume, posthumously published, is unfinished and does not cover the crucial years 1534 to 1536.
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The Reformation

The past fifty years of scholarship have focused particularly on the Genevan Reformation. Following the seminal research by Kingdon 2007, whose historiographic influence is discussed by Barker 2012, the city itself has been studied as more than a simple backdrop to Calvin’s theology. Eire 1986 has underlined the importance of iconoclasm for the early stage of the Reformation, while Grosse 2008 and McKee 2016 have shown the centrality of public worship centered on the sermon and the Lord’s day. Kingdon 2012 and Manetsch 2013 examine the practical details of government as carried out by the Consistory and the Company of Pastors, while De Boer 2012 studies how pastors trained for preaching.

Barker, Sara K., ed. Revisiting Geneva: Robert Kingdon and the Coming of the French Wars of Religion. St. Andrews, France: Centre for French History and Culture, 2012.
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Collection of seven articles (Andrew Pettegree, Karin Maag, Philip Conner, Hugues Daussy, Andrew Pettegree, Jeffrey R. Watt, and William G. Naphy), which provide a historiographic discussion of Kingdon’s research and updates of his interpretations of the links between Geneva and French Calvinism.
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De Boer, Erik A. The Genevan School of the Prophets: The “Congrégations” of the Company of Pastors and Their Influence in 16th Century Europe. Geneva, Switzerland: Droz, 2012.
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Important study of the congrégations, the meetings of the ministers of Geneva and the villages under the Republic’s jurisdiction, which gathered every Friday to study and discuss the Scriptures. De Boer underscores the collegial character of these gatherings, whose aim was to maintain doctrinal unity and train pastors.
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Eire, Carlos M. N. War against the Idols: The Reformation of Worship from Erasmus to Calvin. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 1986.
DOI: 10.1017/CBO9780511528835Save Citation »Export Citation »E-mail Citation »
A classical study of iconoclasm in 16th-century Europe. Many chapters are devoted to Geneva and to Calvin’s views and their influence. Argues that Calvin’s theology of idolatry provided ideological tools that promoted social and political unrest.
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Grosse, Christian. Les rituels de la cène: le culte eucharistique réformé à Genève (XVIe-XVIIe siècles). Geneva, Switzerland: Droz, 2008.
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Combining social and liturgical history with anthropological models, analyzes the liturgy of the Lord’s supper in Reformed Geneva. Argues that the new ritual system created by the Reformers was built on the complex interaction of preaching, moral reform, and public communion.
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Kingdon, Robert M. Geneva and the Coming of the Wars of Religion in France: 1555–1563. Paris: E. Droz, 2007.
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Seminal work, first published in 1956, on the significance of religion in the French Wars of Religion, showing the crucial role played by pastors trained in Geneva. Some of the conclusions, such as the influence of Geneva on the reformed movement in the Netherlands, have been revised (see the Oxford Bibliographies article in Renaissance and Reformation on Reformations and Revolt in the Netherlands, 1500–1621).
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Kingdon, Robert M. Reforming Geneva: Discipline, Faith and Anger in Calvin’s Geneva. Geneva, Switzerland: Droz, 2012.
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Fundamental work by one of the leading specialists on the 16th-century Genevan consistory. Shows how the Consistory, “the defining institution of Calvin’s Geneva,” enforced church discipline and how its workings provide insight into John Calvin’s pastoral care. Also examines behavior and ideas of ordinary people facing the changes brought by the Reformation.
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Manetsch, Scott M. Calvin’s Company of Pastors: Pastoral Care and the Emerging Reformed Church, 1536–1609. New York: Oxford University Press, 2013.
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Analyzes the emergence of the reformed pastoral theology, as defined by Calvin, Beza, and Goulart, and the practical ministry of the Genevan pastors. Argues for the centrality of collegiality among the Company of Pastors and that pastoral care was among the top priorities of Calvin and other Genevan reformers.
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McKee, Elsie Anne. The Pastoral Ministry and Worship in Calvin’s Geneva. Geneva, Switzerland: Droz, 2016.
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Studies the pastoral ministry of protestant reformers during the period of Calvin’s leadership (1536–1564). Examines the link between teaching and practice, showing how lives were changed by frequent and communal public worship (sermons and sacraments). Provides appendices with statistics and other information about marriages and baptisms (for 1550–1564) and about Calvin’s sermons.
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Reformers

While John Calvin deeply shaped the Genevan Reformation, others reformers also played a crucial role, especially prior to his first arrival in the city in 1536. Guillaume Farel (1489–1565), and his close disciple Antoine Froment (1509–1581), both from Dauphiné, were the preachers that “turned” Geneva to the Reformation with intensive campaigns of sermons, especially in the period 1533 to 1536. After Calvin’s death in 1564, Theodore Beza (1519–1605) became the leading figure, pursuing Calvin’s work and his church’s vision. The early Reformation and its principal figures are still understudied, and good single-author biographies are lacking. Backus 2007a provides essential information on Froment’s life. Guillaume Farel 1930 is the best overview of Farel’s contributions, while Zuidema and Van Raalte 2011 provides a more detailed analysis of his theological works. Gordon 2009 is an excellent starting point for understanding Calvin’s actions in Geneva (for more details, see the Oxford Bibliographies article in Renaissance and Reformation on John Calvin). The polyvalent life and works of Beza are best highlighted by Dufour 2006 and Backus 2007b. Geisendorf 1967 is still a helpful biography.

Backus, Irena. “Froment, Antoine.” In Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse. Basel, Switzerland: Schwabe, 2007a.
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Concise encyclopedic biography of a still-understudied early Genevan reformer. Disciple of Guillaume Farel, Froment preached widely in Geneva and its environs during 1532–1537 and greatly contributed to the adoption of the Reformed faith within the city.
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Backus, Irena Dorota, ed. Théodore de Bèze (1519–1605): actes du colloque de Genève (septembre 2005). Geneva, Switzerland: Droz, 2007b.
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Multidisciplinary collective study of Beza with thirty-six contributions by the leading specialists on 16th-century Geneva. Explores the life and works of Beza, but not only from a theological perspective. Significant space is also given to the broader historical and political context, to literary analysis, and to a comparative perspective.
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Dufour, Alain. Théodore de Bèze, poète et théologien. Geneva, Switzerland: Droz, 2006.
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Highly readable biography by one of the best specialists on Beza (the editor of Beza’s correspondence since 1962; see The Reformation: Sources). Dufour takes full advantage of materials published in the correspondence and presents Beza’s multifaceted activity as not only a theologian but also a historian, poet, pamphleteer, and diplomat.
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Geisendorf, Paul-Frédéric. Théodore de Bèze. 2d ed. Geneva, Switzerland: A. Jullien, 1967.
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A detailed and authoritative biography of the successor to John Calvin. Some of the interpretations of Beza’s works and thought have been reassessed by Dufour 2006 and Manetsch 2000 (cited under Geneva and Her Neighbors: France and Savoy).
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Gordon, Bruce. Calvin. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2009.
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The best English-language biography available on John Calvin, providing a detailed analysis of the political, religious, and cultural context that affected Calvin’s theology and pastoral ministry. The work insists on the significance of Genevan internal struggles as well.
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Guillaume Farel: 1489–1565. Biographie nouvelle. Neuchâtel: Delachaux & Niestlé, 1930.
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Nineteen chronologically ordered contributions examining the life and ideas of Guillaume Farel. Highly detailed and, in the absence of good single-author biography, still offers the best narrative of Farel’s life and religious and political activities.
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Zuidema, Jason, and Theodore Van Raalte. Early French Reform. The Theology and Spirituality of Guillaume Farel. Farnham, UK: Ashgate, 2011.
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Explores Guillaume Farel’s life and works, showing his importance to the early Reformation in Geneva and in other French-speaking regions of present-day Switzerland. Offers interesting insights about Farel’s influence on Calvinist spirituality and theology. Also contains a complete English translation of Farel’s main works.
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Sources

Some of the most important primary sources for Genevan religious history have been extensively published. Binz 2006 is the complete edition documenting the pastoral visitations in the period 1411–1414. Herminjard 1866–1897 and Correspondance 1960– offer essential correspondence between Genevan Reformers and their European associates. Registres du Consistoire 1996–2016 and Registres de la Compagnie des pasteurs 1962–2012 are the registers of the discussions of and decisions taken by the two pivotal institutions of Calvin’s Geneva. Valuable sources for the city’s religious history can be found in the 16th-century chronicles as well, especially Froment 1854 and Jussie 2006 (cited under Ancient Chronicles). The series Mémoires et documents (cited under Journals And Serials) also contains many valuable sources.

Binz, Louis. Les visites pastorales du diocèse de Genève par l’évêque Jean de Bertrand (1411–1414). Annecy, France: Académie salésienne, 2006.
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Edition of the original Latin minutes of the two pastoral visitations (1411–1413 and 1414) of the Genevan bishop Jean de Bertrand, in which he visited 434 parishes. Binz also provides a complete French translation and a glossary (by Martine Piguet).
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Correspondance de Théodore de Bèze. 41 vols. Geneva, Switzerland: Droz, 1960–.
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Monumental ongoing edition of the correspondence of Theodore Beza. The letters are edited with abundant footnotes providing historical background and biographical information on the correspondent and the people cited in the letters.
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Herminjard, Aimé-Louis, ed. Correspondance des Réformateurs dans les pays de langue française. 9 vols. Geneva, Switzerland: H. Georg, 1866–1897.
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Edition of letters written, mostly in Latin, by Reformers of the French-speaking regions of present-day Switzerland to other Reformers in Switzerland and Europe from 1512 to 1544.
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Registres de la Compagnie des pasteurs de Genève (1546–1619). 14 vols. Geneva, Switzerland: Droz, 1962–2012.
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Minutes of the meetings of the Company of Pastors, essential to understanding the daily life of the Genevan Church. An English translation of volumes 1 and 2 (1546–1564) exists: The Register of the Company of Pastors of Geneva in the Time of Calvin, edited and translated by Philip Edgumbe Hughes (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1966).
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Registres du Consistoire de Genève au temps de Calvin. 10 vols. Geneva, Switzerland: Droz, 1996–2016.
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Edition (covering 1542–1556) of the minutes of the weekly sessions of the Consistory, the tribunal in charge of monitoring the mores of Genevans. An impressive amount of information is provided in the footnotes. The first volume has been translated into English: Registers of the Consistory of Geneva in the time of Calvin, edited by R. M. Kingdon, T. A. Lambert, and I. M. Watt; translated by M. Wallace McDonald (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans 2000).
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Society, Family, and Law

Medieval Genevan society can be approached through the lens of legal history as discussed by Poudret 1998–2006 and through the short overview of charitable institutions in Hermann 2009. Genevan society during the Reformation period has been the subject of special attention. Concerning the society shaped by the new reformed theology, Kingdon 1995 and Witte and Kingdon 2005 focus on marriage and its regulation by the Consistory. Spierling 2005 analyzes the role of baptism and competing conceptions about the sacrament. Watt 2001 discusses the reasons for suicide in Reformation Geneva, with attention to contemporary theories. Finally, Broye 1990 explores witch hunts in 16th- and 17th-century Geneva. Studies of Genevan society must take into account wider perspectives, including Politics And Institutions and Religion. Despite abundant primary sources, good studies of criminal justice are particularly lacking. Some information about this subject can be found in the works listed in the General Overviews.

Broye, Christian. Sorcellerie et superstitions à Genève (XVIe–XVIIIe siècle). Geneva, Switzerland: Le concept modern, 1990.
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Study of witchcraft in Geneva from 1520 to 1681 based on 222 criminal prosecutions preserved in the Geneva State Archives. Particularly relying on three case studies (1537, 1567, and 1623), shows how the evolution of medical and theological ideas deeply affected the witch hunt.
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Hermann, Catherine. Lépreux et maladières dans l’ancien diocèse de Genève du XIIIe siècle au début du XVIe siècle. Chambéry, France: Société savoisienne d’histoire et d’archéologie, 2009.
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A brief but dense history of leprosies within the diocese of Geneva, focusing on the 15th century. Demonstrates how lepers and leprosies were not merely at the margins of society but rather integrated into its social, religious, and economic structures.
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Kingdon, Robert M. Adultery and Divorce in Calvin’s Geneva. Cambridge, MA; London: Harvard University Press, 1995.
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Centered on the analysis of four main case studies (Pierre Ameaux, John Calvin’s brother Antoine, Jean Bietrix, and Galeazzo Caracciolo), this volume discusses how divorce affected life in Geneva during the period 1542 to 1564. Following a micro-historical approach, this work provides an understanding of how the Consistory operated with respect to matters of adultery during its early years.
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Poudret, Jean-François. Coutumes et coutumiers: histoire comparative des droits des pays romands du XIIIe à la fin du XVIe siècle. 6 vols. Bern, Switzerland: Staempfli, 1998–2006.
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Monumental and highly detailed “encyclopedia” of common and written law in the French-speaking regions of Switzerland. Provides general overview (vol. 1) and studies on personal rights (vol. 2), marriage and family (vol. 3), inheritance and wills (vol. 4), property and goods (vol. 5), and contracts (vol. 6).
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Spierling, Karen. Infant Baptism in Reformation Geneva: The Shaping of a Community, 1536–64. Aldershot, UK: Ashgate, 2005.
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Brilliant study of the interplay between civic and religious authorities and the Genevan population over the sacrament of baptism. Combining theology with social and cultural history, examines how different interpretations of baptism coexisted and interacted. Argues that theological concepts and daily social practices mutually influenced one another.
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Watt, Jeffrey R. Choosing Death: Suicide and Calvinism in Early Modern Geneva. Kirksville, MO: Truman State University Press, 2001.
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Argues that the suicide rate in Calvin’s Geneva was very low and that it increased beginning in the 1750s because of changes in mentality. Offers a valuable overview of contemporary theories that attempt to explain the reasons for suicide.
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Witte, John, and Robert Kingdon. Sex, Marriage, and Family in John Calvin’s Geneva. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2005.
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At the intersection of the history of ideas and the history of institutions, a detailed study of how John Calvin transformed the European law and theology of family, marriage, and sex. Argues that theological ideas, pastoral practice, and legal reforms were tightly interwoven. Offers an important selection of translated primary sources (roughly half the volume).
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Economy and Demography

Genevan economic history, both in the late medieval and early modern periods, has been the subject of a solid scholarship going back to the leading figure of Jean-François Bergier (1931–2009), himself a disciple of Fernand Braudel (1902–1985). Babel 1963 offers an overview of a wide range of economic activities. Bergier 1963 explores the role of Genevan fairs in the European economy of the Renaissance. Körner 1980 examines the complex financial relationships among Swiss cities during the 16th century, Piuz and Mottu-Weber 1990 reconstructs the city’s economic environment during the 16th and 17th centuries, while Mottu-Weber 1987 focuses on the production of and commerce in cloth. Finally, Binz 1963 and Perrenoud 1979 discuss the city’s demographic growth.

Babel, Antony. Histoire économique de Geneva, Switzerland: des origines au début du XVIe siècle. 2 vols. Geneva, Switzerland: A. Jullien, 1963.
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More than a simple economic history, this work is an encyclopedia of a large spectrum of human activities from prehistory to the end of the Middle Ages. Considerable space is given to trade, financial activities, crafts, agriculture, and commercial routes. Especially helpful as a reference work.
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Bergier, Jean-François. Genève et l’économie européenne de la Renaissance. Paris: S.E.V.P.E.N., 1963.
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A classic study of the late medieval international fairs of Geneva. Argues that, during the first half of the 15th century, Geneva was one of the most important financial centers in Europe. Her vitality was strictly linked with the Italian economy and in particular with the presence of Milanese and Tuscan merchant-bankers.
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Binz, Louis. “La population du diocèse de Genève à la fin du Moyen Âge.” In Mélanges d’histoire économique et sociale en hommage au professeur Antony Babel à l’occasion de son soixante-quinzième anniversaire. Vol. 1. By Anthony Babel, 145–196. Genève, 1963.
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Overview of the demographic evolution in the diocese of Geneva and in the city during the late Middle Ages. Mainly based on fiscal sources, this study is methodologically important, discussing the problems of using quantitative material in primary sources for demographic estimations.
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Körner, Martin H. Solidarités financières suisses au XVIe siècle: contribution à l’histoire monétaire, bancaire et financière des cantons suisses et des États voisins. Lausanne, France: Payot, 1980.
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Analyzes the financial relationships and the mutual indebtedness among the cities of the Swiss confederacy during the 16th century. Shows the close political and financial ties of Geneva to the Swiss confederation and with Basel in particular.
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Mottu-Weber, Liliane. Économie et refuge à Genève au siècle de la Réforme: la draperie et la soierie (1540–1630). Geneva, Switzerland: Droz, 1987.
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Studies the manufacture of and commerce in woolen and silk cloth in Geneva around 1600 in a European economic context. Shows how these industries began as a result of the immigration of French and Italian Protestant refugees. Argues that the Genevan wool and silk industry suffered from protectionist French policies.
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Perrenoud, Alfred. La population de Genève du seizième au début du dix-neuvième siècle: étude démographique. Geneva, Switzerland: A. Jullien, 1979.
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Notarial and parish registers are the basis for this classic study conducted in the tradition of French historical demography. Argues for the existence of a close link between demographic evolution and the structure of society and family. Extensive discussion of immigration.
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Piuz, Anne-Marie, and Liliane Mottu-Weber, eds. L’économie genevoise, de la Réforme à la fin de l’Ancien Régime: XVIe-XVIIIe siècles. Geneva, Switzerland: Georg, 1990.
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Collection of essays examining different aspects of Genevan society beyond the scope of pure economic history. Chapters on demography, agriculture, supply policies, crafts, trade, and banking. The source for a detailed overview of a given topic.
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Sources

Only a few sources from the extremely rich Genevan and various “Sabaudian” archives have been published. Cassandro 1976 offers valuable insights into the activities of Italian merchants through an edition of an account book maintained by the Della Casa & Guadagni company. Morenzoni 2016 is an edition of toll registers for the 1420s to the1440s and is a key source for the history of Alpine commercial traffic. Geisendorf 1957–1963 publishes the register containing the identities of new inhabitants of Geneva.

Cassandro, Michele. Il libro giallo di Ginevra della compagnia fiorentina di Antonio Della Casa e Simone Guadagni 1453–1454. Prato, Italy, 1976.
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Edition of an account book from one of the most important Tuscan companies active in Geneva around the middle of the 15th century. The historical introduction provides good background and is a useful overview of the functioning of the complex Genevan financial market.
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Geisendorf, Paul-Frédéric, ed. Livre des habitants de Genève. 2 vols. Geneva, Switzerland: E. Droz, 1957–1963.
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Edition of the register containing the list of new inhabitants (with names, places of origin, and professions) who arrived in Geneva during the periods 1549–1560, 1572–1574, and 1585–1587. An important source also containing valuable information for social history.
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Morenzoni, Franco. Marchands et marchandises au péage de Villeneuve de Chillon: (première moitié du XVe siècle). Lausanne, France: Université de Lausanne, Section d’histoire, 2016.
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Edition of six accounts (1423–1424, 1430–1431, 1432–1433, 1433–1434, 1434–1435, and 1442–1443) of the daily taxes collected at the Alpine toll of Villeneuve de Chillon. The book contains a long and rich historical introduction about trade across the western Alps and its links with the Genevan fairs and a short glossary.
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Culture and Arts

Despite the considerable cultural richness brought by the fairs and by the city’s demographic growth (see Economy and Demography), Geneva, compared to other European cities, had a limited artistic production. Some of this production was destroyed during the Reformation, but the religious turmoil also contributed to the development of the printing industry and of the Reformed Academy, necessary for the training of Pastors.

Schooling

Despite many attempts to create a university, Geneva during the medieval period possessed only an underdeveloped system of public schools, as outlined in Caesar 2011. Naphy 1996 provides a discussion of the evolution of these schools after the Reformation. The creation and evolution of the Reformed Academy during the16th century is reconstructed in Borgeaud 1900 and Maag 1995. Stelling-Michaud and Stelling-Michaud 1959–1980 is the edition of the matriculation registry of the Reformed Academy while Ganoczy 1969 offers an analysis of the Academy’s library catalogue of 1572.

Borgeaud, Charles. Histoire de l’Université de Genève. Vol. 1, L’Académie de Calvin: 1559–1798. Geneva, Switzerland: Georg, 1900.
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This highly detailed analysis of the Reformed Academy is still a necessary starting point and has not been superseded by more recent works.
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Caesar, Mathieu. “Écoles urbaines, pouvoir municipal et éducation civique à la fin du Moyen Âge. Quelques observations à partir du cas genevois aux XIVe-XVIe siècles.” Histoire Urbaine 32 (2011): 53–71.
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Analyzes the nature and functioning of a 15th-century urban school founded by a rich Genevan merchant, François de Versonnex. Shows the evolution, financial problems, and other tensions of the urban school preceding the Reformation. Demonstrates how during the late Middle Ages the urban school was increasingly subjected to the control of municipal authorities.
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Ganoczy, Alexandre. La Bibliothèque de l’Academie de Calvin: le catalogue de 1572 et ses enseignements. Geneva, Switzerland: Droz, 1969.
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Edition of the catalogue of the Reformed Academy’s library in 1572 with a description of the 473 volumes conserved at that time. The introductory comment provides some concise guidance (now partially dated) about the works and the authors contained in the catalogue and retraces the early formation of the library.
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Maag, Karin. Seminary or University? The Genevan Academy and reformed higher education, 1560–1620. Aldershot, UK: Scolar Press, 1995.
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Explores the evolution of the Reformed Academy and the impetus for change provided by Calvin and Beza and offers comparative analyses with Zurich, Heidelberg, Leiden, and France. Argues that native Genevans and pastors had different expectations from the Reformed Academy, and this was, at times, a source of tensions and conflicts.
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Naphy, William G. “The Reformation and the Evolution of Geneva’s Schools.” In Reformations Old and New: Essays on the Socio-Economic Impact of Religious Change c. 1470–1630. Edited by Beat A. Kumin, 185–202. London: Scolar Press, 1996.
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Places Genevan urban schools within a larger French context and describes their functioning during the initial years following the Reformation (1536). Argues that there was a continuity of principles, methods, and curriculum and shows that municipal authorities kept significant control (especially financial) even after 1536.
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Stelling-Michaud, Sven, and Suzanne Stelling-Michaud, eds. Le livre du recteur de l’Académie de Geneva, Switzerland: 1559–1878. 6 vols. Geneva, Switzerland: Droz, 1959–1980.
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Edition of the register containing the names of the students attending the Genevan Reformed Academy. Volume 1 provides an overview and the edition of the register’s text. Volumes 2 to 6 offer valuable prosopographical records of the students inscribed in the register.
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Urbanism and Arts

Due to its important demographic growth and strong economic development, Geneva’s urban structure was deeply modified during the late Middle Ages, as Les monuments d’art et d’histoire 1997–2016 brilliantly reconstructs. Grandjean 2015 studies the architecture and artistic production of ecclesiastical buildings. Elsig and Menz 2013 focuses on Konrad Witz’s masterpiece, an altarpiece painted for the Saint-Pierre cathedral. Tissot 2010 is a beautiful and useful encyclopedia on artists working in Geneva from the 15th century to the present. Finally, Xavier 2015 discusses attitudes toward theater in early modern Geneva.

Elsig, Frédéric, and Cäsar Menz. Konrad Witz: le maître-autel de la cathédrale de Genève. Histoire, conservation et restauration. Geneva, Switzerland: Slatkine, 2013.
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Examines the most important Genevan paintings of the 15th century: the panels by Konrad Witz, which were part of an altarpiece in Saint-Pierre cathedral and which were partially destroyed by iconoclast riots in 1535. The volume analyzes the materials and techniques used, the commission and iconography, and provides a history of its restoration.
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Grandjean, Marcel. L’architecture religieuse en Suisse romande et dans l’ancien diocèse de Genève à la fin de l’époque gothique: développement, sources et contexts. 2 vols. Lausanne, Switzerland: Cahiers d’archéologie romande, 2015.
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Comprehensive and fine study on ecclesiastical architecture in the diocese of Geneva during the late medieval period with the most updated interpretations. Enriched by more than 1,100 images, contains general overviews as well as detailed studies of monuments and architects. Volume 1 especially deals with the city of Geneva.
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Les monuments d’art et d’histoire du canton de Genève. 4 vols. Bern, Switzerland: Société d’histoire de l’art en Suisse, 1997–2016.
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Collective study of Geneva’s urban history. Volumes offer analysis of the general development of the city from its founding to the present day and studies on the city’s fortifications, on the quarter of Saint-Gervais, and on public spaces and buildings.
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Tissot, Karine, ed. Artistes à Geneva, Switzerland: de 1400 à nos jours. Geneva, Switzerland: L’APAGe: Notari, 2010.
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Biographical encyclopedia, generously illustrated, of the Genevan artists from the late Middle Ages to the present. Each entry, available in French and English, provides a portrait, a short chronology, images, and bibliographic references. A brief introduction by Frédéric Elsig offers an overview of the 15th to 17th centuries with an essential bibliography.
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Xavier, Michel. Le théâtre interdit ?: les réglementations des spectacles à Genève entre Calvin et Rousseau. Geneva, Switzerland: Slatkine, 2015.
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A study about the place of theater in early modern Geneva, showing that Calvin was little concerned about it. Demonstrates that the first official interdiction of theatrical representations was promulgated in 1732.
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Printing

In the late 15th century, Geneva was already an important printing center within the Swiss confederacy and the duchy of Savoy. With the Reformation and the arrival of many French printers, this industry became internationally renowned. Chaix 1954 is a history of the flourishing of printing to the death of Calvin, and Bremme 1969 provides an analysis of the next three decades. Jostock 2007 offers the best analysis of censorship, while Benedict 2007 concentrates on the activity of Jean Perrissin and Jacques Tortorel. Gilmont 2005 offers a fine study of the publication of Calvin’s works. GLN 15–16 is an essential database that provides a starting point for research on any particular work.

Benedict, Philip. Graphic History: The “Wars, Massacres and Troubles” of Tortorel and Perrissin. Geneva, Switzerland: Droz, 2007.
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Discusses the complex Genevan editorial project of a series of well-known woodcuts, the Quarante Tableaux. Showing contemporary events between 1559 and 1570, and mostly related to the French Wars of religion, the Quarante Tableaux were not a simple propaganda product but primarily a commercial venture conceived for the European market.
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Bremme, Hans Joachim. Buchdrucker und Buchhändler zur Zeit der Glaubenskämpfe. Studien zur Genfer Druckgeschichte, 1565–1580. Geneva, Switzerland: Droz, 1969.
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Detailed analysis of printing in Geneva during the three decades after Calvin’s death. Shows the important relationship with Lyon and the role played by printers, editors, and librarians from Lyon. Also valuable for an analysis of the economic aspects of the printing industry in Geneva.
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Chaix, Paul. Recherches sur l’imprimerie à Genève de 1550 à 1564: étude bibliographique, économique et littéraire. Geneva, Switzerland: Droz, 1954.
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A cultural, social, and economic history of printing and printers in Calvin’s Geneva. The necessary starting point for research on books printed during this period. This study offers a complete and valuable picture of the active printers and others involved in the printing and selling of books in the relevant period.
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Gilmont, Jean-François. John Calvin and the Printed Book. Kirksville, MO: Truman State University Press, 2005.
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The first literary history of Calvin’s works. This study analyzes many practical aspects of Calvin’s literary production, such as the reasons to publish in Latin or the vernacular, the choice of printers, and the library available to the reformer. The work shows that Calvin was not only a theologian and a pastor but a writer as well.
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GLN 15–16. Ville de Genève.
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Indispensable database, headed by Jean-François Gilmont, of books published during the 15th and 16th centuries in Geneva, Lausanne, Neuchâtel, and Morges. Provides information on the prints (including bibliographical references, a list of all known existing copies, and pictures of printer’s marks) and when available, a link to digitized copies.
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Jostock, Ingeborg. La censure négociée: le contrôle du livre à Genève, 1560–1625. Geneva, Switzerland: Droz, 2007.
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Important work on the role played by censorship within Reformed contexts. Argues that censorship should be studied as a process and shows that Genevan censorship occurred in the presence of numerous legal vacuums and that magistrates adopted policies on the basis of informal agreements.
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Countryside

The bishop of Geneva first, and the Reformed republic later, possessed juridical rights over some of the territories in the neighboring countryside. These districts, or rural castellanies, were called mandements. Some other institutions, like the cathedral chapter, and many citizens as well, had various rights and properties in the environs of the city, within the territories of the duchy of Savoy. Poncet 1973 and De la Corbière, et al. 2001 analyze the administration of the mandements from the Middle Ages to the late 18th century and the changes brought by the political and religious turmoil of the 16th century. Guilleré and Santschi 2008 examines the rights possessed by Geneva over two small rural communities. Finally, Simon 2007 discusses some cases of witchcraft within the mandements.

De la Corbière, Matthieu, Martine Piguet, and Santschi Catherine. Terres et châteaux des évêques de Genève. Les mandements de Jussy, Peney et Thiez des origines au début du XVIIe siècle. Geneva, Switzerland: Archives d’État, 2001.
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Explores the history and the administrative structures of the three mandements of Jussy, Peney, and Thiez, which were controlled by the bishop during the Middle Ages and (Jussy and Peney only) by the Republic after 1536. Chapters focus on political history, archeology at the castles, and parishes as seen through the records of pastoral visitations.
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Guilleré, Christian, and Catherine Santschi, eds. Terres et pouvoirs partagés entre Genève et Savoie: Valleiry et La Joux (XIe siècle-1754): les terres du Chapitre et de Saint-Victor. Geneva, Switzerland: Archives d’État, 2008.
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A study of the two rural communities of Valleiry and La Joux, which were until 1536 under the control of the Cathedral Chapter of Geneva but which from the Reformation until the Treaty of Turin (1754) belonged to the Republic of Geneva.
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Poncet, André-Luc. Les châtelains et l’administration de la justice dans les mandements genevois sous l’Ancien Régime (1536–1792). Geneva, Switzerland: Presses universitaires romandes, 1973.
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Explores the administrative structures in the mandements of Peney and Jussy, which were under Genevan authority. The best study available on justice and the work of judicial officers in the Genevan rural districts.
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Simon, Sophie. “Si je le veux, il mourra!”: maléfices et sorcellerie dans la campagne genevoise (1497–1530). Lausanne, France: Université de Lausanne, Section d’histoire, 2007.
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Studies three late medieval trials and one inquiry conducted by the inquisition against some inhabitants of the episcopal mandement of Peney accused of witchcraft. Offers the edition of the criminal trials and of the inquiry, with translation from Latin to French.
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Geneva and Her Neighbors

The history of Geneva cannot be studied without taking into account her relations with the surrounding powers and their political structures. The duchy of Savoy, the kingdom of France, and the Swiss Confederacy, Fribourg and Bern in particular, played a crucial role in the economic development of the city and in the crucial political and religious changes of the 16th century.

The Swiss Confederacy

Paravicini Bagliani 1997 and Bruening 2016 place Geneva in the wider regional context of the French-speaking regions of present-day Switzerland. Brady 1985 proposes key concepts for understanding the alliances (combourgeoisies) with the Swiss, and Naef 1927 discusses relations with Fribourg. The Abschiede 1839–1886 offers a significant number of diplomatic sources. Concerning the Swiss Confederacy, valuable information can be found in the Oxford Bibliographies article in Renaissance and Reformation on Switzerland.

Amtliche Sammlung der Ältern Eidgenössischen Abschiede (1245–1798). 22 vols. Luzern, Switzerland: Meyer’sche Buchdruckerei, 1839–1886.
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Minutes of the Swiss Diet’s meetings (Abschiede, i.e., “recesses”). Contains summaries of the body’s discussions and many other important texts, especially treaties. Fundamental for studying Geneva’s diplomatic relationships in the 16th century. Free digitized version online
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Brady, Thomas A. Turning Swiss: Cities and Empire, 1450–1550. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 1985.
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Argues that “turning Swiss,” that is, becoming independent or entering into an alliance with the Swiss cities, was a highly attractive option for many cities of the Empire’s southern region. Necessary in order to understand the political rapprochement of Geneva with the Swiss cities, Bern and Fribourg in particular.
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Bruening, Michael W. “Francophone Territories Allied to the Swiss Confederation.” In A Companion to the Swiss Reformation. Edited by Amy Nelson Burnett and Emidio Campi, 362–388. Leiden, The Netherlands: Brill, 2016.
DOI: 10.1163/9789004316355_011Save Citation »Export Citation »E-mail Citation »
A very useful overview of the political and religious context of the French-speaking territories of present-day Switzerland during the late 15th and the 16th centuries. An excellent starting point with an essential bibliography.
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Naef, Henri. Fribourg au secours de Geneva, Switzerland: 1525–1526. Fribourg, Switzerland: Fragnière, 1927.
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Highly detailed study of the diplomatic relations between Geneva and Fribourg, which led, in 1526, to the Genevans signing an alliance (combourgeoisie) with the Swiss cities of Fribourg and Bern. Argues that the creation of the combourgeosie was more the result of Fribourg’s than Bern’s political situation.
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Paravicini Bagliani, Agostino, ed. Les pays romands au Moyen Âge. Lausanne, France: Payot, 1997.
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Collection of short overviews by the leading specialists on the French-speaking regions of Switzerland during the Middle Ages. Covers a great variety of topics from political history to economics. Contributions on geography, arts, and sociolinguistics. A good, concise introduction for researchers not familiar with these regions.
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France and Savoy

Guichonnet 1996 provides an initial overview of the history of Savoy from its origins, while Barbero examines the political and administrative structures of the 15th-century duchy. For the duchy’s diplomatic relations with Geneva during the second half of the 16th century, Cramer 1912–1950 and Dufour 1958 (cited under Politics And Institutions) are essential. Freymond 1939 reconstructs the attitude of François I toward Geneva and Savoy. Kingdon 1967 and Manetsch 2000 provide a detailed analysis of the role played by Genevans, and Beza in particular, in French Protestantism during the second half of the 16th century.

Barbero, Alessandro. Il ducato di Savoia: amministrazione e corte di uno stato franco-italiano (1416–1536). Rome: Laterza, 2002.
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Collection of nine articles, some of which have previously been published, about the duchy of Savoy. Chapter 1 provides a good overview of the duchy’s institutions, while the others deal especially with offices, war, finances, and the princely court. A good starting point for research.
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Freymond, Jacques. La politique de François Ier à l’égard de la Savoie. Lausanne, France: Porchet, 1939.
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A classic study by the old French school of diplomatic history but still useful and not superseded. Retraces, year-by-year, the relationship between France and the Duchy of Savoy from 1515 to 1547. Argues that the political attitude of François Ier toward Savoy was mostly shaped by the Italian situation.
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Guichonnet, Paul, ed. Nouvelle histoire de la Savoie. Toulouse, France: Privat, 1996.
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Collective general overview of the history of Savoy from prehistory to the 20th century written by specialists for a large audience. Chapters 7 and 8, by Henri Baud and Roger Devos, cover the 15th to 17th centuries. Helpful annotated bibliographies for each chapter.
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Kingdon, Robert. Geneva and the Consolidation of the French Protestant Movement, 1564–1572: A Contribution to the History of Congregationalism, Presbyterianism and Calvinist Resistance Theory. Geneva, Switzerland: Droz, 1967.
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Written as a continuation of Kingdon 2007 (cited under Religion: The Reformation), retraces Genevan influence on French Protestantism after Calvin’s death. For a better assessment of Beza’s role see also Dufour 2006 (cited under Religion: Reformers). Particularly valuable is the analysis of Morély’s quarrel and of the growing importance of consistorial discipline and synodical polity in Calvinism.
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Manetsch, Scott. Theodore Beza and the Quest for Peace in France, 1572–1598. Leiden, The Netherlands: Brill, 2000.
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Focuses on the role played by Beza as a political advisor to the French Huguenots after the Saint Bartholomew’s Day massacre and his rejection of Calvin’s doctrine of nonresistance. Discusses the importance of Beza in subversive activities and in helping the French reformed communities to survive.