Where are the Waldensian valleys?
An ethnobotanical field study on the traditional uses of wild plants for food as well as medicinal and veterinary plants was conducted in four Waldensian valleys (Chisone, Germanasca, Angrogna, and Pellice) in the Western Alps, Piedmont, NW Italy.
What was the Waldensian movement?
Waldenses, also spelled Valdenses, also called Waldensians, French Vaudois, Italian Valdesi, members of a Christian movement that originated in 12th-century France, the devotees of which sought to follow Christ in poverty and simplicity.
Are there still Waldensians?
Today, the Waldensian Church is member of the World Communion of Reformed Churches, the World Methodist Council, the Federation of Evangelical Churches in Italy, and the World Council of Churches.
What did Waldensians believe?
Waldensians believed that the church, when faithful to its true calling, follows in the steps of the apostles. Waldensians were opposed to any form of violence. Based on Matthew 5:33-37, they refused to take oaths. They also rejected the practice of selling indulgences and refused to lend money at interest.
How many waldensians are there?
20,000 Waldensians
The Waldensian church is the largest Protestant denomination in a country that is overwhelmingly Catholic. Today, there are about 20,000 Waldensians scattered throughout Italy. But the majority still live in three Piedmont valleys: the Val Chisone, Valle Germanasca, and Val Pellice.
What is meaning of waldenses?
: a Christian sect arising in southern France in the 12th century, adopting Calvinist doctrines in the 16th century, and later living chiefly in Piedmont.
What language did the Waldensians speak?
The Waldenses joined the Reformation movement in French-speaking Switzerland. As they became more aligned with Protestantism, they began using French, and French became the official language of the Waldensian church. Today, French remains their primary official language.
What did Cathars and Waldensians have in common?
Some believe that the Cathars and Waldensians were similar because they were both considered “heretics” by the church, but this is not the case. The Cathar’s thrived mostly in northern Italy and southern France. Waldensians tended to read the Bible very literally in ways that contradicted the church’s teachings.
What is the heresy of Albigensianism?
The most vibrant heresy in Europe was Catharism, also known as Albigensianism—for Albi, a city in southern France where it flourished. Catharism held that the universe was a battleground between good, which was spirit, and evil, which was matter. Human beings were believed to be spirits trapped in physical bodies.
What language did the waldensians speak?
Where was the Waldensian church located in Italy?
It joined with the Reform Movement and they were violently persecuted, only able to maintain resistance in the Alpine valleys of the Piedmont. Today, their Church proudly remembers its tragic past and has members in the major towns of Italy as well as in Uruguay and Argentina.
Where did the Waldensians settle in the 15th century?
In the 14th and 15th centuries, waves of Waldensians left the Dauphiné (Southeastern France) and Piedmont Valleys to settle in Provence, where they helped to revive a region which had seen ruin and depopulation. They were, on the whole, well accepted. In 1532, there were about thirty “barbes” in the Luberon.
Why was the Waldensian movement known as the poor of Lyon?
Because of this shunning of wealth, the movement was early known as The Poor of Lyon and The Poor of Lombardy. The Waldensian movement was characterized from the beginning by lay preaching, voluntary poverty, and strict adherence to the Bible.
Where are the manuscripts of the Waldensians located?
The poem exists in four manuscripts: two are housed at University of Cambridge, one at Trinity College in Dublin, and another in Geneva. According to legend, Peter Waldo renounced his wealth as an encumbrance to preaching, which led other members of the Catholic clergy to follow his example.
