William Farel (French: Guillaume Farel [ɡijom faʁɛl]; 1489 – 13 September 1565), was a French evangelist, Protestant reformer and a founder of the Reformed Church in French-speaking Switzerland. He is most often remembered for having persuaded John Calvin to remain in Geneva in 1536, and for persuading him to return there in 1541, after their expulsion in 1538. The Genevan Reformation was so profound that it became known as the "Protestant Rome", where Protestants took refuge and dissidents such as Catholics and unitarians were driven out. Together with Calvin, Farel worked to train missionary preachers who spread the Protestant cause to other countries, especially to France.
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Guillaume Farel in the context of Republic of Geneva
The Republic of Geneva was an independent city-state that emerged in the early 16th century following its break with both the Catholic Church, the political authority of the Bishop of Geneva, and the political influence of the House of Savoy. Strongly influenced by the Protestant Reformation, and particularly by the work of Guillaume Farel and later John Calvin, the city became a leading center of Calvinism and a refuge for Protestants from across Europe. Politically, Geneva developed republican institutions modeled on some of the Swiss cities, asserting its sovereignty against the Duchy of Savoy and navigating a precarious position between powerful neighbors such as France and the Swiss cantons. From its declaration of independence in 1534 until its annexation by revolutionary France in 1798, Geneva evolved into a prosperous hub of trade, finance, watchmaking, and publishing, while maintaining a distinctive identity as both a fortified “Protestant Rome” and a cosmopolitan republic. The republic was restored in 1813, and briefly existed again before joining the Swiss Confederation as a canton in 1815.
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