Notes of history:

The village is built in border of a meander of the river of the Lignon. It settled very early on the alluvial earths and the good field grazings. The Chambon is mentioned for the first time in 1259 in the known texts. It is only an all small parish possessing a church dedicated to Notre- Dame and the seat of a priory. To the same time, dominant the valley of the Lignon the castle of Beaujeu contains in its walls, the fifth enclosed city of the Velay with six hundred fires. Of this past it only remains of stones scattered in neighboring hamlet walls and the memory of some légendes.

Less than two centuries later, the Reform becomes implanted solidly in the parish, transmitted certainly since 1530 by peddlers penetrating the Velay by streams of the Ardèche and the Eyrieux. These sudden and complete épousailleses between all one social body and the new religion substitute a Church to the other verse 1562. In spite of persecutions and the religious wars parish huguenote remains well living. Let's recall that in days preceding the Saint-Barthélemy, the bishop of the Velay, Sénéctère warns the Protestant vellaveses that the king's intention is that religionnaireses stop their preach and go to the Mass and that it would have means to make obey them if they don't appear as its majesty wants it. As being warned huguenotses thus have all lifetime saves. There is not therefore of Saint-Barthélemy vellave in 1572. The edict of Nantes allows the existence in the Velay of two places of cult, those of the Chambon and the near parish of Saint-Voy.

Take place a quiet enough period during which the Chambon sees to follow each other many pastors from then on: Joseph Villon, Antoine Faucher, David White, Isaac Meissonnier, Jean de Tournes, Jean Homme. Supporters possess a temple since 1604 situated to hollow of the temple. Then a difficult period begins toward 1680: the temple is demolished; one worries huguenotses that want to resist as the Soft cadet. One knows dragonnadeses. Some supporters go into exile, others are condemned to galleys as Jean Riou or Jean Soft, others are shut in like Françoise of the Chambon and Marie of the Rock of the Chabannerie in the tower of Constancy. Of laïcses, prédicants such Matthieu Dunies, Barriols of Charreyrial resuscitate courage and give the hope. the inspired such Jean Eyraud or Lucréce Claire take the word to the first assemblies. From 1726 ministers, Pierre Durand, Mathieu Duvernet, Pierre Peirot, Fauriel Lassagne, Désubas, Dunières, Alexander Duvernet hold innumerable clandestine assemblies to Peybernenc, to the small valley of Sayères, to the Pine, to the Pierre of the Moon, to Ronsaveaux,. Finally in 1787 when the edict of Tolerance grants to the Supposed Reformed a civil state, one can note, on registers of marriage rehabilitation that Protestantism chambonnais left healthy and except a torments that had to in principle the anéantir.

The XIXème century was for this community one century of tranquillity during which good of wakenings was able enough freely to express themselves. Toward 1820 some parishioners adherent to the free church whose cultural center is to the Riou in the township of the Mazet-Saint-Voy. From 1840 movement darbyste develops itself and drag many faithful. The army of the Salute also creates an important citadel to the Chambon at the end of the XIX centuries.

To the head of the Reformed church, follow each other pastors of value: Etienne Adhéran, J.P. Valloton, Louis Bertrand, Marc du Pasquier, Charles Guillon, Roger Casalis, André Trocmé and Edouard Theis.

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