GENEVA

Geneva has been selected by Roberto Amati in relation to the real history of european integration, then enlisted in the People, Dates, Places and Events category, accompanied by own fact SHEET useful to the comprehension, completed of historical MAPS AND IMAGES or with a direct linking to the related Blog contents dedicated to the entire history of european integration and the future of Europe.

Geneva is one of the most important place in whole history of european integration and will probably have influence on the future of United Europe, because it has always been a crucial town in the middle of the ways and pilgrimages towards Rome and northern Europe so that in XX century A.D. had became the seat of most international organizations and of the world bank system.

Geneva is located in Switzerland near the border with France, on the river Rhone emissary of the Leman Lake in middle of the French Jura and the Mont de Sion, that probably gave the originary name from the celtic term genawa meaning emissary. At the epoch of the conquest war of Gallie by Julius Caesar came the first mention of Geneva, after became a Romans municipium and capital of the Regna Burgundorum in early V century A.D.: grown up as a christian centre in Middle Age, was eleveated seat of a Diocesi founded by the Welfen family when became kings of Burgundy in 888 A.D.; after then, it had been a county ruled for long time by the house of La Tor du Pin. In XV century A.D. Amedee VIII Count of Savoy retired from Pope functions (as Felix V, at the restauration of the conciliar Church in 1417 A.D.) and went to Geneva, an ancient fief of his family, where founded the Order of Saint Maurice of monks-chevalier under the cistercenses rule, wearing a grey cover and the typical croix of Saint Maurice, still existing today in joining with the most ancient Order of monks Saint Lazar founded in Jerusalem in IV century A.D..

Geneva has been the hometown of John Calvin living there during the democratic Republic in 1536 A.D., inspired by the Reform and the evangelic life that brough to the institution of hospitals and public schools in Geneva, then became the european centre of the reformed christianity under Calvinism, where several adepts persecuted by the Roman Church found their new house and studied in the Accademy (now Geneva University) open to new religious ideas and thinking. In Geneva was experienced the "administerial government of the church of the sheperd, doctors, presbierians and diaconis" connected to the civil administration of the city into the Concistorus, whose functions were the ethic guide for community and the defence of religious unity. From that epoch in Geneva came: the Knox protestant movement spreaded in Scotland that caused the war between the Queen Elizabeth I and the Stuart dinasty ended only in the "glorious revolution"; the act of constitution of the reformed churches of France that pushed the civil war between ugonots and catholics, ended with the crowning of Henry IV of Borbone dinasty who issued the "free cult" law (Nantes Edict, 1558 A.D.) that costed his life; the Calvinism movement that had been at the basis of the revolt of the Netherlands, inspired to freedom of faith and life, and the authonomism comunitarist ideas that influenced O.Cromwell (and probably justified the capitalist mind as explained by a famous essay of M.Weber).

Grew up as a main city of the independent Confederation of Swiss Cantoni recognized by the Treaty of Westfalia in 1648 A.D., Geneva became principal seat for the private banks that changed the history of european integration since XVI century A.D., throughout the kingdoms of England and the Netherlands and their trading companies and central banks, administered by the masonry of british and scottish rite. At the end of the First World War, Geneva was chosen as seat of the Society of Nations and of the Red Cross International org., confirmed in 1945 A.D. as seat of International Monetary Fund and of the United Nations system and agencies, such as the International Law Org. and the U.N.H.C.R..

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