Pierre de la Baume was a son of the Burgundian counts of Montrevel. He came to Geneva as coadjutor in 1521 and soon succeeded as bishop, which in Geneva also meant prince of the city. He held several rich abbeys besides.

His reign was a struggle between the citizens, who wanted their liberties, and the Duke of Savoy, who wanted Geneva. The bishop wavered between them.¹ Merle d’Aubigné drew his portrait:

Bishop Pierre de la Baume was fickle, worldly, fond of gambling, of feasting, of waiting upon the ladies, and of pursuing other pleasures which diverted him from better occupations. Timid and even fearful, changing like a weathercock with every wind, he dreaded above all things to lose the benefices he possessed in the territory of his Highness.² J. H. Merle d’AubignéHistory of the Reformation in Europe in the Time of Calvin, bk. 1, ch. 22

When Geneva allied itself with Bern and Fribourg, and when Guillaume Farel began preaching the gospel there in 1532, the bishop tried to recover his authority by force and failed. He left the city for the last time in July 1533 and never returned. From exile he excommunicated the city and supported the duke’s blockade. In August 1535 the Council of Geneva suspended the mass, and in May 1536 the citizens swore to live according to the gospel. That summer Farel persuaded John Calvin to stay.

Pierre de la Baume was made a cardinal in 1539 and Archbishop of Besançon, and died on May 4, 1544. The Catholic bishops of Geneva afterward resided at Annecy in Savoy.

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