Protestant Christians are celebrating the 500th anniversary of the birth of John Calvin, the French-born reformer who inspired a movement that now has tens of millions of adherents worldwide.

Swiss chocolatier Blaise Poyet believes he has captured the essence of the Protestant reformer Jean Calvin in special chocolate pralines he created to mark the 500th anniversary of the religious figure who made his mark on European history.

A year of public events and discussions to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the birth of the Protestant reformer Jean Calvin is being launched in Geneva, a cradle of the Protestant Reformation in Europe, part of Switzerland since 1815.

The Federation of Swiss Protestant Churches has launched an interactive website as part of its celebrations to mark the 500th anniversary in 2009 of the birth of Protestant reformer Jean Calvin.