Viscounts of Béarn explained

The viscounts of Béarn (Basque: Bearno, Gascon: Bearn or Biarn) were the rulers of the viscounty of Béarn, located in the Pyrenees mountains and in the plain at their feet, in southwest France. Along with the three Basque provinces of Soule, Lower Navarre, and Labourd, as well as small parts of Gascony, it forms the current département of Pyrénées-Atlantiques (64).

Béarn is bordered by Basque provinces Soule and Lower Navarre to the west, by Gascony (Landes and Armagnac) to the north, by Bigorre to the east, and by Spain (Aragon) to the south.

List of Viscounts of Béarn

House of Gascony

Until 1251, probably all counts of Gascony descended from the House Gascony, head of the Duchy of Gascony.

Dates	Gascon line	Notes
?-866	Béarn line	Centule descended agnatically from Lupo III Centule of Gascony.
866-905	Béarn line	Son of the predecessor.
905-940	Béarn line	Son of the predecessor.
940-984	Béarn line	Son of the predecessor.
984-1004	Béarn line	Son of the predecessor.
1004-1012	Béarn line	Son of the predecessor.
1012-1058	Béarn line	Son of the predecessor.
c.1020-1045	Béarn line	Ruled jointly with his father, and preceded him.
1058-1090	Béarn line	Son of Centule IV.
1090-1131	Béarn line	Son of the predecessor.
1131-1134	Béarn line	Son of the predecessor.
1134-1147	Béarn line	Sister of the predecessor, married Peter, who descended agnatically from Sancho IV Garcés of Gascony.
1134-1140?	Gabarret line
1147-1154	Gabarret line	Son of the predecessors
1154-1170	Gabarret line	Son of the predecessor
1170-1171	Gabarret line	Sister of the predecessor, married the Catalan Guilhem de Montcada. During their joint rule, other rulers appeared contesting their rule, or were merely legendary: 1171–1171 : Theobald of Béarn (from Bigorre) 1171–1173 : Sentonge (from Auvergne)

House of Montcada

1170–1173 : William I (married to Mary)
1173–1215 : Gaston VI the Good (son)
1215–1223 : William Raymond (brother of previous)
1223–1229 : William II (son)
1229–1290 : Gaston VII the Great (son)
1290–1319 : Margaret (daughter of, married Roger-Bernard III of Foix)

House of Foix

Béarn line

1302–1315 : Gaston VIII (son of, also count of Foix)
1315–1343 : Gaston IX (son of, also count of Foix)
1343–1391 : Gaston X Phoebus (son of, also count of Foix)
1391–1398 : Matthew (son of Roger Bernard II, viscount of Castelbon, who was son of Roger Bernard I, viscount of Castelbon, who was younger brother of Gaston II of Foix-Béarn, also count of Foix and viscount of Castelbon)
1398–1428 : Isabelle (sister of, also countess of Foix and viscountess of Castelbon, married Archambaud of Grailly)

Grailly line

1412–1436 : John I (son of, also count of Foix, viscount of Villemur and count of Bigorre)
1436–1472 : Gaston XI (son of, also count of Foix, viscount of Nébouzan and count of Bigorre, married Eleanor of Navarre, queen of Navarre) (References to "Gaston of Bearn" in history texts often refer to him)
1479–1483 : Francis Phoebus (son of Gaston of Foix, prince of Viane, also king of Navarre, count of Bigorre, count of Foix))
1483–1517 : Catherine (sister of, also queen of Navarre, countess of Bigorre, countess of Foix), married John of Albret, king of Navarre

In 1512 Ferdinand II of Aragon conquered the better part of the kingdom of Navarre, leaving the kingdom with only the small section it held north of the Pyrenees.

House of Albret

See main article: Albret.

1517–1555 : Henry I (son of, also king of Navarre, count of Foix, duke of Albret, count of Bigorre)
1555–1572 : Joan (daughter of, queen of Navarre, countess of Foix, duchess of Albret, countess of Bigorre, married Anthony of Bourbon)

House of Bourbon

See main article: House of Bourbon.

1572–1607 : Henry II (son of, also king of France, king of Navarre, duke of Bourbon, duke of Vendôme, count of Bigorre, count of Foix)

In 1620 the viscountcy of Béarn was reunited to the French crown, whereas Lower Navarre was in 1607.

External links

Web site: L'historie du Béarn . 2017-05-12 . fr.