User:Sad Rist/Bégon de Castelnau-Calmont

Bégon de Castelnau-Calmont (?-†1388) was a French ecclesiastic of the 14th century, Bishop of Cahors from 1366 to 1388. He came from an ancient and powerful medieval family of barons from Quercy and Rouergue.

Biography
He was the son of Hugues III de Castelnau-Calmont, who had spent some time at the court of Avignon, and Maralde de Canillac, sister of Cardinal Raymond de Canillac, Archbishop of Toulouse, and Dieudonné, Bishop of Maguelonne.

A Doctor of Laws from the University of Montpellier, Canon of Chartres in 1348, Provost of Saint-Espain in the Church of Saint-Martin de Tours, Rector of Saint-Florentin and Campagnac, Bégon was appointed Bishop of Cahors on February 15, 1366. Loyal to his family and his alliances with the kings of France, Bégon did not settle in Cahors, where the English dominated the region since the Treaty of Brétigny, and carried out his duties from his castle in Castelnau. He appointed Rigal de Thémines, a canon of Cahors whom he had appointed as Vicar General, as his deputy at the bishopric; Rigal was the son of Gisbert IV de Thémines and Almodis de Canillac, Maralde's sister, and thus Bégon's first cousin.

Bégon's first action as bishop was to convene the Estates in order to find means to free Quercy from the English. He took all necessary measures to ensure the defense of the city of Cahors, regularly inspecting its fortifications and guard.