Viscounts of Béarn



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.

House of Gascony


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

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)

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



 * 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



 * 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.