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.
RulerDatesGascon lineNotes Centule I ?-866Béarn line Centule descended agnatically from Lupo III Centule of Gascony. Loup Centule 866-905Béarn lineSon of the predecessor. Centule II 905-940Béarn line Son of the predecessor. Gaston I 940-984Béarn line Son of the predecessor. Centule III 984-1004Béarn line Son of the predecessor. Gaston II 1004-1012Béarn line Son of the predecessor. Centule IV the Old 1012-1058Béarn line Son of the predecessor. Gaston III c.1020-1045Béarn line Ruled jointly with his father, and preceded him. Centule V the Young 1058-1090Béarn lineSon of Centule IV. Gaston IV the Crusader 1090-1131Béarn lineSon of the predecessor. Centule VI 1131-1134Béarn lineSon of the predecessor. Guiscarda 1134-1147Béarn line Sister of the predecessor, married Peter, who descended agnatically from Sancho IV Garcés of Gascony. Peter I Roger 1134-1140?Gabarret line Peter II 1147-1154Gabarret line Son of the predecessors Gaston V 1154-1170Gabarret line Son of the predecessor Mary 1170-1171Gabarret 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
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.
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See also Fors de Béarn