Béatrice de Planisoles
Encyclopedia
Béatrice de Planisoles was a minor noble in the Comté de Foix in the late thirteenth and early fourteenth century. She was born circa 1274, probably in the mountain village of Caussou
.
A great deal of information about her life was recorded in the Fournier Register
, and she has a central role in Emmanuel Le Roy Ladurie
's Montaillou
Béatrice was the daughter of Philippe de Planisoles a noble who was later convicted of supporting the Cathar
heresy
. Béatrice herself had definite sympathies to Albigensianism, but also remained attached to the Catholic Church.
At around the age of twenty Béatrice was married to Bérenger de Roquefort who was the châtelain
of the small, and largely Cathar, community of Montaillou. Despite living in the fortress above the town Béatrice's life was closely linked with that of the local peasants and there was much intermixing. Béatrice did not care greatly for her husband and soon began courting other men. She began a courtship with Raymond Roussel, who was the steward of the châtelain's estate. When Roussel tried to sleep with her, however, she had him fired. She was also raped by Pathau Clergue.
In 1302 Bérenger de Roquefort died and left Béatrice a widow. At this point she became the open consort of Pathau Clergue. Soon, however, a relationship began with Pathau's cousin Pierre Clergue
, the priest and the most powerful man in the village. This relationship lasted two years before Béatrice decided to leave the mountain village and remarry, wedding another minor noble named Otho de Lagleize.
He too died after only a few years of marriage. In her older years Béatrice took up with a young vicar Barthélemy Arilhac. This passionate woman was past menopause but fell in love with the vicar. She approached him, propositioned him, and the mad love affair began. The vicar returned her passion, and they ran away together and remained away for a year. After a number of years this relationship ended as Barthélemy worried he would be placed in danger by Béatrice's Cathar
past. He was correct in his concerns and they were both arrested by the inquisition
and held for a year.
Béatrice first appeared before the Inquisition on Saturday 26 July 1320 at the Episcopal Palace in Pamiers
. She had been summoned to the hearing by Jacques Fournier, the Bishop of Pamiers, to answer charges of blasphemy, witchcraft, and heresy. The charge of witchcraft was supported by the contents of her purse, which included a variety of "objects, strongly suggestive of having been used by her to cast evil spells": two umbilical cords of infants; linens soaked with blood, which seemed to be menstrual, in a sack of leather, with a seed of cole-wort
; and seeds of incense slightly burned; a mirror and a small knife wrapped in a piece of linen; the seed of a certain plant, wrapped in muslin (which she testified was called "ive", and had been given to her by a pilgrim as a remedy for epilepsy
); a dry piece of bread that is called "tinhol" (possibly millet
bread); written formulas; and numerous morsels of linen.
Barthélemy was not punished, but Béatrice was sentenced to wear the yellow cross forever as punishment.
With her husbands she is known to have had four daughters:
Caussou
Caussou is a commune in the Ariège department in the Midi-Pyrénées region in southwestern France.Its church is dedicated to St Jean Baptist.-Geography:...
.
A great deal of information about her life was recorded in the Fournier Register
Fournier Register
The Fournier Register is a set of records from the inquisition into heresy run by Jacques Fournier, Bishop of Pamiers between 1318 and 1325. Fournier was later to become Pope Benedict XII.-Interrogation:...
, and she has a central role in Emmanuel Le Roy Ladurie
Emmanuel Le Roy Ladurie
Emmanuel Le Roy Ladurie is a French historian whose work is mainly focused upon Languedoc in the ancien regime, particularly the history of the peasantry.-Early life and career:...
's Montaillou
Montaillou
Montaillou is a commune in the Ariège department in southwestern France.-History:The town is best known for being the subject of Emmanuel Le Roy Ladurie's pioneering work of microhistory, Montaillou, village occitan. It analyzes the town in great detail over a thirty-year period from 1294 to 1324...
Béatrice was the daughter of Philippe de Planisoles a noble who was later convicted of supporting the Cathar
Cathar
Catharism was a name given to a Christian religious sect with dualistic and gnostic elements that appeared in the Languedoc region of France and other parts of Europe in the 11th century and flourished in the 12th and 13th centuries...
heresy
Heresy
Heresy is a controversial or novel change to a system of beliefs, especially a religion, that conflicts with established dogma. It is distinct from apostasy, which is the formal denunciation of one's religion, principles or cause, and blasphemy, which is irreverence toward religion...
. Béatrice herself had definite sympathies to Albigensianism, but also remained attached to the Catholic Church.
At around the age of twenty Béatrice was married to Bérenger de Roquefort who was the châtelain
Châtelain
Châtelain was originally merely the French equivalent of the English castellan, i.e. the commander of a castle....
of the small, and largely Cathar, community of Montaillou. Despite living in the fortress above the town Béatrice's life was closely linked with that of the local peasants and there was much intermixing. Béatrice did not care greatly for her husband and soon began courting other men. She began a courtship with Raymond Roussel, who was the steward of the châtelain's estate. When Roussel tried to sleep with her, however, she had him fired. She was also raped by Pathau Clergue.
In 1302 Bérenger de Roquefort died and left Béatrice a widow. At this point she became the open consort of Pathau Clergue. Soon, however, a relationship began with Pathau's cousin Pierre Clergue
Pierre Clergue
Pierre Clergue was a priest in the village of Montaillou, France in the late thirteenth and early fourteenth century. He is the central figure in Emmanuel Le Roy Ladurie's book Montaillou, a pioneering work of microhistory...
, the priest and the most powerful man in the village. This relationship lasted two years before Béatrice decided to leave the mountain village and remarry, wedding another minor noble named Otho de Lagleize.
He too died after only a few years of marriage. In her older years Béatrice took up with a young vicar Barthélemy Arilhac. This passionate woman was past menopause but fell in love with the vicar. She approached him, propositioned him, and the mad love affair began. The vicar returned her passion, and they ran away together and remained away for a year. After a number of years this relationship ended as Barthélemy worried he would be placed in danger by Béatrice's Cathar
Cathar
Catharism was a name given to a Christian religious sect with dualistic and gnostic elements that appeared in the Languedoc region of France and other parts of Europe in the 11th century and flourished in the 12th and 13th centuries...
past. He was correct in his concerns and they were both arrested by the inquisition
Inquisition
The Inquisition, Inquisitio Haereticae Pravitatis , was the "fight against heretics" by several institutions within the justice-system of the Roman Catholic Church. It started in the 12th century, with the introduction of torture in the persecution of heresy...
and held for a year.
Béatrice first appeared before the Inquisition on Saturday 26 July 1320 at the Episcopal Palace in Pamiers
Pamiers
Pamiers is a commune in the Ariège department in the Midi-Pyrénées region in southwestern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department. Although Pamiers is the largest city in Ariège, the capital is the smaller town of Foix...
. She had been summoned to the hearing by Jacques Fournier, the Bishop of Pamiers, to answer charges of blasphemy, witchcraft, and heresy. The charge of witchcraft was supported by the contents of her purse, which included a variety of "objects, strongly suggestive of having been used by her to cast evil spells": two umbilical cords of infants; linens soaked with blood, which seemed to be menstrual, in a sack of leather, with a seed of cole-wort
Wood Avens
Geum urbanum, also known as wood avens, herb Bennet, colewort and St. Benedict's herb , is a perennial plant in the rose family , which grows in shady places in Europe and the Middle East.Usually reaching a height between 20 and 60 cm, wood avens blooms between May and August,...
; and seeds of incense slightly burned; a mirror and a small knife wrapped in a piece of linen; the seed of a certain plant, wrapped in muslin (which she testified was called "ive", and had been given to her by a pilgrim as a remedy for epilepsy
Epilepsy
Epilepsy is a common chronic neurological disorder characterized by seizures. These seizures are transient signs and/or symptoms of abnormal, excessive or hypersynchronous neuronal activity in the brain.About 50 million people worldwide have epilepsy, and nearly two out of every three new cases...
); a dry piece of bread that is called "tinhol" (possibly millet
Millet
The millets are a group of small-seeded species of cereal crops or grains, widely grown around the world for food and fodder. They do not form a taxonomic group, but rather a functional or agronomic one. Their essential similarities are that they are small-seeded grasses grown in difficult...
bread); written formulas; and numerous morsels of linen.
Barthélemy was not punished, but Béatrice was sentenced to wear the yellow cross forever as punishment.
With her husbands she is known to have had four daughters:
- Condors,
- Esclaramonde,
- Philippa, and
- Ava.