Esclarmonde of Foix

Who was Esclarmonde of Foix?

Esclarmonde de Foix, also called Esclarmonde the Great, was a prominent figure in Catharism in thirteenth century France.

She was the daughter of Roger Bernard I, Count of Foix, and of Cecile Trencavel. The name Esclarmonde means "Light of the World" in the Occitan language. She was a sister of Raymond-Roger de Foix, Count of Foix. She married Jordan III of L'Isle-Jourdain, lord of L'Isle-Jourdain. They had several children, among them Bernard, Guillamette, Olive, Othon de Terride, and Bertrand, Baron de Launac.

She was widowed in 1200 and, sometime thereafter, turned to the Cathar Church. She received the Cathar sacrament, the consolamentum, for becoming a Parfaite, or member of the Cathar Elect, at the hands of the Cathar bishop Guilhabert de Castres in 1204 in Fanjeaux with three other women of high rank, Aude de Fanjeaux, Fays de Durfort, and Raymonde of Saint-Germain. The ceremony was conducted in the presence of her brother, Raymond-Roger de Foix, Count of Foix.

She settled in Pamiers and was likely involved in the initiative to rebuild the fortress of Montségur. She belonged to the conference of Pamiers, also called the "conference of Montreal" in 1207. It was the last debate between the Cathars and the Roman Catholic Church, represented by Dominic Guzman. The following year Pope Innocent III launched the Albigensian Crusade against the Cathars.