County of Béarn: Map & History
Béarn is one of the traditional provinces of France, located in the Pyrenees mountains and in the plain at their feet, in Southwestern France.
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Béarn is one of the traditional provinces of France, located in the Pyrenees mountains and in the plain at their feet, in Southwestern France. Along with the three Basque provinces of Soule, Lower Navarre and Labourd, the Principality of Bidache, as well as small parts of Gascony, it forms the current Pyrénées-Atlantiques department. The capitals of Béarn were successively Beneharnum, Morlaàs, Orthez and then Pau.
County of Béarn in Depth
History
The name Béarn derives from Beneharnum, the capital city of the ancient Venarni people, which was destroyed by Vikings by 840. The modern town of Lescar is built on the site of Beneharnum.
Agriculture and metallurgy were first practiced in the region around 4,000 years ago. Many dolmens, tumuli and megaliths have been found in Béarn dating to this era, suggesting that ancestor worship was an important religious activity in Neolithic Béarn. Construction of cromlêhs in Béarn continued into the Bronze Age.
Fortified villages were also constructed in Neolithic Béarn, and remains of these have been found near Asson, Bougarber and Lacq.
During the Iron Age, Béarn was a part of ancient Aquitania, where the proto-Basque people lived.
Culture
The culture of Béarn is characterised by a strong regional identity shaped by history, the Pyrenean environment and Occitan heritage. Béarnais is the customary local name for the langue d’oc spoken across much of the region. It remains an important component of identity in the area, particularly among speakers and communities in the Haut-Béarn, the Ossau Valley and the Béarn des Gaves. Béarn architecture and history is dominant throughout the region, with monuments such as the Château de Pau highlighting the region’s medieval and royal history, including the period before Béarn and Navarre were formally united with the French Crown in 1620.
Poule au pot is a celebrated specialty in Béarn where King Henry IV of France was born.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Béarn (CC BY-SA 4.0).
County of Béarn: Key Facts
| Capital | Pau |
|---|---|
| Official language | Béarnese |
| Founded | 1620 |
| Dissolved | 1790 |
Facts from Wikidata Q213763 (CC0).
County of Béarn Map Over Time
Dated world maps on which County of Béarn appears, with the other states of the time.
County of Béarn Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Expansion to peak recorded area of 3,806 km² in 1396 CE.
County of Béarn: Frequently Asked Questions
When did County of Béarn exist?
County of Béarn is dated to 1385 CE – 1452 CE, in the High & Late Middle Ages era.
What was the capital of County of Béarn?
The capital of County of Béarn was Pau.
How large was County of Béarn at its peak?
At its peak in 1396 AD County of Béarn covered about 3,806 km².
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