Houses and lineages

Foix

A Pyrenean patrimony that brought together counties and viscounties, passed between family lines and eventually became connected with the Crown of Navarre.

Arms. Or, three pallets gules.

24 recorded people4 documented connections

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Genealogy, inheritance and alliances

Parent houses and branches

Descent, marriage and inheritance connect houses in different ways. Each documented link retains its own explanation.

Alliances and inheritances

Albret

From a lordship in south-western France to Navarre: the Albrets grew through political service, marriages and inheritances.

Read the record · ES

Continuity through marriage and inheritance · 1484

Catherine, heiress of Navarre, married John of Albret. Their descendants brought together the Navarrese crown and the patrimonies of both families.

Catherine of Navarre John III of Navarre Henry II of Navarre Joan III of Navarre

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Alliances and inheritances

Grailly

A family of Savoyard origin whose alliance with the Foix-Castellbó produced the Foix-Grailly line.

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Continuity through marriage and inheritance · 1398

Isabella of Foix-Castellbó inherited the patrimony and transmitted it to the children of her marriage to Archambaud de Grailly. Their son John I continued the line known as Foix-Grailly.

Isabella of Foix-Castellbó · ES Archambaud of Grailly · ES John I of Foix · ES Gaston IV of Foix · ES

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Branches and connections within the house

Cadet branch · Fourteenth century

Roger Bernard I of Castellbó

Roger Bernard I of Castellbó, Gaston I’s son, represents the collateral line from which Matthew and Isabella descended. This branch inherited after Fébus’s death.

Roger Bernard I of Castellbó · ES Roger Bernard II of Castellbó · ES Matthew of Foix · ES Isabella of Foix-Castellbó · ES

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Accession to a crown · 1479

Francis Phoebus of Navarre

Gaston IV’s marriage to Eleanor of Navarre connected the two inheritances. Francis Phoebus succeeded his grandmother Eleanor; his father had died before her.

Gaston IV of Foix · ES Eleanor of Navarre Gaston of Foix, Prince of Viana · ES Francis Phoebus of Navarre Catherine of Navarre

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Origin

The comital House of Foix developed a network of possessions and marriages in the Pyrenees. Roger Bernard III married Margaret, heiress of Béarn. The County of Foix and Viscounty of Béarn retained distinct titles and political positions under shared holders.

Development

Gaston Fébus is among its best-known figures. His son’s death left the succession to the Castellbó branch: first Matthew and then his sister Isabella. Isabella’s marriage to Archambaud de Grailly began the Foix-Grailly line. Their grandson Gaston IV married Eleanor of Navarre; Francis Phoebus and Catherine later inherited the Navarrese crown.

Legacy

Catherine married John of Albret. The inheritance passed to their descendants, including Henry II and Joanna III of Navarre. Other daughters and branches linked Foix with Brittany, Aragon and Hungary.

People who connect the history

Protagonists and connections

Roger Bernard III of Foix · ESCount / Viscount1243 – 1302 Gaston III of Foix · ESCount / Viscount1331 – 1391 Isabella of Foix-Castellbó · ESCountess / Viscountessc. 1361 – 1428 John I of Foix · ESCountc. 1382 – 1436 Gaston IV of Foix · ESCount1422 – 1472 Catherine of NavarreQueen regnant of Navarre1468 – 1517

Territorial context

Linked territories

Foix · ES Béarn · ES Castellbó · ES Navarre · ES Brittany · ES County of Bigorre · ES Saluzzo · ES

Recorded members of this house

People in this house

Recorded governments of members

Includes nominal titles, regencies and disputes when recorded. Annual intervals do not establish continuous or exclusive control.

Person	Territory and title	Period	Status
Raymond Roger of Foix · ES	Count · Foix · ES	1188–1223	Effective ruleIn 1213 he paid homage to Peter II of Aragon for his castles and fought beside him at Muret.
Roger Bernard II of Foix · ES	Count · Foix · ES	1223–1241	Effective rule
Roger IV of Foix · ES	Count · Foix · ES	1241–1265	Effective rule
Roger Bernard III of Foix · ES	Count · Foix · ES	1265–1302	Effective rule
Roger Bernard III of Foix · ES	Viscount · Béarn · ES	1290–1302	Jure uxorisRights transmitted through Margaret of Béarn.
Gaston I of Foix · ES	Count · Foix · ES	1302–1315	Effective rule
Gaston I of Foix · ES	Viscount · Béarn · ES	1302–1315	Effective rule
Gaston II of Foix · ES	Count · Foix · ES	1315–1343	Effective rule
Gaston II of Foix · ES	Viscount · Béarn · ES	1315–1343	Effective rule
Roger Bernard I of Castellbó · ES	Viscount · Castellbó · ES	1315–1350	Effective rule
Gaston III of Foix · ES	Count · Foix · ES	1343–1391	Effective rule
Gaston III of Foix · ES	Viscount · Béarn · ES	1343–1391	Effective rule
Roger Bernard II of Castellbó · ES	Viscount · Castellbó · ES	1350–1381	Effective rule
Matthew of Foix · ES	Count · Foix · ES	1391–1398	Effective rule
Matthew of Foix · ES	Viscount · Béarn · ES	1391–1398	Effective rule
Isabella of Foix-Castellbó · ES	Countess · Foix · ES	1398–1412	Effective rule
Isabella of Foix-Castellbó · ES	Viscountess · Béarn · ES	1398–1412	Effective rule
Isabella of Foix-Castellbó · ES	Countess · Foix · ES	1412–1428	TitularTitle retained after the transfer of government to John I.
Isabella of Foix-Castellbó · ES	Viscountess · Béarn · ES	1412–1428	TitularTitle retained after transferring government to John I.
John I of Foix · ES	Count · Foix · ES	1412–1436	Effective rule
John I of Foix · ES	Viscount · Béarn · ES	1412–1436	Effective rule
John I of Foix · ES	Count · County of Bigorre · ES	1425–1436	Effective ruleCharles VII of France granted him the county in 1425.
Gaston IV of Foix · ES	Count · Foix · ES	1436–1472	Effective rule
Gaston IV of Foix · ES	Viscount · Béarn · ES	1436–1472	Effective rule
Gaston IV of Foix · ES	Count · County of Bigorre · ES	1436–1472	Effective ruleFrom 1425 Bigorre was ruled by the counts of Foix.
Francis Phoebus of Navarre	Viscount · Béarn · ES	1472–1483	Effective rule
Francis Phoebus of Navarre	Count · Foix · ES	1472–1483	Effective ruleSuccession of the counts of Foix; the dates follow the Viscounty of Béarn, inherited by the same person.
Francis Phoebus of Navarre	Count · County of Bigorre · ES	1472–1483	Effective ruleFrom 1425 Bigorre was ruled by the counts of Foix.
Francis Phoebus of Navarre	King · Navarre · ES	1479–1483	Effective rule
Catherine of Navarre	Queen · Navarre · ES	1483–1517	Branch ruleFrom 1512 the two lines did not effectively govern the whole of the former kingdom.
Catherine of Navarre	Viscountess · Béarn · ES	1483–1517	Effective rule
Catherine of Navarre	Countess · Foix · ES	1483–1517	Effective ruleSuccession of the counts of Foix; the dates follow the Viscounty of Béarn, inherited by the same person.
Catherine of Navarre	Countess · County of Bigorre · ES	1483–1517	Effective ruleFrom 1425 Bigorre was ruled by the counts of Foix.
Margaret of Foix-Candale, Marchioness of Saluzzo · ES	Regent · Saluzzo · ES	1504–1521	Regency
Margaret of Foix-Candale, Marchioness of Saluzzo · ES	Governor · Saluzzo · ES	1521–1528	Regency

Contextual bibliography

General references do not by themselves verify every relationship or date. Bibliographic titles retain their original language.

Sources and methodology

Arms: Heralder · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons. Original drawing and proportions preserved.