The Principality of Bidache was from 1570 to 1793 a small feudal state in the south west of modern-day

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

. The sovereignty of Bidache was proclaimed by Count Antoine de Gramont in 1570. The counts of Gramont had formerly been

vassal A vassal or liege subject is a person regarded as having a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch, in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. While the subordinate party is called a vassal, the dominant party is called a suzerai ...

s of the King of Navarre however they had last paid

tribute A tribute (; from Latin ''tributum'', "contribution") is wealth, often in kind, that a party gives to another as a sign of submission, allegiance or respect. Various ancient states exacted tribute from the rulers of land which the state conq ...

in 1434 and considered themselves relieved of their

fealty An oath of fealty, from the Latin ''fidelitas'' (faithfulness), is a pledge of allegiance of one person to another. Definition In medieval Europe, the swearing of fealty took the form of an oath made by a vassal, or subordinate, to his lord. "Fea ...

. The principality maintained

de jure In law and government, ''de jure'' ( ; , "by law") describes practices that are legally recognized, regardless of whether the practice exists in reality. In contrast, ("in fact") describes situations that exist in reality, even if not legall ...

sovereignty Sovereignty is the defining authority within individual consciousness, social construct, or territory. Sovereignty entails hierarchy within the state, as well as external autonomy for states. In any state, sovereignty is assigned to the perso ...

until 1790 when by royal edict the territory of the principality was declared to be a part of France by

Louis XVI Louis XVI (''Louis-Auguste''; ; 23 August 175421 January 1793) was the last King of France before the fall of the monarchy during the French Revolution. He was referred to as ''Citizen Louis Capet'' during the four months just before he was ...

. In 1793 the principality was occupied by troops loyal to the

First French Republic In the history of France, the First Republic (french: Première République), sometimes referred to in historiography as Revolutionary France, and officially the French Republic (french: République française), was founded on 21 September 1792 ...

and the last reigning prince, Antoine VII, was ousted. The royal and noble Gramont dynasty survives to the present day.

History

The exact date for the establishment of sovereignty in Bidache is 21 October 1570. On that day, Antoine I de Gramont in his capacity as mayor of

Bayonne Bayonne (; eu, Baiona ; oc, label= Gascon, Baiona ; es, Bayona) is a city in Southwestern France near the Spanish border. It is a commune and one of two subprefectures in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine r ...

stated that the sovereignty of Bidache was held by him. This was the first public statement by the Counts of Gramont claiming sovereignty over Bidache. However, a bequest written in private between Antoine and his wife in 1566 refers to his "sovereignty" over Bidache. By the end of 1570, several acts claiming sovereign rights in Bidache appear in quick succession. On 13 November of that same year, Antoine I enforces his rights over the inhabitants of Bidache as their sovereign lord. This is followed in on 6 April 1575 when Antoine formulated a formal legal code. His successor, Antoine II, uses the title of majesty "for such is our pleasure" in an order issued on 22 September 1596. From this date, he calls his actions "sovereign". External recognition is found in letters patent issued by Henri IV of France and Navarre which refer to Antoine II de Gramont as "ruler of the land of Bidache" and exempt from his edict. In 1631

Cardinal Richelieu Armand Jean du Plessis, Duke of Richelieu (; 9 September 1585 – 4 December 1642), known as Cardinal Richelieu, was a French clergyman and statesman. He was also known as ''l'Éminence rouge'', or "the Red Eminence", a term derived from the ...

is recorded as having complained that Bidache was a "haven of thieves" and "Judaized" and recommends sending a commissioner to the principality. Nevertheless, the complaint is not acted upon. The evidence that Bidache had become an asylum benefiting those who wanted to escape the kingdoms of France and Navarre indicates the practical implications of Bidache sovereignty. The

end of sovereignty came during the upheaval of the

French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are conside ...

. In January 1790 attempts were made to secure the continued existence of the principality separate from the French crown but these came to no avail. An envoy, Louis Perret, was despatched to Paris but he did not arrive before letters patent had been issued in the name of King

that decreed Bidache to be a part of the new Basses-Pyrénées ''département''. In 1793 troops loyal to the new French Republic occupied Bidache and ousted the last prince, Antoine VII. With de facto independence at an end the château was briefly converted into a hospital before being burned down in 1796. The ruins are currently being restored.Pays de Bidache
(Retrieved 27.11.12) Around Bidache, the

end of Basque home rule in France The end of Basque home rule or '' foruak/fors'', the native institutional and legal system, took place during the French revolutionary period (1789-1795). The final violent dissolution of the semi-autonomous Basque institutional and legal system wa ...

was happening.

History

References

See also