The Parliament of Navarre and Béarn ''(French: "Parlement de Navarre et de Béarn", alias "Parlement de Navarre séant à Pau", alias "Parlement de Pau")'' was created in 1620 out of the merger of the ''Conseil Souverain of Béarn'' and the ''Chancery of Navarre'', with its subordinated offices,Expilly (1763), p. 50
(in French)
/ref> by

Louis XIII of France Louis XIII (; sometimes called the Just; 27 September 1601 – 14 May 1643) was King of France from 1610 until his death in 1643 and King of Navarre (as Louis II) from 1610 to 1620, when the crown of Navarre was merged with the French crown ...

, following the incorporation of Béarn and

Lower Navarre Lower Navarre ( eu, Nafarroa Beherea/Baxenabarre; Gascon/Bearnese: ''Navarra Baisha''; french: Basse-Navarre ; es, Baja Navarra) is a traditional region of the present-day French ''département'' of Pyrénées-Atlantiques. It corresponds to the ...

into the crown lands of

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

. It was composed of a first president ''(French: premier président)'' appointed by the king, seven ''présidents à mortier'', forty-six counsellors ''(French: conseillers)'', two attorneys general ''(French: avocat général)'', one prosecutor general ''(French: procureur général)''. It was initially divided into three ''Chambres'' called the First Bureau ''(French: Premier Bureau)'', Second Bureau ''(French: Second Bureau)'' and the ''Tournelle''. The ''Edict of 1691'' further merged the Chambre des Comptes of Navarre and the subordinated Royal Mint of Navarre and Béarn, creating a fourth ''Chambre'' called the ''Chambre des Comptes''. The same edict also folded in the ''Pays de Soule'', previously under the ''Parliament of Guyenne'' in

Bordeaux Bordeaux ( , ; Gascon oc, Bordèu ; eu, Bordele; it, Bordò; es, Burdeos) is a port city on the river Garonne in the Gironde department, Southwestern France. It is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the prefect ...

. The new entity was called the Cour de Parlement, Comptes, Aides et Finance de Navarre.Blanchet (1893), p.
(in French)
/ref> The ''Parliament of Navarre and Béarn'' was politically and judicially responsible for five seneschals ''(French: sénéchaussées)'' in Béarn, Pau, Oloron, Orthez, Morlaàs and Sauveterre, as well as all of the

merindad ''Merindad'' () is a Mediaeval Spanish administrative term for a country subdivision smaller than a province but larger than a municipality. The officer in charge of a merindad was called a merino, roughly equivalent to the English ''count'' or ...

and the ''Pays de

Soule Soule (Basque: Zuberoa; Zuberoan/ Soule Basque: Xiberoa or Xiberua; Occitan: ''Sola'') is a former viscounty and French province and part of the present-day Pyrénées-Atlantiques ''département''. It is divided into two cantons of the arrond ...

''. It was housed in Pau's old courthouse, the ''Palais de Justice'', built in 1585 by order of Henry III of Navarre, on the prior location of the house of the

Bishop of Lescar The Roman Catholic Diocese of Lescar (Latin: ''Dioecesis Lascurrensis;'' French: ''Diocèse de Lescar''; Basque: ''Leskarreko elizbarrutia''), in south-western France, was founded in the fifth century, and continued until 1790. It was originally ...

and St. Martin's Cemetery. The main building was destroyed by fire 1716. Despite a reconstruction project planned on the edge of the ''Place Royale'', it was rebuilt on its original site in 1722. The ''Parliament of Navarre and Béarn'' was disbanded in 1789 as a result 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 coup of 18 Brumaire, November 1799. Many of its ...

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References

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Parliament of Navarre and Bearn Navarre and Bearn Legal history of the Ancien Régime Basque history 1620 establishments in Europe 1789 disestablishments in France

See also

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References