THE ARMS OF FOIX ARE: OR, THREE PALES GULES

The arms of  Foix were no different than the three red pales on the golden field. According to legend, the pales come from the (apocryphal) coat of arms of Wilfred the Hairy (874-898), who would have drawn stripes on his golden shield with three fingers dipped in his own blood.

More likely, however, is that the arms are a version of the coat of arms of the Counts of Barcelona and Provence with which the Counts of Foix would be related.

The arms first appears on the seal of Roger Bernard II from 1229 [1]

Even before the Viscount Béarn came into the possession of the House Foix in 1290, Roger Bernard II of Foix quartered in 1281, on the occasion of his marriage with the daughter of Gaston VII the Great of Béarn, the piles of Foix with the red cows of Béarn. [2]

In the 14th century a crest was added to the arms. It consists of a cow's head from the coat of arms of Béarn and a pair of stiff wings with the pales of Foix. In this form it appears in the armorial of the Heraut Gelre. [3] On an heraldic stone  of Jean de Grailly, Count of Foix († 1436) the arms were supplemented with a supporter. It is a green dragon, the helmet with crest on the head. [4] This dragon was also borne by other members of the House of Grailly in particular by Peter of Foix who was a bishop in Arles, on his tomb in Avignon.

This achievement was also used by later  counts of Foix.

Through the marriage of Gaston IV (1436-1472) with Eleonore, the heiresss of Navarre, Foix came to Navarre and later also to France of which it later became a province. The arms with the pales were also used for this province.

Rulers of Foix

I

Bernard de Foix

1012 - 1034

II

Roger I de Foix

1034 - 1067

III

Roger II de Foix

1067 - 1124

IV

Roger III de Foix

1124 - 1148

V

Roger-Bernard Ier de Foix

1148 - 1188

VI

Raimond-Roger de Foix

1188 - 1223

VII

Roger-Bernard II de Foix

1223 - 1241

VIII

Roger IV de Foix

1241 - 1265

IX

Roger-Bernard II de Foix

1265 - 1302

X

Gaston Ier de Foix-Béarn

1302 - 1315

XI

Gaston II de Foix-Béarn

1315 - 1343

XII

Gaston III Febus de Foix-Béarn

1343 - 1391

XIII

Mathieu de Foix-Castelbon

1391 - 1398

XIV

Isabelle de Foix-Castelbon et Archambaud de Grailly

1398 - 1412

XV

Jean Ier de Foix-Grailly-Béarn

1412 - 1436

XVI

Gaston IV de Foix-Grailly-Béarn

1436 - 1472

XVII

François Febus de Foix-Grailly-Béarn

1472 - 1483

XVIII

Catherine de Navarre-Foix-Grailly-Béarn et Jean II d'Albret

1483 - 1516

XIX

Henri II de Navarre-Albret

1516 - 1555

XX

Jeanne III de Navarre-Albret et Antoine

1555 - 1572

XXI

Henri III de Navarre-Bourbon-Vendôme

1572 - 1607

XXII

Louis I (XIII)

1610 - 1643

XXIII

Louis II (XIV)

  1643 - 1715

XXIV

Louis III (XV)

1715 - 1774

XXV

Louis IV (XVI)

1774 - 1792

Heraldry

Roger III de Foix

1124 - 1148

Roger-Bernard I de Foix

1148 - 1188

Photo H.d.V. 2013

Capital from Foix Castle, 12th cent.

(Musée de Foix)

The castle, dating from the 7th century came into the possession of Roger III in 1134.

Photo H.d.V. 2013

Capital of Foix Abbey, after 1130

On these two capitals are three different shields from the time of Roger III or Roger Bernard I. The first a quarterly of a blank and a hatched and the second a quarterly of  a hatching slanted to the left and a hatching slanted to the right.

The third (from the Abbey) shows a ÆÍ (á) cross which is the (ancient) badge of office of an archbishop or abbot.

Raimond-Roger de Foix

1188 - 1223

Equestrian seal and counterseal

The arms of the knight blank with the legend: SIGILLVM : RAMONDI žž ROGERII

On the counterseal a picture of Foix castle and the legend: I ž COMITIS FVXENSž

Foix castle now

Roger Bernard II

1223-1241

Equestrian Seal

Arms: [Or] three pales [Gules].

Legend: bernardi comitis fuxensis. D.: IX. 1229 (Douët d'Arcq n°  662.)

Seal and counterseal

On the counterseal is a picture of Foix castle

Roger IV

1241-1265

Arms: Paly

Legend: X s. R...........fvxie et vicecomitis ???. D.: 1241. (Paris, Arch. Nat's D 664)

Seal of Roger IV

Arms: Paly. Behind the horse the arms of Castelbon

Legend: X SIGILLVM ROGERII DE FVXO.

Arms of Castelbon

painted on a beam from the end of the 13th century.

After: Gascón Chopo, R. Lobo i Sastre Càtars al pirineu català,

Roger Bernard III

1265-1302

Equestrian seal and counterseal of Roger Bernard III, 1281

Arms: ¼ of Foix & Bearn. Above the croup of his horse: Castelbon

Legend: (on the counter seal): S rogerii b. Comitis fuxi.

Date: 18. 06.1281. (Douët d'Arcq n°  666.)

(Not in early armorials)

Gaston I de Foix-Béarn

1302 - 1315

Seal of Gaston I

Arms: ¼ of Foix and Bearn

Gaston II de Foix-Béarn

1315 – 1343

Seal of Gaston II

Arms: ¼ of Foix and Bearn

Gaston Fébus

*1331-†1391

1343 - 1391

die ge va Foos

Gelre, fol 121v°. n° 1706

Arms: ¼: 1&4: Or, three pales Gules (Foix); 2&3: Or two cows Gules, belled Or. (Bearn). `

Crest:  A cow’s head Gules, belled Azure between two  wings (vols banneret) paly Or and Gules.

Arms: ¼ of Foix and Bearn.

Crest: Foix-Bearn

L.: S: GASTONIS COMITIS FVXCI

Achievement of Gaston Febus, 1380

Montanėr Castle

Arms: ¼ of Foix and Bearn

Crest: A man issuant

Supporters: The count and the countess of Foix vested of the coats of arms of Foix

Legend: febus mefe

Gaston Fébus

from an early 15th-century copy of his

Livre de chasse, Paris, BnF, Ms. fr. 616, fol. 51v. (detail) [5]

His dress strewn with golden dragons which later became the supporter of the arms.

* These ‘dragons’ have no wings and a bird-like tail. It is not known how such fabulous beasts were called. The later dragons became wings and were of a more common shape.

Mathieu de Foix-Castelbon

1391 – 1398

Isabelle de Foix-Castelbon et Archambaud de Grailly

1398 – 1412

Arms: Tierced per pale 1&2: ¼ of Foix and Bearn; 3. Grailly (Or, a cross Sable charged with five shells of the first).

Crest: Bearn-Foix

Legend: ARCHAMBAVDI COMITIS FVXI

The arms and crest of Grailly

Cappetan, Armorial Bellenville fol 71v°, 10

(Jean III de Grailly, captan de Buch †1376)

Arms: Or, a cross Sable charged with five shells of the first

Crest: On a helmet lambrequined, a moor’s head with pointed ears Sable

Jean de Foix Grailly

*1382- †1436

1412-1436

This heraldic stone above the entrance of Mauvezin Castle

was put there by Jean I de Foix Grailly in 1426.

Another heraldic stone in Foix

The dragon supporter of the arms of  Cardinal Peter of Foix, (1386-1464)

On his tomb in the Celestine chapel in Avignon [6]

Gaston IV de Foix-Grailly-Béarn

*1423-†1472

1436 – 1472

¥ 1455 Eleonore of Navarre *1420-  †1479

m de foys

Bergs­hammer, fol. 150r°  n°  2244

 Arms: ¼: 1&4: Paly of six pieces Or and Gules; 2&3: Or, two cows Gules.

Arms: 1|2: 1. Navarre; 2. ¼ of Foix and Bearn.

Crest: A cow belled a peacock’s tail .

Lambrequines: Gules and Or. (Conrad Grüneberg; Siebmacher 1857 p. 15, Taf.32)

1455-1472

Arms: ¼ of Navarre, Foix, Bearn and Evreux (Azure, three fleurs de lys Or and a bend compony Gules and Azure). In nombril point Bigorre (Or, two lions passant Gules).

Legend:  le gre de fois

Navarre

François Phoebus

 Count of Foix 1472-1483

Knight vested in the coat of arms of Francis Phebus [7]

In a manuscript in the Biblioteca Nacional of Madrid.

Senfuit lordre et le train que ung prince ou chef de guerre doit tenir qui veult.

The arms of Francis Phebus as on his coat of arms

Arms: Tierced per pale: 1&2: ¼ of Navarre, Foix, Bearn and Evreux, in nombril point Bigorre; 3, Quartely per saltire of 1 Castile, 2&4 Aragon, 3. Leon; for Viana.

Catharina

Jean II d’Albret

1483-1517

1484-1516

The arms of Catharina and John [8]

The arms are identical to the arms of Francis Phebus:

Arms: Tierced per pale: 1&2: ¼ of Navarre, Foix, Bearn and Evreux, in nombril point Bigorre. 3. For Viana: quarterly per saltie of 1. Castile, 2&4: Aragon; 3. Leon.

The arms of John.

The arms are:

Arms: Tierced per pale: 1. ½: Navarre and Bearn; 2. ¹/_3: Albret, Bigorre, Evreux; 3. ½. Foix and Viana.

Crown: Of three leaves and two trefoils

Legend: DEI GRACIA REGIS NAVARRE

Henri II de Navarre-Albret

1517-1555

The arms on the left are:

Arms: 1|3: 1. ¹/₃ Navarre; Bearn; Armagnac; 2. ¹/₃: Albret_; Bigorre; Evreux; ½: 1.Foix 2. Quartely per saltire of 1 Castile, 2&4 Aragon, 3. Leon

The dry-seal on the right shows arms identical to the arms of Francis Phebus:

Arms: 1|3: 1&2: ¼ of Navarre, Foix, Bearn and Evreux in nombtl point Bigorre; 3. for Viana : Quartely per saltire of 1 Castile, 2&4 Aragon, 3. Leon. [9]

Jeanne III d’Albret

Antoine de Vendôme

1555-1572

1555-†1562

Great royal seal of Jeanne d’ Albret

In the margin (clockwise):

Bearn, Evreux, Bigorre, Albret, NN., Viana, Armagnac, France, Foix, Navarre.

Seal of Jeanne d’ Albret and Antoine de Vendôme [10]

In the margin (clockwise)

Bourbon, Vendôme, Bearn, Albret, Bigorre [....] Armagnac, Evreux, Foix, Navarre.

Henri III de Navarre-Bourbon-Vendôme (Henri IV de France)

1572-1607

Foix county 1607-1790 [11]

Louis I (XIII)

1610-1643

Louis II (XIV)

1643-1715

Governors (also in charge of relations with Andorra)

1646 - 1672? Armand Jean du Peyré, comte de Trois (*1598 - †1672)

1687 - 1699? Gaston Jean Baptiste de Lévis, marquis de Mirepoix  (*1660 - †1699)

1699 - 25 - 04. Vacant 

25-04 -1701 – 1702 Camille de La Beaumr d'Hostun, duc d'Hostun (*1652 - †1728) 

Louis III (XV)

1715-1774

Governors (also in charge of relations with Andorra)

1704 – 10-07 1737  Henri-Joseph de Ségur  (*1661 - †1737)

1737 – 18-06-1751 Henri-François, comte de Ségur  (*1689 -  †1751) 

Louis IV (XVI)

1774-1792

Governor (also in charge of relations with Andorra)

1751 – 01-01-1791 Philippe-Henri, comte de Ségur (*1724 - †1801)  

Historical arms of Foix County

by Robert Louis (1902-’65) 1955 ca

Département Ariège

1790-present

The territory of the former County of Foix corresponds roughly the eastern part of the modern département of Ariège (the western part of Ariège being Couserans).

Arms of the Départment Ariège,

On a map of the déprtement, 1850

Arms of Foix with a mural crown and garland of palm leaves and olive branch.

Arms of Ariège.

The arms of the Département Ariège consists of the arms of the County of Foix charged with an escutcheon of the arms of Couserans: Azure, a bell Argent.

They were created by Robert Louis, 1950 ca.

Logo of the Département Ariège since January 2017

Gendarmerie

Foix is in the area of the Gendarmerie Midi-Pyrenees.

Gendarmerie Midi-Pyrenees

Arms: Argent, a lion rampant Gules

Exterior ornaments of the French Gendarmerie

* The lion Gules is from the arms of Simon de Montfort and his brother who were stoned to death in 1218 as put on record by Matthew Paris in his Historia Anglorum. B.L. Ms. Roy. 14.C.VII fol 105v.: Deaths of Simon de Montfort and his Brother, 1218. Inner right margin: two small inverted shields (argent, a lion rampant queue fourchée gules) with two small circles above each representing the stones which killed them. [12]

Historia Anglorum. B.L. Ms. Roy. 14.C.VII fol 105v (detail)