Guillaume Bélibaste
Encyclopedia
Guillaume Bélibaste is said to have been the last Cathar
parfait
in Languedoc
. He was burned at the stake in 1321, as a result of the Inquisition at Pamiers
led by Jacques Fournier (afterwards Pope Benedict XII). Much of Bélibaste's biography can be found in the pages of Emmanuel Le Roy Ladurie
's Montaillou; although Bélibaste never lived at Montaillou
, he is frequently mentioned in the interrogations of suspected heretics from Montaillou.
He was the son and namesake of Guillaume Bélibaste, a rich farmer at Cubières
. After killing a shepherd, he had to leave Cubières and became a shepherd himself, and, in due course, a parfait. As a Cathar preacher, he was the pupil of Pierre and Jacques Authié.
He eventually settled in Catalonia
at Sant Mateu and then Morellain the Maestrazgo
, where he made baskets and carding combs and became mentor to a community of Cathars, some of whom had fled persecution in the Languedoc. Others migrated regularly between the two regions. One of the latter was Pierre Maury
, a native of Montaillou.
When, in 1313, his lover, Raymonde Piquier, became pregnant, Bélibaste persuaded Pierre Maury to marry her. Then, a few days later, he dissolved the marriage salvaging his own reputation by making it appear the child was Maury's. Eventually he was betrayed by a spy in the service of the Inquisition
. Bélibaste was taken to Villerouge Termenes and burnt at the stake there.
Cathar
Catharism was a name given to a Christian religious sect with dualistic and gnostic elements that appeared in the Languedoc region of France and other parts of Europe in the 11th century and flourished in the 12th and 13th centuries...
parfait
Cathar Perfect
Perfect was the name given to a monk of the medieval French Christian religious movement commonly referred to as the Cathars. The term reflects that such a person was seen by the Catholic Church as the "perfect heretic"...
in Languedoc
Languedoc
Languedoc is a former province of France, now continued in the modern-day régions of Languedoc-Roussillon and Midi-Pyrénées in the south of France, and whose capital city was Toulouse, now in Midi-Pyrénées. It had an area of approximately 42,700 km² .-Geographical Extent:The traditional...
. He was burned at the stake in 1321, as a result of the Inquisition at Pamiers
Pamiers
Pamiers is a commune in the Ariège department in the Midi-Pyrénées region in southwestern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department. Although Pamiers is the largest city in Ariège, the capital is the smaller town of Foix...
led by Jacques Fournier (afterwards Pope Benedict XII). Much of Bélibaste's biography can be found in the pages of Emmanuel Le Roy Ladurie
Emmanuel Le Roy Ladurie
Emmanuel Le Roy Ladurie is a French historian whose work is mainly focused upon Languedoc in the ancien regime, particularly the history of the peasantry.-Early life and career:...
's Montaillou; although Bélibaste never lived at Montaillou
Montaillou
Montaillou is a commune in the Ariège department in southwestern France.-History:The town is best known for being the subject of Emmanuel Le Roy Ladurie's pioneering work of microhistory, Montaillou, village occitan. It analyzes the town in great detail over a thirty-year period from 1294 to 1324...
, he is frequently mentioned in the interrogations of suspected heretics from Montaillou.
He was the son and namesake of Guillaume Bélibaste, a rich farmer at Cubières
Cubières-sur-Cinoble
Cubières-sur-Cinoble is a commune in the Aude department in southern France.-Population:-References:*...
. After killing a shepherd, he had to leave Cubières and became a shepherd himself, and, in due course, a parfait. As a Cathar preacher, he was the pupil of Pierre and Jacques Authié.
He eventually settled in Catalonia
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
at Sant Mateu and then Morellain the Maestrazgo
Maestrazgo
The Maestrazgo or Maestrat is a natural and historic mountainous region, located at the eastern end of the Iberian System mountain range, in Spain. It encompasses the north of the Autonomous Community of Valencia, in Castellón province, and parts of the east of the Aragonese province of Teruel...
, where he made baskets and carding combs and became mentor to a community of Cathars, some of whom had fled persecution in the Languedoc. Others migrated regularly between the two regions. One of the latter was Pierre Maury
Pierre Maury
Pierre Maury was a shepherd in the Comté de Foix. He life is known through his deposition, and the depositions of his friends and associates, to Bishop Jacques Fournier who was hunting for Cathar heretics...
, a native of Montaillou.
When, in 1313, his lover, Raymonde Piquier, became pregnant, Bélibaste persuaded Pierre Maury to marry her. Then, a few days later, he dissolved the marriage salvaging his own reputation by making it appear the child was Maury's. Eventually he was betrayed by a spy in the service of the Inquisition
Medieval Inquisition
The Medieval Inquisition is a series of Inquisitions from around 1184, including the Episcopal Inquisition and later the Papal Inquisition...
. Bélibaste was taken to Villerouge Termenes and burnt at the stake there.