Raymonde Arsen
Encyclopedia
Raymonde Arsen née Vital was a servant in the Comté de Foix in the early fourteenth century. She was made notable by appearing in Emmanuel Le Roy Ladurie
's Montaillou
. Born in Prades d'Aillon to a poor peasant family in 1306 she left to work in the home of Bonet de la Coste in town Pamiers
.
Whilst in the city she had an illegitimate child who she named Alazaïs. As a servant she could not care for the girl and she lived with a series of nurses. Later she was approached by her cousin Raymond Belot of Montaillou
who needed a servant to replace his sister, Raymonde, who was soon to be wed to Bernard Clergue
. She agreed and worked with for the Belots living in the small barn and her primary duty was baking bread and washing clothes. Also in the home was her brother Arnaud Vital
a cobbler
who was boarding with the Belots. She only worked for the Belots a year, later marrying Prades den Arsen and settling in Prades d'Aillon. Later in life she was arrested for heresy and she told the inquisition much about her associates. In 1324 she was sentenced by the Inquisition to wear the yellow cross forever as a punishment.
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
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...
. Born in Prades d'Aillon to a poor peasant family in 1306 she left to work in the home of Bonet de la Coste in town 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...
.
Whilst in the city she had an illegitimate child who she named Alazaïs. As a servant she could not care for the girl and she lived with a series of nurses. Later she was approached by her cousin Raymond Belot of 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...
who needed a servant to replace his sister, Raymonde, who was soon to be wed to Bernard Clergue
Bernard Clergue
Bernard Clergue was the town bayle of Montaillou in the late thirteenth and early fourteenth centuries. A great deal about his life is recorded in the Fournier Register and has been studied by historians, most notably Emmanuel Le Roy Ladurie....
. She agreed and worked with for the Belots living in the small barn and her primary duty was baking bread and washing clothes. Also in the home was her brother Arnaud Vital
Arnaud Vital
Arnaud Vital was a cobbler in the Comté de Foix in the early fourteenth century. He is notable for appearing in Emmanuel Le Roy Ladurie's Montaillou. Originally from a peasant family in Prades d'Aillon, he moved to Montaillou living as a boarder in the house of the Belot family...
a cobbler
Shoemaking
Shoemaking is the process of making footwear. Originally, shoes were made one at a time by hand. Traditional handicraft shoemaking has now been largely superseded in volume of shoes produced by industrial mass production of footwear, but not necessarily in quality, attention to detail, or...
who was boarding with the Belots. She only worked for the Belots a year, later marrying Prades den Arsen and settling in Prades d'Aillon. Later in life she was arrested for heresy and she told the inquisition much about her associates. In 1324 she was sentenced by the Inquisition to wear the yellow cross forever as a punishment.