became established in geographical regions as powerful officials superior to the prévôts.
The district for which a prévôt was responsible was called the prévôté, and there were
half a dozen of these in each bailliage.
John Bell Henneman, Jr.
[See also: BAILLI/BAILLIAGE; PRÉVÔT DE PARIS]
PRÉVÔT DE PARIS
. The prévôt de Paris was the official charged with protection of royal rights, oversight of
royal administration, and execution of royal justice in the prévôté or vicomté of Paris
throughout the late Middle Ages. It is not known precisely when the first prévôt was
appointed (probably not before the 11th century), but the office was similar to that held
by administrators of noble and royal estates elsewhere in Europe, many of whom, like the
prévôt de Paris, were originally farmers of income. The Parisian prévôt became
important because Paris became the principal seat of government for the realm in the late
12th century. Sometime in the reign of Philip II Augustus (r. 1180–1223), another
official, salaried, was appointed to supervise the prévôt de Paris. Technically, he may
have had the title of bailli, but the sources ordinarily call him prévôt as well.
Consequently, in the first half of the 13th century there were two prévôts de Paris. No
precise line of demarcation has been drawn between their powers, although the prévôt-
bailli was probably a delegate of the royal court, Parlement, and the judicial superior of
the two. In general, they acted jointly and with a single seal. Louis IX, ca. 1260,
combined the two positions into one, assigned a huge salary to it, and appointed Étienne
Boileau to the new office, a man whom Jean de Joinville praised for his probity.
The court of the prévôt(s) was the Châtelet, and though always subordinate to the
Parlement de Paris it had extensive criminal and civil jurisdiction; by 1274, it was
providing a forum for private registering of acts (voluntary or gracious jurisdiction). It
came to exercise even greater powers in the troubled 14th and 15th centuries, when
treason cases were frequently tried there. Mercantile jurisdiction in the city, however, lay
largely with the prévôt des marchands, a “private” official, but one usually under the
close supervision of the royal prévôt of Paris or of Parlement.
William Chester Jordan
[See also: PARIS; PHILIP II AUGUSTUS; PRÉVÔT/PRÉVÔTÉ]
Jordan, William. Louis IX and the Challenge of the Crusade:A Study in Rulership. Princeton:
Princeton University Press, 1979.
Serper, Arié. “L’administration royale de Paris au temps de Louis IX.” Francia 7 (1979):123–39.
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