Perhaps the most famous female Cathar was Esclarmonde de Foix. She was a member of one of the most important families in the Languedoc, and ruled Foix as regent when her husband died in 1204. Esclarmonde wielded great power during her lifetime. She witnessed documents alongside her brother, like the settlement in March 1198 between the Cistercians of Boulbonne and the count of Foix, so we know she had enough secular influence to sign charters.
