Inquisition in France

France was one of the first countries where the papal inquisition was established in the 13th century. This ecclesiastical judicial institution was created to combat heresies. The southern region of France, Languedoc, was the primary center of inquisition activity in Europe until the mid-14th century. Most of the preserved sources concerning the inquisition (including trial materials) originate from this region. However, the history of the French Inquisition spans until the end of the 17th century and also encompasses other areas of the country.

Territorially, the jurisdiction of the French Inquisition extended beyond the borders of the Kingdom of France. French inquisitors also had authority over the western, French-speaking regions that were part of the Holy Roman Empire. The structure of the French Inquisition can be divided into four major areas:

• Southern France (Languedoc), with its main center in Toulouse;
• Northern France (including the southern Netherlands), with its main center in Paris;
• Provence, with its main center initially in Marseille and later in Avignon;
• Burgundy and Lorraine, with its main center in Besançon.

Although the division between northern and southern parts of the Kingdom of France was not formally maintained beyond the first two decades of the inquisition's existence in France, the local conditions in Languedoc were significantly different from those in the north. By around 1330, this division lost its importance.