Election of the consul

Since the redemption of their rights, the Faranchins have elected a consul every year to administer the commune. Here is the account of one of these elections: On January 7, 1753, after mass, the heads of household of Villar-d’Arène gathered in the house of Jean Diaque, the usual winter meeting place. This day marked the assumption of office of the new consul, Simon Bret, elected the previous summer for a one-year term. The former consul handed him the red cloak and the hood, symbols of communal authority. An assembly followed to assign other duties: secretary, field-guard, and various offices. The inhabitants met this way twenty to forty times a year, practicing a direct democracy inherited from the 14th century. This ancient tradition ended with the Revolution.