Intendant

The title of intendant (French: intendant, Spanish: intendente) has been used in several countries through history. Traditionally, it refers to the holder of a public administrative office. The title was used and is also commonly found today in many theatres and opera houses in Europe, where it is the equivalent to General Director, a title given to an individual in a managerial position, generally having control over all aspects of the company.

France

Overview

Intendants were royal civil servants in France under the Old Regime. A product of the centralization policies of the French crown, intendants were appointed "commissions," and not purchasable hereditary "offices," which thus prevented the abuse of sales of royal offices and made them more tractable and subservient emissaries of the king. Intendants were sent to supervise and enforce the king's will in the provinces and had jurisdiction over three areas: finances, policing and justice.

Their missions were always temporary, which helped reduce favorable bias toward a province, and were focused on royal inspection. Article 54 of the Code Michau described their functions as "to learn about all crimes, misdemeanors and financial misdealings committed by our officials and of other things concerning our service and the tranquility of our people" ("informer de tous crimes, abus et malversations commises par nos officiers et autres choses concernant notre service et le soulagement de notre peuple").