CHAMBRE ARDENTE, the term for an extraordinary court of justice in France, mainly held for the trials of heretics (Fr. "burning chamber"). These courts were originated by the Cardinal of Lorraine, the first of them meeting in 1535 under Francis I. The Chambre Ardente co-operated with an inquisitorial tribunal also established by Francis I., the duty of which was to discover cases of heresy and hand them over for final judgment to the Chambre Ardente. The court was abolished in 1682.
See N. Weiss, La Chambre Ardente (Paris, 1889).