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Charolais (French:[ʃaʁɔlɛ]; alsoCharollais) is a historic region of France, named after the central town ofCharolles, and located in today'sSaône-et-Loiredépartement, inBurgundy.
It was held by theFrench noble house ofChalon-Arlay, until in 1237 CountJohn the Old ceded it to DukeHugh IV of Burgundy. Thecounty of Charolais was inherited by Hugh's granddaughterBeatrice, who in 1272 married CountRobert of Clermont, a younger son of KingLouis IX of France and progenitor of theHouse of Bourbon. In 1314 it passed to Robert's second sonJohn, whose daughter Beatrice married CountJohn I of Armagnac in 1327.
John's grandson CountBernard VII of Armagnac sold the county to DukePhilip II of Burgundy in 1390. It thus became part of theHouse of Valois-Burgundy and the title 'Count of Charolais' was customary given to the heir apparent of the incumbentDuke of Burgundy.
After the death of the lastValois-Burgundy dukeCharles the Bold at the 1477Battle of Nancy, the county was seized by KingLouis XI of France, thus opposing the claims of Charles' daughterMary of Burgundy, who was supported by her husband, the archdukeMaximilian I of Austria. The same year however, loyal to the duchess Mary, the County of Charolais rebelled in hope to expel the French. During theWar of the Burgundian Succession (1477–1482), the region was claimed by both sides, until the conclusion of theTreaty of Arras in December 1482, when it was agreed that the County of Charolais will became part of the dowry of Mary's daughter, the archduchessMargaret, who was engaged to the French prince, and thus the County remained under the french control.[1][2]
The engagement was later called off, and by theTreaty of Senlis (1493) Charolais was returned to theHabsburg dynasty, though it remained a French fief.[3] Surrounded by French royal possessions, the County of Charolais shared a common history with the imperialCounty of Burgundy (Franche-Comté), as both passed to the futureEmperor Charles V in 1506 and remained in possession of his heirs, theSpanish Habsburgs.
While the County of Burgundy fell to the French crown upon the 1678Treaty of Nijmegen, Charolais was acquired by the Bourbon princeLouis of Condé in 1684. It was not awarded to the French crown until the death of CountCharles of Charolais in 1760, whenLouis XV incorporated it into theEstates of Burgundy.
46°26′N4°17′E / 46.44°N 4.28°E /46.44; 4.28
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