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| Champagne | |
|---|---|
| Province of Kingdom of France | |
| 1314[1]–1790 | |
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
.svg) | |
| History | |
• Established | 1314[1] |
• Disestablished | 1790 |
Champagne (French pronunciation:[ʃɑ̃paɲ]ⓘ) was aprovince in the northeast of theKingdom of France, now best known as theChampagne wine region forthe sparkling white wine that bears its name in modern-day France. TheCounty of Champagne, descended from the early medieval kingdom ofAustrasia, passed to the French crown in 1314.[1]
Formerly ruled by thecounts of Champagne, its western edge is about 160 km (100 miles) east of Paris. The cities ofTroyes,Reims, andÉpernay are the commercial centers of the area. In 1956, most of Champagne became part of the French administrativeregion ofChampagne-Ardenne, which comprised four departments:Ardennes,Aube,Haute-Marne, andMarne. From 1 January 2016, Champagne-Ardenne merged with the adjoining regions ofAlsace andLorraine to form the new region ofGrand Est.
The nameChampagne, formerly writtenChampaigne, comes from French meaning "open country" (suited to military maneuvers) and fromLatincampanius meaning "level country" or "plain"[2] which is also the derivation of the name of the Italian region ofCampania. The toponym dates back to the Renaissance describing its vastchalk lined flat landscape.[3]
In theHigh Middle Ages, the province was famous for theChampagne fairs, which were very important in the economy of the Western societies. Thechivalric romance had its first beginnings in the county of Champagne with the famous writerChrétien de Troyes who wrote stories of theRound Table from theArthurian legends.
A few counts of Champagne wereFrench kings with the comital title merging with the French crown in 1314 whenLouis I, king of Navarre and count of Champagne, became king of France as Louis X. Counts of Champagne were highly considered by theFrench aristocracy.
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| Minor provinces and regions | ||
| Foreign territories in 1789 | ||
