Burgundy (/ˈbɜːrɡəndi/BUR-gən-dee, French:Bourgogne[buʁɡɔɲ]ⓘ;Burgundian:Bregogne) is ahistorical region inFrance, encompassing the territory of the formeradministrative region of the same name, that existed from 1982 to 2015, and was merged since 1 January 2016 into the newly created administrative region ofBourgogne-Franche-Comté, encompassing its western half. In historical terms, that region was formed as theDuchy of Burgundy, which existed between the 10th and the 18th century. During thelate medieval andearly modern periods, the region was of great political importance, being the core of theValois-Burgundian State, and also becoming a focal point of diplomacy and courtly culture that set the fashion for European royal houses and their courts.[2] The regional capital,Dijon, was wealthy and powerful, being a major European centre of art and science, and ofWestern Monasticism.[3]
The modern Burgundy encompasses only the north-western parts of the ancientKingdom of the Burgundians, that had much wider territorial scope. In 843, under theTreaty of Verdun, old Burgundian lands were divided, with all of north-western regions being assigned to theWest Frankish Kingdom. Since the beginning of the 10th century, those regions were organized as theDuchy of Burgundy, remaining under the sovereignty of theKingdom of France. Since 1004, theHouse of Burgundy, a cadet branch of the French royalHouse of Capet, ruled over the Duchy, that roughly conformed to the borders and territories of the later administrative region of Burgundy. Upon the extinction of the Burgundian male line the duchy reverted to theKing of France and theHouse of Valois.
The Valois-Burgundian State,[4] in its own right, was one of the largestcomposite polities that existed inWestern Europe during the late medieval era. It was regarded as one of the major regional powers of the 14th and 15th centuries. TheDukes of Burgundy were among the wealthiest and the most powerful princes in Europe and were sometimes called "Grand Dukes of the West".[5] Through its possessions the Burgundian State was a major European centre of trade and commerce.
The extinction of the dynasty in the late 15th century led to the absorption of the Duchy itself into the French crown lands by kingLouis XI, while the bulk of the Burgundian possessions in the Low Countries passed to DukeCharles the Bold's daughter,Mary, and her Habsburg descendants. Thus thepartition of the Burgundian heritage marked the beginning of the centuries-longFrench–Habsburg rivalry and played a pivotal role in European politics long after Burgundy had lost its role as an independent political identity.
During the early modern period, the Duchy of Burgundy was assigned as anappanage to various members of the French royal dynasty. As a result of later administrative reforms during the republican era, the old Burgundianprovince was abolished and divided into severaldepartments.
It is named for theBurgundians, anEast Germanic people who moved westwards beyond theRhine during the lateRoman period.[6] The nameBurgundy has historically denoted numerous political entities. It first emerged in the 9th century as one of the successors of the ancientKingdom of the Burgundians, which after its conquest in 532 had formed a constituent part of theFrankish Empire.
The first recorded inhabitants of the area that was to become Burgundy were various tribes ofGallicCelts, the most prominent of which were the semi-republicanAedui, who were eventually incorporated into theRoman Empire following the Gaulish defeat in theBattle of Alesia.[8]Gallo-Roman culture flourished during the Roman period.
During the 4th century, theBurgundians, aGermanic people who may have originated on the Baltic island ofBornholm, settled in the western Alps. They founded theKingdom of the Burgundians, which was conquered in the 6th century by another Germanic tribe, theFranks.[9]
Map of France showing Burgundy and provincial boundaries in 1789
Under Frankish dominion, theKingdom of Burgundy continued for several centuries.
Later, the region was divided between theDuchy of Burgundy (to the west) and theFree County of Burgundy (to the east). The Duchy of Burgundy is the better known of the two, later becoming the French province of Burgundy, while the County of Burgundy became the French province ofFranche-Comté.
During theMiddle Ages, Burgundy was home to some of the most important Western churches andmonasteries, including those ofCluny,Cîteaux, andVézelay. Cluny, founded in 910, exerted a strong influence in Europe for centuries. The firstCistercian abbey was founded in 1098 in Cîteaux. Over the next century, hundreds of Cistercian abbeys were founded throughout Europe, in a large part due to the charisma and influence ofBernard of Clairvaux. TheAbbey of Fontenay, aUNESCO World Heritage Site, is today the best-preserved Cistercian abbey in Burgundy. The Abbey of Vézelay, also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is still a starting point for pilgrimages toSantiago de Compostela.[10] Cluny was almost totally destroyed during the French Revolution.[11]
From 1482 until 1790 the former Duchy of Burgundy was one of the provinces of France. It was thus theProvince of Burgundy. During this time some areas that had previously been under the control of theSavoyard state were brought under the control of France and added to the Province of Burgundy.
With the French Revolution in the end of the 18th century, the administrative units of the provinces disappeared, but were reconstituted as regions during theFifth Republic in the 1970s. The modern-day administrative region comprises most of the former duchy.
The region of Burgundy is both larger than the oldDuchy of Burgundy and smaller than the area ruled by theDukes of Burgundy, from the modernNetherlands to the border ofAuvergne. Today, Burgundy is made up of the old provinces:
Burgundy:Côte-d'Or, Saône-et-Loire, and southern half ofYonne. This corresponds to the oldduchy of Burgundy (later calledprovince of Burgundy). However, the oldcounty of Burgundy (later calledprovince of Franche-Comté) is not included inside the Burgundy region, but it makes up theFranche-Comté region. Also, a small part of the duchy of Burgundy (province of Burgundy) is now inside theChampagne-Ardenne region.
the northern half ofYonne is a territory that was not part of Burgundy (at least not since the 11th century), and was a frontier betweenChampagne,Île-de-France, andOrléanais, being part of each of these provinces at different times in history.
The climate of this region is essentially oceanic (Cfb inKöppen classification), with a continental influence (sometimes called a "half-continental climate").[citation needed]
Burgundy is one of France's main wine-producing areas. It is well known for both its red and white wines, mostly made fromPinot noir andChardonnay grapes, respectively, although other grape varieties can be found, includingGamay,Aligote,Pinot blanc, andSauvignon blanc. The region is divided into theCôte-d'Or, where the most expensive and prized Burgundies are found, andBeaujolais,Chablis, theCôte Chalonnaise andMâcon. The reputation and quality of the top wines, together with the fact that they are often produced in small quantities, has led to high demand and high prices, with some Burgundies ranking among the most expensive wines in the world.[14]
Earlier, the southeastern part of Burgundy was heavily industrial, with coal mines nearMontceau-les-Mines and iron foundries and crystal works inLe Creusot. These industries declined in the second half of the twentieth century.
^"Bourgogne".The greatest destinations in the vineyards of France – France’s official wine tourism portal. 15 January 2016. Archived from the original on 13 March 2016.
Allen, Percy (1912).Burgundy - The Splendid Duchy: Stories and Sketches in South Burgundy. London: F. Griffiths.
Cope, Christopher (1986).Phoenix Frustrated: The Lost Kingdom of Burgundy. London: Constable.
Dunlop, Ian (1990).Burgundy. London: Hamish Hamilton.
Gunn, Peter (1976).Burgundy: Landscape with Figures. London: Victor Gollancz.
Gwynn, Stephen (1930).Burgundy; with chapters on the Jura and Savoy. London: George G. Harrap & Co.
Hatch, Evelyn M. (1927).Burgundy. Past and Present. London: Methuen.
Lands, Neil (1977).History, People and Places in Burgundy. Spurbooks. History, People and Places series.
Lecomte, Bernard; Thouart, Jean-Louis (2004).Burgundy, What a Story! (de Bourogne ed.). Editons de Bourgogne.ISBN978-2-902650-02-6.
Davies, Norman (2011). "Ch.3 : Burgundia: Five, Six or Seven Kingdoms (c. 411-1795)".Vanished Kingdoms: The History of Half-Forgotten Europe. London: Allen Lane.ISBN978-0-141-04886-4.
Speaight, Robert (1975).The Companion Guide to Burgundy. London: Collins. revised and expanded by Francis Pagan, 1990 & 1996.
Turner, Anthony; Brown, Christopher (1977).Burgundy. Batsford.
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