The Bourbonnais (; Occitan: ''Borbonés'') was a historic province in the centre of

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

that corresponds to the modern '' département'' of

Allier Allier ( , , ; ) is a Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, region that borders Cher (department), Cher to the west, Nièvre to the north, Saône-et-Loire and Loire (department), Loire to the east, Pu ...

, along with part of the ''département'' of

Cher Cher ( ; born Cheryl Sarkisian, May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Goddess of Pop", she is known for her Androgyny, androgynous contralto voice, Music an ...

. Its capital was Moulins.

History

The title of the ruler of the Bourbonnais between 913 and 1327, was

Sire de Bourbon The Sire de Bourbon or Seigneur de Bourbon, meaning Lord of Bourbon, was the title by which the rulers of the Bourbonnais were known, from 913 to 1327, and from which the cognomen of the royal House of the same name derives. Louis I, count o ...

(Seigneur de Bourbon). The first lord of the Bourbonnais known by name was Adhémar or . Aymon's father was Aymar (894-953), sire of Souvigny, his only son with Ermengarde. Aymar lived during the reign of

Charles the Simple Charles III (17 September 879 – 7 October 929), called the Simple or the Straightforward (from the Latin ''Carolus Simplex''), was the king of West Francia from 898 until 922 and the king of Lotharingia from 911 until 919–923. He was a memb ...

who, in 913, gave him

fief A fief (; ) was a central element in medieval contracts based on feudal law. It consisted of a form of property holding or other rights granted by an overlord to a vassal, who held it in fealty or "in fee" in return for a form of feudal alle ...

s on the river

in which would become the Bourbonnais. He acquired the castle of Bourbon (today Bourbon-l'Archambault). Almost all early lords took the name d'Archambaud, after the palace, but later the family became known as the

House of Bourbon The House of Bourbon (, also ; ) is a dynasty that originated in the Kingdom of France as a branch of the Capetian dynasty, the royal House of France. Bourbon kings first ruled France and Kingdom of Navarre, Navarre in the 16th century. A br ...

. The first House of Bourbon ended in 1196, with the death of Archambault VII, who had only one

heir Inheritance is the practice of receiving private property, titles, debts, entitlements, privileges, rights, and obligations upon the death of an individual. The rules of inheritance differ among societies and have changed over time. Offi ...

, Mathilde of Bourbon. She married Guy II of Dampierre, who added Montluçon to the possessions of the lords of Bourbon. The second house of Bourbon started in 1218, with Archambaud VIII, son of Guy II and Mahaut, and brother of William II of Dampierre. He was followed by his son Archambaud IX, who died in

Cyprus Cyprus (), officially the Republic of Cyprus, is an island country in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Situated in West Asia, its cultural identity and geopolitical orientation are overwhelmingly Southeast European. Cyprus is the List of isl ...

in 1249, during a

crusade The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and at times directed by the Papacy during the Middle Ages. The most prominent of these were the campaigns to the Holy Land aimed at reclaiming Jerusalem and its surrounding t ...

. The House of Burgundy then acquired the Bourbonnais by the marriage of Agnes of Dampierre, daughter of Archambaud IX, to John of Burgundy. In 1272, Beatrice of Burgundy (1258-1310), Lady of Bourbon, married Robert de France (1256-1318), Count of Clermont, son of king Louis IX (Saint-Louis). Thus began the long-lasting

, which would provide the kings of France from Henry IV in 1589 to Louis-Philippe in 1848, when France abolished its monarchy. The Bourbons had concluded an

alliance An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or sovereign state, states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not an explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an a ...

with the royal power. They put their forces at the service of the king, thus benefitting from the geographic position of the Bourbonnais, located between the royal domains and the duchies of

Aquitaine Aquitaine (, ; ; ; ; Poitevin-Saintongeais: ''Aguiéne''), archaic Guyenne or Guienne (), is a historical region of southwestern France and a former Regions of France, administrative region. Since 1 January 2016 it has been part of the administ ...

and Auvergne. This alliance, as well as the marriage of Béatrix de Bourgogne and Robert de France, aided the rise and prosperity of the province. In 1327, King Charles (''le Bel'') elevated the Bourbonnais to the status of a duchy.

Shields and armorial bearings

File:Blason maison fr de Bourbon.svg, First coat of arms of the Bourbonnais File:Blason comte fr Clermont (Bourbon).svg, Old armorial bearings : ''d'azur semé de fleurs de lys d'or et à la bande de gueules'' File:Blason duche fr Bourbon (moderne).svg, Modern armorial bearings: ''d'azur aux trois fleurs de lys d'or et à la bande de gueules''

References

{{Authority control Former provinces of France History of Allier History of Cher (department) History of Nièvre History of Puy-de-Dôme History of Saône-et-Loire History of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes History of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté History of Centre-Val de Loire France geography articles needing translation from French Wikipedia Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region articles needing translation from French Wikipedia

History

Shields and armorial bearings

See also

References