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The Forterre is a small natural region on the western edge of the
Bourgogne-Franche-Comté Bourgogne-Franche-Comté (; , sometimes abbreviated BFC; Arpitan: ''Borgogne-Franche-Comtât'') is a region in Eastern France created by the 2014 territorial reform of French regions, from a merger of Burgundy and Franche-Comté. The new region ...
region of France.


Name

The name Forterre is a contraction of ''forte terre'', "strong earth".


Geography

The Forterre is neighbored by the Puisaye to the west and northwest, the Auxerrois to the northeast, the Yonne river valley to the east, and the hills of
Nivernais Nivernais (, ) was a province of France, around the city of Nevers, which forms the modern department of Nièvre. It roughly coincides with the former Duchy of Nevers.Courson-les-Carrières Courson-les-Carrières () is a commune in the Yonne department in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in north-central France. The commune lies south of Auxerre on the main N151 road from Auxerre to Clamecy. It is the largest single settlement in the nat ...
. Significant villages include Bouhy, Druyes-les-Belles-Fontaines, Etais-la-Sauvin, Ouanne, and Thury. It is traversed by the water divide between the respective catchment areas of the
Loire The Loire (, also ; ; oc, Léger, ; la, Liger) is the longest river in France and the 171st longest in the world. With a length of , it drains , more than a fifth of France's land, while its average discharge is only half that of the Rhône ...
and the
Seine ) , mouth_location = Le Havre/Honfleur , mouth_coordinates = , mouth_elevation = , progression = , river_system = Seine basin , basin_size = , tributaries_left = Yonne, Loing, Eure, Risle , tributarie ...
. The Loing, a significant tributary of the Seine, has its source in the Forterre, in
Sainte-Colombe-sur-Loing Sainte-Colombe-sur-Loing (, literally ''Sainte-Colombe on Loing'') is a former commune in the Yonne department in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in north-central France. On 1 January 2019, it was merged into the new commune Treigny-Perreuse-Sainte-Colo ...
. Today the Forterre is bypassed by major infrastructures, but that was not always the case. The local topography still has traces of the
Roman road Roman roads ( la, viae Romanae ; singular: ; meaning "Roman way") were physical infrastructure vital to the maintenance and development of the Roman state, and were built from about 300 BC through the expansion and consolidation of the Roman Re ...
between Auxerre (''Autissiodorum'') and
Entrains-sur-Nohain Entrains-sur-Nohain () is a commune in the Nièvre department in central France. Demographics On 1 January 2019, the estimated population was 748. Sister cities Entrains fosters partnerships with the following places: * Saranac Lake, New York ...
(''Intaranum''), and of a 19th-century railroad, the , most of which was dismantled in 1943 by German occupation forces to supply rails to the Russian front. The is the railroad's most spectacular local legacy. The Forterre's terrain is comparatively dry and stands in contrast to the neighboring Puisaye with its lakes, rivers and forests. Lying mid-way between
Sancerre Sancerre () is a medieval hilltop town (ville) and commune in the Cher department, France overlooking the river Loire. It is noted for its wine. History Located in the area of Gaul settled by the powerful Celtic (Gaule Celtique) tribe, the Bitu ...
and
Chablis Chablis () is a town and commune in the Yonne department in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in north-central France. It lies in the valley of the River Serein. Wine The village of Chablis gives its name to one of the most famous French white wines ...
, it used to be a wine-producing region. One late-medieval chronicle records a vineyard planted in the 1450s in Perreuse by
Antoine de Chabannes Antoine is a French language, French given name (from the Latin ''Antonius'' meaning 'highly praise-worthy') that is a variant of Danton (name), Danton, Titouan, D'Anton and Antonin. The name is used in France, Switzerland, Belgium, Canada, West ...
, lord of Puisaye. The Forterre's grapevines, however, were ravaged by the early-20th-century outbreak of
phylloxera Grape phylloxera is an insect pest of commercial grapevines worldwide, originally native to eastern North America. Grape phylloxera (''Daktulosphaira vitifoliae'' (Fitch 1855) belong to the family Phylloxeridae, within the order Hemiptera, bugs ...
. Recent attempts have been made to revive wine production, with grapes including
Pinot noir Pinot Noir () is a red-wine grape variety of the species ''Vitis vinifera''. The name may also refer to wines created predominantly from pinot noir grapes. The name is derived from the French language, French words for ''pine'' and ''black.' ...
, César, Pinot gris,
Chardonnay Chardonnay (, , ) is a green-skinned grape variety used in the production of white wine. The variety originated in the Burgundy wine region of eastern French wine, France, but is now grown wherever wine is produced, from English wine, Englan ...
, Pinot blanc and
Sauvignon blanc is a green-skinned grape variety that originates from the Bordeaux region of France. The grape most likely gets its name from the French words ''sauvage'' ("wild") and ''blanc'' ("white") due to its early origins as an indigenous grape in ...
.


Administration

Apart from its southwestern tip ( Bouhy) in the département of
Nièvre Nièvre () is a department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region, central-east France. Named after the river Nièvre, it had a population of 204,452 in 2019.Yonne département, and within it in the
Canton of Vincelles The canton of Vincelles is an administrative division of the Yonne department, central France. It was created at the French canton reorganisation which came into effect in March 2015. Its seat is in Vincelles. It consists of the following commune ...
since the latest cantonal redistricting took effect in 2015. The same Canton also includes parts of the Puisaye to the west of the Forterre, and of the Yonne valley to its east including its seat in Vincelles. All of the Forterre is within the , established on 1 January 2017, of which it constitutes the southeastern third. Together with neighboring Puisaye, the Forterre has always been a borderland between different counties, provinces and later
administrative regions Administrative division, administrative unit,Article 3(1). country subdivision, administrative region, subnational entity, constituent state, as well as many similar terms, are generic names for geographical areas into which a particular, ind ...
within France. In the
High Middle Ages The High Middle Ages, or High Medieval Period, was the periodization, period of European history that lasted from AD 1000 to 1300. The High Middle Ages were preceded by the Early Middle Ages and were followed by the Late Middle Ages, which ended ...
it was on the border between the counties of
Nevers Nevers ( , ; la, Noviodunum, later ''Nevirnum'' and ''Nebirnum'') is the prefecture of the Nièvre Departments of France, department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté Regions of France, region in central France. It was the principal city of the ...
and Auxerre. During the
Hundred Years' War The Hundred Years' War (; 1337–1453) was a series of armed conflicts between the kingdoms of Kingdom of England, England and Kingdom of France, France during the Late Middle Ages. It originated from disputed claims to the French Crown, ...
it found itself between the warring duchies of
Berry A berry is a small, pulpy, and often edible fruit. Typically, berries are juicy, rounded, brightly colored, sweet, sour or tart, and do not have a stone or pit, although many pips or seeds may be present. Common examples are strawberries, raspb ...
and
Burgundy Burgundy (; french: link=no, Bourgogne ) is a historical territory and former administrative region and province of east-central France. The province was once home to the Dukes of Burgundy from the early 11th until the late 15th century. The c ...
in the Armagnac–Burgundian Civil War, then at the intersection between the respective domains of Charles VII and Henry VI as rival claimants to the French throne and of Duke Philip the Good of
Burgundy Burgundy (; french: link=no, Bourgogne ) is a historical territory and former administrative region and province of east-central France. The province was once home to the Dukes of Burgundy from the early 11th until the late 15th century. The c ...
. By the end of the
Ancien Régime ''Ancien'' may refer to * the French word for "ancient, old" ** Société des anciens textes français * the French for "former, senior" ** Virelai ancien ** Ancien Régime ** Ancien Régime in France {{disambig ...
the Forterre was divided between
Orléanais The Duchy of Orléanais () is a former province of France, which was created during the Renaissance by merging four former counties and towns. However after the French Revolution, the province was dissolved in 1791 and succeeded by five ''départm ...
,
Nivernais Nivernais (, ) was a province of France, around the city of Nevers, which forms the modern department of Nièvre. It roughly coincides with the former Duchy of Nevers.Duchy of Burgundy, with Champagne immediately to the north.


History

The territory of the Forterre was Christianized in
late antiquity Late antiquity is the time of transition from classical antiquity to the Middle Ages, generally spanning the 3rd–7th century in Europe and adjacent areas bordering the Mediterranean Basin. The popularization of this periodization in English ha ...
. Some villages are traditionally associated with late-Antiquity saints, e.g. Mamertinus or Mammert in Perreuse and Romanus or Romain in Druyes. A Carolingian manuscript lists several Forterre parishes on the itinerary of Saint Aunarius, Bishop of Auxerre in the late 6th century, namely
Courson-les-Carrières Courson-les-Carrières () is a commune in the Yonne department in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in north-central France. The commune lies south of Auxerre on the main N151 road from Auxerre to Clamecy. It is the largest single settlement in the nat ...
(''Curcedonus''), Druyes (''Drogia''), Bouhy (''Balgiacus''), Thury (''Tauriacus''), Levis (''Livadiacus''), and Ouanne (''Odona''). In 841, the
Battle of Fontenoy The Battle of Fontenoy was a major engagement of the War of the Austrian Succession, fought on 11 May 1745 near Tournai in modern Belgium. A French army of 50,000 under Marshal Saxe defeated a Pragmatic Army of roughly the same size, led by th ...
was fought mostly in western Forterre. Memories of the battle survive in a number of local place names. One example is the wood of ''Roichat'' near Thury, named after King
Charles the Bald Charles the Bald (french: Charles le Chauve; 13 June 823 – 6 October 877), also known as Charles II, was a 9th-century king of West Francia (843–877), king of Italy (875–877) and emperor of the Carolingian Empire (875–877). After a ser ...
(''roi Charles'') who stayed there before the battle. A memorial obelisk was erected in 1860 near the village of Fontenoy at the initiative of local scholar . In the 12th and early 13th century, the Forterre was dominated by the
Capetian House of Courtenay The Capetian House of Courtenay, also known simply as the House of Courtenay, was a royal house and cadet branch of the direct House of Capet, also known as the Royal House of France. Founded by Peter I of Courtenay, a son of King Louis VI of Fran ...
, a branch of France's royal family. The Courtenays, several of which became Emperors of Constantinople, built the
Château de Druyes Château de Druyes is a medieval castle located in Druyes-les-Belles-Fontaines in Yonne,  Bourgogne-Franche-Comté. It was built in the 12th century by the Counts of Nevers, and remained in their possession until the 18th century. It was as ...
in Druyes-les-Belles-Fontaines, now one of the region's foremost landmarks. The Forterre suffered severe depopulation and decline during the Crisis of the Late Middle Ages, and renewal from the second half of the 15th century. Many village churches were entirely rebuilt at that time, which now constitute what is arguably the region's most characteristic architecture. Several of these churches have ornate portals and/or prominent towers, e.g. in
Charentenay Charentenay () is a commune in the Yonne department in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in north-central France, in the natural region of Forterre. See also *Communes of the Yonne department The following is a list of the 423 communes of the Yonne d ...
, Ouanne,
Sainpuits Sainpuits () is a commune in the north-central department of Yonne, in the natural region of Forterre. See also *Communes of the Yonne department The following is a list of the 423 communes of the Yonne department of France. The communes co ...
, Sougères, Taingy, and Thury. This period of dynamism and prosperity, however, ended in the time of the
French Wars of Religion The French Wars of Religion is the term which is used in reference to a period of civil war between French Catholic Church, Catholics and Protestantism, Protestants, commonly called Huguenots, which lasted from 1562 to 1598. According to estim ...
. The Forterre was briefly occupied by
Coalition forces ' ps, کمک او همکاري ' , allies = Afghanistan , opponents = Taliban Al-Qaeda , commander1 = , commander1_label = Commander , commander2 = , commander2_label = , commander3 = , command ...
in the summer of 1815, and more durably by German forces in 1940–1944. An armed ''
résistance The French Resistance (french: La Résistance) was a collection of organisations that fought the German occupation of France during World War II, Nazi occupation of France and the Collaborationism, collaborationist Vichy France, Vichy régim ...
'' group or ''maquis'' was established on the ''Montagne des Alouettes'' near
Sougères-en-Puisaye Sougères-en-Puisaye (, literally ''Sougères in Puisaye'') is a commune in the Yonne department in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in north-central France, in the natural region of Forterre - even though its name refers to neighboring Puisaye. Inhabit ...
, for a month between late July 1944 and the region's liberation in late August. About 250-strong, the group had weapons parachuted by Allied planes. The history of the Forterre, especially its western part, is interwoven with that of the neighboring Puisaye. In the 15th and early 16th centuries, some of its villages such as Thury belonged to the Lordship of Puisaye. In 1955, the village of Sougères-les-Simon changed its name to
Sougères-en-Puisaye Sougères-en-Puisaye (, literally ''Sougères in Puisaye'') is a commune in the Yonne department in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in north-central France, in the natural region of Forterre - even though its name refers to neighboring Puisaye. Inhabit ...
, despite this being a misnomer if Puisaye is taken as the distinct geographical region to the northwest.


Personalities connected to the Forterre

* Saint Mamertinus of Auxerre (d. ca. 462), monk and abbot, born in Perreuse * Saint Romanus of Subiaco (d. ca. 550–560), monk and associate of
Benedict of Nursia Benedict of Nursia ( la, Benedictus Nursiae; it, Benedetto da Norcia; 2 March AD 480 – 21 March AD 548) was an Italian Christian monk, writer, and theologian who is venerated in the Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Orient ...
, who founded a monastery and died in Druyes-les-Belles-Fontaines * (11th century), monk at the priory of
Andryes Andryes () is a commune in the Yonne department in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in north-central France, in the natural region of Forterre. See also *Communes of the Yonne department The following is a list of the 423 communes of the Yonne Yon ...
who later became Archbishop of Bourges *
Peter II of Courtenay Peter, also Peter II of Courtenay (french: Pierre de Courtenay; died 1219), was emperor of the Latin Empire of Constantinople from 1216 to 1217. Biography Peter II was a son of Peter I of Courtenay (died 1183), a younger son of Louis VI of Franc ...
(d. 1219), Emperor of the
Latin Empire The Latin Empire, also referred to as the Latin Empire of Constantinople, was a feudal Crusader state founded by the leaders of the Fourth Crusade on lands captured from the Byzantine Empire. The Latin Empire was intended to replace the Byzanti ...
who departed to
Constantinople la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه , alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya (Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis (" ...
(which he never reached) from his castle in Druyes-les-Belles-Fontaines * Matilda I, Countess of Nevers (1188-1257), daughter of Peter II who married Hervé IV of Donzy and later Guigues IV of Forez, also often resided in the castle of Druyes *
René Lepage de Sainte-Claire Rene Lepage de Sainte-Claire (April 10, 1656 in Ouanne, Burgundy – August 4, 1718 in Rimouski, Quebec) is the lord-founder of the town of Rimouski, Quebec, Canada. Origin Born close to Auxerre in Burgundy, René Lepage immigrated to New France, ...
(1656-1718), founder of
Rimouski Rimouski ( ) is a city in Quebec, Canada. Rimouski is located in the Bas-Saint-Laurent region, at the mouth of the Rimouski River. It has a population of 48,935 (as of 2021). Rimouski is the site of Université du Québec à Rimouski (UQAR), the C ...
in
Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
, born in Ouanne *
Jean-Roch Coignet Jean-Roch Coignet (16 August 1776 – 10 December 1865) was a French soldier who served in the military campaigns of the Consulate and First French Empire, up through the Battle of Waterloo. He later wrote his memoirs detailing his military ...
(1776-1865), soldier and memorialist from Druyes-les-Belles-Fontaines * (1784-1857), administrator and scholar, who renovated his family's and cofounded the in 1847 * (1810-1873), entrepreneur and politician from
Courson-les-Carrières Courson-les-Carrières () is a commune in the Yonne department in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in north-central France. The commune lies south of Auxerre on the main N151 road from Auxerre to Clamecy. It is the largest single settlement in the nat ...
*
Jules Valton Henri Jules Valton (11 May 1867 – 6 August 1941) was a French sailor who competed in the 1900 Summer Olympics in Meulan, France. With Jacques Baudrier as helmsman and fellow crewmember William Martin, Félix Marcotte and Jean Le Bret ...
(1867-1941), sailor from
Courson-les-Carrières Courson-les-Carrières () is a commune in the Yonne department in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in north-central France. The commune lies south of Auxerre on the main N151 road from Auxerre to Clamecy. It is the largest single settlement in the nat ...
who represented France at the
1900 Summer Olympics The 1900 Summer Olympics (french: Jeux olympiques d'été de 1900, link=no), today officially known as the Games of the II Olympiad () and also known as Paris 1900, were an international multi-sport event that took place in Paris, France, from 1 ...
* (1868-1935), regionalist author from Leugny who wrote poems in the local ''
patois ''Patois'' (, pl. same or ) is speech or language that is considered nonstandard, although the term is not formally defined in linguistics. As such, ''patois'' can refer to pidgins, creoles, dialects or vernaculars, but not commonly to jargon or ...
'' * Henri Jobier (1879-1930), fencer from
Courson-les-Carrières Courson-les-Carrières () is a commune in the Yonne department in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in north-central France. The commune lies south of Auxerre on the main N151 road from Auxerre to Clamecy. It is the largest single settlement in the nat ...
who won a gold medal in the foil competition at the
1924 Summer Olympics The 1924 Summer Olympics (french: Jeux olympiques d'été de 1924), officially the Games of the VIII Olympiad (french: Jeux de la VIIIe olympiade) and also known as Paris 1924, were an international multi-sport event held in Paris, France. The op ...
* (1904-1983), Polish-born visual artist who settled and died in Lainsecq * (1912-1986), resistant and politician from
Sainpuits Sainpuits () is a commune in the north-central department of Yonne, in the natural region of Forterre. See also *Communes of the Yonne department The following is a list of the 423 communes of the Yonne department of France. The communes co ...
*
Jean Bertin Jean Henri Bertin (5 September 1917 – 21 December 1975) was a French scientist, engineer and inventor. He was born in Druyes-les-Belles-Fontaines and died in Neuilly-sur-Seine. He is best known as the lead engineer for the French experime ...
(1917-1975), scientist and inventor from Druyes-les-Belles-Fontaines, lead engineer for the French experimental Aérotrain mass transit system * (1929-2003), painter and author from Pesselières near
Sougères-en-Puisaye Sougères-en-Puisaye (, literally ''Sougères in Puisaye'') is a commune in the Yonne department in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in north-central France, in the natural region of Forterre - even though its name refers to neighboring Puisaye. Inhabit ...
* (1938-2016), librarian and curator from
Sougères-en-Puisaye Sougères-en-Puisaye (, literally ''Sougères in Puisaye'') is a commune in the Yonne department in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in north-central France, in the natural region of Forterre - even though its name refers to neighboring Puisaye. Inhabit ...
, wife of Georges Perec


Selected sights

File:Fontenoy-en-Puisaye-89-A02.JPG, Memorial of the
Battle of Fontenoy The Battle of Fontenoy was a major engagement of the War of the Austrian Succession, fought on 11 May 1745 near Tournai in modern Belgium. A French army of 50,000 under Marshal Saxe defeated a Pragmatic Army of roughly the same size, led by th ...
File:Le Roichât à Sougères-en-Puisaye.JPG, The wood of Roichat, named after
Charles the Bald Charles the Bald (french: Charles le Chauve; 13 June 823 – 6 October 877), also known as Charles II, was a 9th-century king of West Francia (843–877), king of Italy (875–877) and emperor of the Carolingian Empire (875–877). After a ser ...
File:Druyes-les-Belles-Fontaines - Église - Chevet.jpg, Romanesque church of Saint-Romain in Druyes File:Druyes-les-Belles-Fontaines - Château-fort.jpg,
Château de Druyes Château de Druyes is a medieval castle located in Druyes-les-Belles-Fontaines in Yonne,  Bourgogne-Franche-Comté. It was built in the 12th century by the Counts of Nevers, and remained in their possession until the 18th century. It was as ...
File:Charentenay.jpg, Saint-Laurent church in
Charentenay Charentenay () is a commune in the Yonne department in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in north-central France, in the natural region of Forterre. See also *Communes of the Yonne department The following is a list of the 423 communes of the Yonne d ...
File:Etais église.JPG, Saint-Pierre church in Etais-la-Sauvin File:Étais-la-Sauvin-FR-89-église-06.JPG, Interior of Saint-Pierre church in Etais-la-Sauvin File:Fontenoy.Yonne-église-01.jpg, Saint-Marien church in Fontenoy File:Lainsecq-église-11.JPG, Saint-Martin church in Lainsecq File:Merry-Sec-FR-89-église-03.jpg, Saint-Menge church in
Merry-Sec Merry-Sec () is a commune in the Yonne department in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in north-central France, in the natural region of Forterre. See also *Communes of the Yonne department The following is a list of the 423 communes of the Yonne Y ...
File:Migé-FR-89-église-02.jpg, Portal of Saint-Romain church in Migé File:Ouanne-Eglise.jpg, Notre-Dame church in Ouanne File:Sainpuits-FR-89-église-01.jpg, Church tower in
Sainpuits Sainpuits () is a commune in the north-central department of Yonne, in the natural region of Forterre. See also *Communes of the Yonne department The following is a list of the 423 communes of the Yonne department of France. The communes co ...
File:Sainte-Colombe-sur-Loing-FR-89-A-05.jpg, Sainte-Colombe church in
Sainte-Colombe-sur-Loing Sainte-Colombe-sur-Loing (, literally ''Sainte-Colombe on Loing'') is a former commune in the Yonne department in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in north-central France. On 1 January 2019, it was merged into the new commune Treigny-Perreuse-Sainte-Colo ...
File:Sementron-89-bourg-10.JPG, Portal of Sainte-Geneviève-et-Saint-Pierre church in
Sementron Sementron () is a commune in the Yonne department in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in north-central France, in the natural region of Forterre. See also *Communes of the Yonne department The following is a list of the 423 communes of the Yonne dep ...
File:Sougères-en-Puisaye-FR-89-église-01b.jpg, Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul church in
Sougères-en-Puisaye Sougères-en-Puisaye (, literally ''Sougères in Puisaye'') is a commune in the Yonne department in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in north-central France, in the natural region of Forterre - even though its name refers to neighboring Puisaye. Inhabit ...
File:Taingy-FR-89-église-24.jpg, Saint-Martin church in Taingy File:Thury-église-08.jpg, Saint-Julien church in Thury File:Sainpuits-FR-89-Les Barres-03.JPG, Château des Barres, 18th-19th centuries File:Courson-les-Carrières-FR-89-mairie-a2.jpg, Town hall of
Courson-les-Carrières Courson-les-Carrières () is a commune in the Yonne department in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in north-central France. The commune lies south of Auxerre on the main N151 road from Auxerre to Clamecy. It is the largest single settlement in the nat ...
File:Viaduc de Druyes (Yonne).JPG, Railway viaduct of Druyes File:Sainpuits-89-Flacy-02.JPG, Château de Flacy near
Sainpuits Sainpuits () is a commune in the north-central department of Yonne, in the natural region of Forterre. See also *Communes of the Yonne department The following is a list of the 423 communes of the Yonne department of France. The communes co ...
, 19th-20th centuries


Notes

{{coord missing, France Bourgogne-Franche-Comté