Burgundy - History, Wine, Culture

pop (2000e) 1 683 000; area 31 582 km²/12 191 sq mi. Region and former province of EC France, comprising departments of Côte-d'Or, Nièvre, Saône-et-Loire, and Yonne; former kingdom of Burgundia (5th–10th-c); famous wine-producing area (eg Beaujolais, Beaune, Chablis); wooded Monts du Morvan (902 m/2959 ft) in C; chief town, Dijon; industry centred on Le Creusot; caves at Arcy-sur-Cure; Parc de Morvan regional nature park; several spas.

Burgundy (French: Bourgogne) is a historic region of France, inhabited in turn by Celts (Gauls), Romans (Gallo-Romans), and various Germanic peoples, most importantly the Burgundians and the Franks. Later in time, the region was divided between the duchy of Burgundy (west of Burgundy) and the county of Burgundy (east of Burgundy). The duchy of Burgundy is the most famous of the two, and the one which reached historical fame. Later, the duchy of Burgundy became the French province of Burgundy, while the county of Burgundy became the French province of Franche-Comté (literally meaning "free county"). This article is about the old united Burgundy, the duchy of Burgundy, the French province of Burgundy, and the current cultural area of Burgundy. For the county of Burgundy see relevant article.

Burgundy (duchy) makes up most of the modern-day administrative région of Bourgogne.

History

The Burgundians were one of the Germanic peoples who filled the power vacuum left by the collapse of the western half of the Roman empire. When the dynastic dust had settled in 880s, there were three Burgundies: the kingdom of Upper Burgundy around Lake Geneva, the kingdom of Lower Burgundy in Provence, and the duchy of Burgundy in France. The two kingdoms of Burgundy were reunited in 937 and absorbed into the Holy Roman Empire under Conrad II in 1032, while the duchy of Burgundy was annexed by the French throne in 1004.

During the Middle Ages, Burgundy was the seat of some of the most important Western churches and monasteries, among them Cluny, Citeaux, and Vézelay.

During the Hundred Years' War, King Jean II of France gave the duchy to his younger son, rather than leaving it to his successor on the throne. The duchy soon became a major rival to the French throne, because the Dukes of Burgundy succeeded in assembling an empire stretching from Switzerland to the North Sea, mostly by marriage.

In the late 15th and early 16th centuries, Burgundy provided a power base for the rise of the Habsburgs, after Maximilian of Austria had married into the ducal family. In 1477 the last duke Charles the Bold was killed in battle and Burgundy itself taken back by France.

See also: Duke of Burgundy

Wine

Burgundy produces wines of the same name. The best-known wines come from the Côte d'Or, although also viticulturally part of Burgundy are Beaujolais, Chablis, Côte Chalonnaise, and Mâcon.

Burgundy wines can be described as varied, complex, human, and sophisticatedly homely. Although "Burgundy" means red, the Burgundy region produces both white wines and red wines.

The Canal of Burgundy joins the Rivers Yonne and Saône, allowing barges to navigate from the north to south of France. The canal is 242 kilometers long, with a total 209 locks and crosses two counties of Burgundy, the Yonne and Cote d'Or.

Culture

Famous Burgundian dishes include coq au vin and beef bourguignon.