Editing Berry, France (section)

==History==
[[File:Carte du Berry.svg|thumb|300px|The ancient province of Berry with the communes and départements.]]Berry is notable as the birthplace of several kings and other members of the French royal family, and was the birthplace of the knight [[Baldwin Chauderon]], who fought in the [[First Crusade]]. In the [[Middle Ages]], Berry became the center of the [[Duke of Berry|Duchy of Berry]]'s holdings. It is also known for an [[illuminated manuscript]] produced in the 14th–15th century called ''[[Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry|Les Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry]]''.

In later times, the writer [[George Sand]] spent much of her life at her Berry estate in [[Nohant]], and Berry's landscape and specific culture figure in much of Sand's writings.

The Duchy was governed by the [[Duke of Berry|Duke/Duchess of Berry]], who after 1601 was a senior member of the [[French royal family]]. The title of 'Duke of Berry' was by this period divested of territorial significance, and instead held by princes of the royal house, the last of which was [[Charles Ferdinand, Duke of Berry|Charles Ferdinand d'Artois]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite EB1911|wstitle= Berry | volume= 3 | page = 809 |short= 1}}</ref>

In c.750, the Counties of Berry and Bourges were created by the [[King of the Franks]]. In 843, the County of Berry became part of the [[Royal domain]] or crown lands controlled by the king. From 878 to 892, the county was part of the [[County of Auvergne]], but became independent once more in 893. In 972, the County of Bourges was reduced to a Viscounty as the ''Viscomte de Bourges'', and in 1101 was annexed by France. In 1360, the county was raised to a duchy as the Duchy of Berry. In 1221, the [[Seigneur]]ies of [[Châteauroux]] and [[Issoudun]] were annexed into the duchy.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />

The first governor of the province appears to have been appointed on 14 March 1698, when [[Adrien Maurice de Noailles]], Duke of Noailles became military governor when he was only 19 years old.<ref name=":1" />

In 1778, [[Louis XVI]] convened the provincial assemblies of Berry, and considered expanding the assembly to other provinces, but abandoned this idea after experiencing the opposition of the privileged classes in Berry.<ref>{{cite book
 | title=The Great French Revolution, 1789-1793
 | chapter=Chapter 5
 | author=Peter Kropotkin
 | year=1909
 | quote=The weapon used by Louis XVI, in preference to all others was deceit. Only fear made him yield, and, using always the same weapons, deceit and hypocrisy, he resisted not only up to 1789, but even up to the last moment, to the very foot of tile scaffold. At any rate, in 1778, at a time when it was already evident to all minds of more or less perspicacity, as it was to Turgot and Necker, that the absolute power of the King had had its day, and that the hour had come for replacing it by some kind of national representation, Louis XVI could never be brought to make any but the feeblest concessions. He convened the provincial assemblies of the provinces of Berri and Haute-Guienne (1778 and 1779). But in face of the opposition shown by the privileged classes, the plan of extending these assemblies to the other provinces was abandoned, and Necker was dismissed in 1781.
 | translator=N. F. Dryhurst
 | publisher=New York: Vanguard Printings
 | url=http://www.revoltlib.com/?id=217
}}</ref>

In 1790, when the former provinces were dissolved, the Duchy of Berry was split between two departments: [[Cher (department)|Cher]] in Upper (eastern) Berry and [[Indre]] in Lower (western) Berry. Some communes also became part of the [[Allier]], [[Creuse]], [[Loiret]], and [[Loir-et-Cher]] departments as well.<ref name=":0" />