Editing Berry, France

{{Short description|Historical province of France, located in Centre-Val de Loire}}
{{More citations needed|date= March 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2021}}
{{Infobox former subdivision
| native_name            = Duché de Berri
| common_name            = Berry
| government_type        = [[Historical Provinces of France|Province]]
| capital                = [[Bourges]]
| today                  = [[France]]
| era                    = [[Early Modern France|Early Modern]]
| year_start             = 1101
| event_end              = Provinces dissolved
| conventional_long_name = Duchy of Berry
| image_flag             = Flag of Berry.svg
| flag_caption           = Province flag
| image_coat             = Arms of Charles de Berry.svg
| p1                     = County of Berry
| p2                     = County of Bourges
| leader1                = [[Philip I of France|Philip I]]
| year_leader1           = 1101–1108
| title_leader           = [[King of the Franks]] / [[King of France]]
| leader2                = [[Louis XVI]]
| year_leader2           = 1774–1790
| deputy1                = [[Jean III de Vendôme]]
| year_deputy1           = 1466–1482
| title_deputy           = Governor of Berry
| deputy2                = [[Louis François Joseph, Prince of Conti|Louis Joseph de Bourbon]]
| year_deputy2           = 1760–1789
| s1                     = Cher (department){{!}}Cher
| flag_s1                = Blason département fr Cher.svg
| s2                     = Indre
| flag_s2                = Blason département fr Indre.svg
| image_map              = Berry in France (1789).svg
| image_map_caption      = Map of Berry in 1789
| year_end               = 1791
}}
The '''Duchy of Berry''' ({{IPA|fr|beʁi|-|LL-Q150 (fra)-Exilexi-Berry.wav}}; {{Langx|oc| Barric}}; {{Langx|la|Bituria}}) was a former province located in central France. It was a [[provinces of France|province of France]] until [[departments of France|departments]] replaced the provinces on 4 March 1790, when Berry became divided between the ''départements'' of [[Cher (department)|Cher]] (Upper Berry) and [[Indre]] (Lower Berry).

==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" />

==Governors==
The governors of French provinces during the Ancien Régime were typically military commanders and provided military oversight in the region. This included recruitment, movement of troops, and – if needed – dealing with civil disobedience. Below is a list of the governors of Berry during its time as a province.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Provinces of France to 1791 |url=https://www.worldstatesmen.org/France_prov.html#Berry |access-date=2022-10-21 |website=www.worldstatesmen.org}}</ref>

== Duke of Berry ==
{{Main|Duke of Berry}}
In October 1360, the title 'Duke of Berry' was created by [[King John II of France]] for his third-born son, [[John, Duke of Berry|John of Poitiers]]. The duke was followed by several members of the senior royal family, establishing a tradition of the duke being a member of the [[House of Valois]]. In 1505 however, the last Duchess of Berry [[Joan of France, Duchess of Berry|Joan of France]] died of natural causes and the title was merged into the [[royal domain]]. In 1527, the title was re-created for [[Marguerite de Navarre]] until the title was once again dissolved in 1601 following the death of Duchess [[Louise of Lorraine]].

In 1686, [[King Louis XIV]] re-created the title for his third grandson [[Charles, Duke of Berry (1686–1714)|Charles de Bourbon]], however the title was dissolved following the death of the Duke in 1714. In 1754, Louis XV re-created the title for his grandson [[Louis XVI|Louis-Auguste de Bourbon]] (later King Louis XVI), who dropped the title in 1765 when he became [[Dauphin of France|Dauphin]]. In 1778, Louis XVI once again re-created the title for his nephew [[Charles Ferdinand, Duke of Berry]]. In 1820, the title was finally dissolved once more when the last duke was assassinated.

While Berry was a province, the Duke of Berry was de jure leader of the area. The dukes included:
{| class="wikitable"
!Coat of Arms
!Portrait
!Name
!Other Titles
!Tenure
|-
|[[File:Arms_of_Charles_de_Berry.svg|center|87x87px]]
|[[File:Vivien_-_Charles_of_France,_Duke_of_Berry_-_Louvre.png|center|127x127px]]
|[[Charles, Duke of Berry (1686–1714)|Charles de Bourbon]]
|
* [[Duke of Angoulême]] (1710–death)
* [[Duke of Alençon]] (1710–death)
* [[Count of Ponthieu]] (1710–death)
|{{center|31 July 1686<br />{{ndash}}<br />5 May 1714}}
|-
|[[File:Arms_of_Charles_de_Berry.svg|center|87x87px]]
|[[File:Van_Loo,_Louis-Michel_-_The_Dauphin_Louis_Auguste,_later_Louis_XVI.jpg|center|126x126px|Van Loo, Louis-Michel - The Dauphin Louis Auguste, later Louis XVI]]
|[[Louis XVI|Louis-Auguste de Bourbon]]
!
|{{center|23 August 1765<br />{{ndash}}<br />20 December 1765}}
|-
|[[File:Arms_of_Charles_dArtois.svg|center|87x87px|Arms of Charles dArtois]]
|[[File:Danloux_-_Charles_Ferdinand_d'Artois_(1778-1820),_duc_de_Berry.jpg|center|125x125px|Danloux - Charles Ferdinand d'Artois (1778-1820), duc de Berry]]
|[[Charles Ferdinand, Duke of Berry|Charles Ferdinand d'Artois]]
!
|{{center|24 January 1778<br />{{ndash}}<br />14 February 1820}}
|}

==Etymology==
The name of ''Berry'', like that of its capital, Bourges, originated with the Gaulish tribe of the [[Bituriges Cubi|Bituriges]],<ref>Compare: {{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=58v3CAAAQBAJ |title=L'Europe et ses Populations |publisher=Martinus Nijhoff |year=1978 |isbn=9789400997318 |editor1-last=Miroglio |editor1-first=Abel |location=The Hague |publication-date=2012 |page=157 |language=French |trans-title=Europe and its peoples |chapter=Berrichons |quote=[...] en fait, ''Berry'' vient de Bituriges; ainsi se nommaient les ancêtres gaulois des Berrichons. Le premier nom de Bourges fut Bituricum. |access-date=31 December 2017 |editor2-last=Miroglio |editor2-first=Yvonne-Delphée}}</ref> who settled in the area before the Roman armies of [[Julius Caesar]] conquered Gaul. The name of the tribe gave name to the region, often mentioned in [[Medieval Latin]] sources as: ''Bituria''.

==Brenne==
La Brenne, located west of [[Châteauroux]] and east of [[Tournon-Saint-Martin]] in the [[Indre]] department, is a region which of old straddled on the former provinces of Berry and [[Touraine]], and is now a protected natural area ([[Parc naturel régional de la Brenne]]) as well called ''Pays des mille étangs'', because of its many ponds created since the 8th c. by the monks of the local abbeys for [[Fish farming|pisciculture]].

==See also==
* [[Berrichon dialect]]
* [[Saint-Benoît-du-Sault]]

==Citations==
{{Reflist}}

==General and cited sources==
{{Refbegin|2}}
* {{Cite book|last=Abbott|first=Paul D.|title=Provinces, pays, and seigneuries of France|year=1981|location=Myrtleford, Australia|isbn=9780959377309|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=s80iAQAAIAAJ}}
* {{Cite book|last=Devailly|first=Guy|title=Le Berry du Xe siècle au milieu du XIIIe: Étude politique, religieuse, sociale, et économique|year=1973|location=Paris-La Haye|publisher=Mouton|isbn=9783111631066|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2YpdDwAAQBAJ}}
{{refend}}
* {{Cite book|last=Legeard|first=Emmanuel|title=Histoire du Berry|year=2024|location=Paris|publisher=Gisserot|isbn=9782755811193|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PH7R0AEACAAJ}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Berry (region)}}
* [http://www.steveunsworth.co.uk/Albums/St_Benoit_Aug%20_2003_BW01/index.htm Pictures] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090504142106/http://www.steveunsworth.co.uk/Albums/St_Benoit_Aug%20_2003_BW01/index.htm |date=4 May 2009 }}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080310235418/http://www.holiday-gite-france.co.uk/ Accommodation]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080621055109/http://fotw.vexillum.com/flags/fr-berry.html Flag of Berry (FOTW)]
* [http://www.factmonster.com/ce6/world/A0807264.html Columbia Encyclopedia article on Berry]

{{Historic Provinces of France}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Berry (Province)}}
[[Category:Berry, France| ]]
[[Category:Former provinces of France]]
[[Category:History of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes]]
[[Category:History of Centre-Val de Loire]]
[[Category:History of Nouvelle-Aquitaine]]
[[Category:History of Allier]]
[[Category:History of Cher (department)]]
[[Category:History of Creuse]]
[[Category:History of Indre]]
[[Category:History of Loir-et-Cher]]
[[Category:History of Loiret]]