Burgundy

Lore & Background

Named after the Burgundians, Burgundy was historically associated with several political entities, most notably the Duchy of Burgundy, which emerged in the early Middle Ages and later became one of the most important principalities of the Kingdom of France. In the 14th and 15th centuries the duchy formed the core of the Valois-Burgundian State, a major power in late medieval western Europe. The Valois-Burgundian State held fiefs stretching from the western Alps to the North Sea. The extinction of the dynasty in the late 15th century led to the absorption of the Duchy itself into the French crown lands by King Louis XI, while the bulk of the Burgundian possessions in the Low Countries passed to Duke Charles the Bold's daughter, Mary, and her Habsburg descendants.

In Their Own Story

The autumn fog rolls off the Saône and settles over the rooftops of Dijon. In the great hall of the ducal palace, a single cask of Pinot Noir is uncorked to mark the signing of yet another treaty with Paris. The chancellor's quill scratches across vellum while, beyond the arched windows, the bells of Saint-Bénigne toll the hour. A Flemish merchant in the courtyard below argues prices with a wine merchant, their voices carrying the cadences of two languages that, in this corner of the world, have been braided together for a century. The duke watches from the gallery, his hand resting on the pommel of a sword he will not draw for another generation. Outside, the vineyards climb the hillside in neat rows, patient and unbothered by the treaties that will redraw the map before the first frost.

Reader's Guide

Burgundy is known for its historical monuments, monastic heritage, and wine, especially Burgundy wine. Major religious centres included Cluny, Cîteaux, and Vézelay, while Dijon developed into an important centre of politics, culture, art, and learning. The modern-day administrative region comprises most of the former duchy.

Did You Know?

• The first recorded inhabitants of the area that was to become Burgundy were various tribes of Gallic Celts, the most prominent of which were the semi-republican Aedui.
• Cluny, founded in 910, exerted a strong influence in Europe for centuries.
• The Abbey of Fontenay is today the best-preserved Cistercian abbey in Burgundy.
• The Dukes of Burgundy were sometimes called 'Grand Dukes of the West'.