Beaujeu, Rhône

French commune
nomcommune=Beaujeu Coat of arms of Beaujeu
région=Rhône-Alpes
département=Rhône
arrondissement=Villefranche-sur-Saône
canton=Beaujeu
insee=69018
cp=69430
maire=Sylvain Sotton
mandat=2008 – 2014
intercomm=
longitude=4.58888888889
latitude=46.155
alt moy=293 m
alt mini=277 m
alt maxi=880 m
km²=17.85
sans=1,905
date-sans=1999
dens=106
date-dens=1999

Beaujeu ("Bôjor" / "Biôjœr" in Arpitan) is a small town between Mâcon and Lyon. It lies in the French "département" of Rhône, in the east-central Rhône-Alpes ("Rôno-Arpes") "région" of the country.

Beaujeu gives its name to the famous wine region of Beaujolais ("Biôjolês"), a former province of France of which it is the historical capital. However it was overtaken in the 14th century by Villefranche-sur-Saône, which remains the main commercial centre of the region.

History

Beaujolais was a semi-autonomous fiefdom of the Lords of Beaujeu. The barony was acquired in the 9th century by Guillaume, Comte du Lyonnais and Count of Forez; on his death, his son Bérard became the first Lord of Beaujeu.

List of rulers

Lords:

*Berard of Beaujeu + c. 966
*Guichard I of Beaujeu c. 966-977
*Humbert I of Beaujeu + c. 977-1016
*Guichard II of Beaujeu c. 1016-1050
*Guichard III of Beaujeu c. 1050-1070
*Humbert II of Beaujeu c. 1070-1102
*Guichard IV of Beaujeu 1102-1137
*Humbert III of Beaujeu 1137-1174
*Humbert IV of Beaujeu 1174-1202
*Guichard V le Grand of Beaujeu 1202-1216
*Humbert V of Beaujeu 1216-1250
*Isabelle de Beaujeu 1250-1297 (married Renaud)
*Renaud I of Forez, count of Forez 1250-1297
*Louis de Beaujeu 1250-1295
*Guichard VI of Beaujeu 1295-1331
*Edouard I of Beaujeu 1331-1351 (Marshal of France)
*Antoine of Beaujeu 1351-1374
*Edouard II of Beaujeu 1374-1400 (+1400 without succession)

After the death of Edouard II, the barony passed to his uncle Louis II, Duke of Bourbon and was used as a title first by members of the Bourbon family and then by the House of Orléans. In 1522, Francis I of France confiscated the title and gave it to his mother Louise of Savoy, but it reverted to the French crown on her death in 1531.

ee also

* Régnié