List of marquisates in France

The following page contains an incomplete (work in progress) list of marquisates in France (in French marquisat), created by the kings France or Spain (in the conqured provinces), the dukes of Savoie, Lorraine, the Popes in Comtat Venaissin or other sovereign lords in current day France. From the late Middle Ages until the French revolution [marquisate] s was mainly raised by patent letters (in French lettres patentes) or in a few cases other official acts (e.g. brevet royal) and presented to distinguished nobles as a reward or to members of princely houses. Currently it does not exist a complete list of marquisates or other marquesses, as it does for ducal titles, and the creations were numerous especially in the reigns of Louis XIV and XV. Pure courtesy titles are not included in this list of marquisates in France since they are not raised but some uncertain marquisates are especially commented.

A possessor of a marquisate "x" before the French revolution was titled "marquis of x" (French "marquis de x"). The "title stayed with the fief", but strictly speaking a buyer of a marquisate needed a confirmation of the marquisate to be able enjoy the title - otherwise he or she would formally only be styled "lord or dame of the marquisate x" (in French "seigneur ou dame de marquisat de x"). The policy on this matter was however fairly relaxed and the number of confirmations were rather few which did not seem to hinder the usage of the title marquis. With the French revolution feudalism was abolished and the titles became disconnected from the land they previously belonged to. Therefore it is after this time no longer possible to purchase a former marquisate and thereby obtain the title marquis (or any other noble title for that matter). Only a few marquisates in France were also specifically transferable through marriage (opposite to the normal custom in Italy and Spain) and therefore the title usually becomes extinct when the last male descendant of the possessor at the time of the French revolution dies. An adoption of another male person by the last legal (male) possessor of the title could in some respect be treated as a legal transfer of the title itself (but never the nobility if the adopted person is not noble).

See also French nobility and List of List of French peerages.