Country France Department Rhône Population (2012) 2,048 Area 17.85 km² Arrondissement Villefranche-sur-Saône | Region Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Canton Belleville Time zone CET (UTC+1) Local time Wednesday 5:56 AM | |
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Weather 6°C, Wind SW at 11 km/h, 73% Humidity Points of interest Donjon Sylvain, Ducruix Philippe, Earl Pierre Gardette | ||
Beaujeu (Bôjor/Biôjœr in Arpitan) is a commune of the Rhône department in eastern France.
Contents
Map of 69430 Beaujeu, France
It lies between Mâcon and Lyon.
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:
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.