Franche-Comté

Lore & Background

The region has been inhabited since the Paleolithic age and was occupied by the Gauls, then heavily settled by Germanic peoples, notably the Burgundians. It became part of the Frankish kingdom in 534 and was included in the Merovingian Kingdom of Burgundy under Guntram in 561. Under the Treaty of Verdun (843), northwestern Carolingian Burgundy went to West Francia, while eastern parts became the County of Burgundy, belonging to the Holy Roman Empire from 1032. The name 'Free County of Burgundy' (Franche Comté de Bourgogne) appeared officially in 1366. It was acquired by John the Fearless, Duke of Burgundy, and later passed to the Habsburgs, being ruled by Spanish Habsburgs but remaining a domain within the Holy Roman Empire. During the War of Devolution (1667–1668) it was occupied by France but returned; during the War of the Quadruple Alliance it was captured again in 1674 and permanently ceded to France by the Treaty of Nijmegen (1678).

Reader's Guide

Franche-Comté is significant as a historical region that preserved its identity as the Free County of Burgundy under the Holy Roman Empire and Spanish Habsburgs before being annexed by France in the late 17th century. It was one of the last parts of France to have serfdom, with half the population being serfs in 1784, and Louis XVI's decree banning serfdom practices was blocked by the Parlement of Besançon until 1787. The region's population fell by a fifth from 1851 to 1946 due to low natural growth and migration. Its economy depends heavily on manufacturing (40% of GDP), automobile construction, forestry, dairy and cattle farming, and a large cheese-making industry producing 40 million tonnes of cheese annually, including Comté. The region borders Switzerland and shares much of its architecture, cuisine, and culture. Notable people from Franche-Comté include Victor Hugo, Louis Pasteur, Gustave Courbet, Auguste and Louis Lumière, and Charles Fourier.

Did You Know?

• The name 'Franche-Comté' is feminine because the word 'comté' was generally feminine in the past, though it is masculine today.
• In 1784, half of the population of Franche-Comté consisted of serfs, accounting for 400,000 of the 1 million French serfs.
• The region produces 40 million tonnes of cheese each year, much of it made by fruitières (traditional cheese dairies).
• The Free County of Burgundy was never annexed into the Kingdom of Spain, remaining a domain within the Holy Roman Empire while under Spanish Habsburg rule.