During the High Middle Ages, several states were known as the Kingdom of Burgundy . In the second quarter of the VI
e
century, if the Burgundian kings were definitively defeated by the Franks, the Burgundian people did not disappear. Its laws and its aristocracy, allied to the Gallo-Roman nobility survive. The regnum Burgondiæ , only passes under the Merovingian aegis where Neustrians and Austrasians oppose each other. In the 10th century, the kingdom of Burgundy-Provence was divided between the Empire and West Francia, and Burgundy became a duchy.
A smooth transition
Gontran, king of Orléans and grandson of Clovis, inherited the Burgundian kingdom and ensured stability during his long reign (561-592). If it is a Frankish prince, the Burgundian and Gallo-Roman aristocracy lend him a lasting loyalty which knows only rare and exceptional revolts. Indeed, establishing its capital in the castrum of Chalon-sur-Saône, he maintains the specific identity of this kingdom mainly at the religious level, bringing together councils of bishops. He also established a town hall in the Palace of Burgundy and founded his sanctuary:the Abbey of Saint Marcel.
Due to the premature death of his heirs, he took as his successor the King of Austrasia Childebert II. After her death, it was in her name and that of her sons that Queen Mother Brunehaut (or Brunehilde) ruled these territories – Austrasia and Burgundy – for around thirty years. Of Visigothic origin, of which the Kingdom of Spain is one of the most refined, it inherited the political model of the Roman Empire. It relies on the senatorial aristocracy and the bishops, mainly Syagrius of the city of Autun. It focuses in particular on the restoration of the road network and Roman roads. It reforms taxation and justice based on Roman law. However, this close alliance with the ancient world was not to the liking of an exasperated Frankish aristocracy prone to betrayal.
Brunehaut and Frédégonde or the ruthless faide
The kingdom of Burgundy then became the scene of quarrels between Austrasians and Neustrians. History will mainly remember the dark fight of Queen Brunehaut against her Neustrian rival Frédégonde leading to a bloody faide, that is to say a system of private revenge opposing two families or two clans in Germanic societies. It is indeed the time of Merovingian plots, betrayals and assassinations. Frédégonde, concubine of the King of Neustria Chilperic I, had his legitimate wife assassinated around 568, Queen Galswinthe, in order to take her place. However, the latter is none other than the sister of Brunehaut demanding revenge.
A civil war thus began, Brunehaut pushing her husband, Sigebert I, king of Austrasia to take back the cities and estates brought by her sister as a dowry. Close to victory, Sigebert was stabbed to death in 575, probably by the emissaries of Frédégonde, who at the same time carried out assassinations in his camp against anyone likely to harm him. Brunehaut's son, Childebert II, dies a priori i at his instigation by poisoning in 595. Brunhild then intended to exercise the regency in the name of his grandsons over Austrasia and Burgundy while continuing to wage war on Neustria.
Nevertheless, the Austrasian aristocracy no longer supports the old queen. Her reign ended tragically in 613. She was delivered to the son of Frédégonde (died in 597), Clotaire II, and put to death on the banks of the Vingeanne, not far from Dijon, tortured and humiliated for three days then tied up – in particular by the hair – to a galloping horse before its remains were burned.
A disputed kingdom of Burgundy
The kingdom of Burgundy was then attached to the kingdom of Clotaire II, sole king of the Franks. His son, King Dagobert continued the unification of all the Frankish kingdoms and integrated Burgundy, which then experienced a period of calm. Burgundy Palace. However, following him, the royal authority declines, it is the time of the "lazy kings". Burgundy retains a certain autonomy, not to say a certain anarchy, the well-established aristocracy intends to retain its power and keep the royal representatives away despite the attempts by the Frankish kings to compel obedience. /P>
At the same time, the palace mayors of Neustria and Austrasia are still fighting a fierce struggle between themselves and the territory of the regnum Burgondiæ is at the heart of the rivalry between the Herstal of Austrasia and Ebroïn of Neustria. The latter, seeking during the second half of the VII e century to integrate Burgundy, comes up against the bishop Saint Léger of Autun of Gallo-Roman tradition. The latter was executed in 678 while the eternal antagonist between Neustria and Austrasia remained. The final outcome takes place in 687, at the Battle of Tertry where the Neustrian camp is routed by Pepin of Herstal. Burgundy thus came under his influence and that of his successors, Charles Martel and Pépin le Bref. The Carolingian era opens on this kingdom.
Monasticism in Merovingian Burgundy
A new religious element appears in Burgundy from the V e century, it is monasticism. Indeed, the Merovingian period corresponds to a period of development of monasticism on this "land of the monks" par excellence which will see the birth of Cluny, Molesme and Citeaux. If the first monastery founded appears to be that of Réôme dating from the V th century, between the VI th and the VIII th century, a real monastic network will be established starting with Saint Marcel founded by King Gontran. Then comes the Saint Bénigne Abbey in Dijon.
At that time, the capital of the Dukes of Burgundy was only a small town anchored in a castrum. A popular cult developed around the burial of a miracle-working saint. The Bishop of Langres, Grégoire decides to ban this mysterious cult which he sees as a form of paganism. Legend has it that the saint intervened in a dream with the bishop who then decided to build a sanctuary named after Saint Maurice Bénigne, the mysterious tomb having no name.
At the end of VI
e
century, it was Queen Brunehaut who founded the Saint Martin monastery in Autun. In the far north of Burgundy, in Sens, the monastery of Saint Pierre le Vif was born, Clotaire II founded that of Sainte Colombe. More in the center, the mayors of the palace founded Saint Pierre de Bèze. Finally, the last great monastery is that of Flavigny which appears around 720, founded by a great landowner, Guiré, and which hosts a prestigious scriptorium preserving precious writings of Roman tradition such as the Missale gallicanum now preserved in the Vatican, or the Flaviniacenses Formulas , collection of legal formulas.
At the dawn of Carolingian Burgundy
Despite wars and incessant power struggles, the kingdom of Burgundy also aspires to be a land of peace, as evidenced by the many foundations of monasteries. This kingdom also inspires to keep its traditions. Surprisingly, Burgundy remains with Aquitaine one of the most Romanized Merovingian regions. The aristocracy seeks to keep its laws and customs as well as its independence, an independence however greatly challenged under the Carolingians.
From the Burgundians to the Merovingians, Burgundy had ceased to be a kingdom. However, the Carolingian era sounded its death knell with its annexation to Austrasia by Charles Martel. The regnum Burgundiae then disappears from official terminology and is dismembered. However, the division of Verdun in 843 led to a break-up of the Carolingian Empire and new Burgundy appeared, distinct and confused political entities testifying to the chaotic history of a territory in formation leading to the creation of the Duchy of Burgundy.
Burgundy between union and break-up of the Carolingian Empire
Under the Merovingians, Burgundy had retained its original form, an independent kingdom targeted by covetousness and quarrels over succession. In the early days of the Carolingian order, Burgundy was no more than a territory like any other, forming part of the kingdom of the Franks and divided into pagi, each pagus being placed under the authority of a count. Some pagi are built according to the ancient Roman circumscriptions, the civitates, others present a more fragmented division.
Dijon becomes the capital of a pagus, the future capital of the dukes is no more than a simple castrum and has Beaune as its rival. But Burgundy is still a large territory including the current regions of Burgundy and Franche-Comté, the Rhone Valley and Provence without forgetting the Alps and part of Switzerland. It thus brings together geographic, human and linguistic disparities that will only amplify the divisions and mutations resulting from the partition of Verdun in 843.
Indeed, the unification of the Carolingian Empire by Charlemagne appeared from his successor, Louis the Pious, as a most fragile construction. The crisis began in the 830s with quarrels over succession and fratricidal wars leading to an artificial division of the Empire into three in 843. Burgundy was then divided between Charles the Bald and Lothaire, but other divisions were to come. . The death of Lothair in 855 brought about a new split between his three sons. If Louis II owns Italy, Lothair II and Charles each inherit a part of Burgundy again arbitrarily divided.
Furthermore, various separatist movements question the authority of these Frankish rulers. Louis the German must face the rebellions of the Saxons and the Slavs, Charles the Bald must face the Aquitaine and the Catalans, without forgetting the Bretons whom he cannot defeat who proclaim a monarchy. But Brittany is not the only dissident kingdom and others appear on the remains of the old Burgundian territory.
From Boson, King of Burgundy-Provence to Rodolphe, King of Burgundy Transjurane
The death of Charles the Bald in 877 precipitated any hope of restoration of Carolingian authority in the kingdom of Francia occidentalis. His successor is only a sick puppet dying prematurely in 879 and thus giving the opportunity to a high-ranking official to become the strong man of southern Burgundy. Bolstered by his ambition and his military successes in Provence, Boson attracted the attention of the papacy in a sorry state. In 878, Pope John VIII went to Arles to ask him for help against the Saracens.
Boson does not hesitate and uses the opportunity to appear as a new Charles Martel. Then, denying the rights of the Carolingian dynasty, he had himself proclaimed king of all Burgundy. He thus governs a territory close to that of the Burgundian kings – from the south of Burgundy to the Alpine valleys and Provence – while resuming their ancient title of patrician. However, it was only a fragile edifice which crumbled as soon as Boson died in 887 in the face of a Carolingian coalition, each province ephemerally unified, then seeking to regain its autonomy.
If on the death of Boson, his son Louis the Blind recovers Provence, the Carolingian Franks recover the part of the northwest that would become the Duchy of Burgundy. As for the eastern part of Burgundy, referred to as Bourgogne Transjurane and anchored in the Alps, it passed to the Germanic Welf family. A certain Rodolphe had himself proclaimed king in Saint Maurice d'Agaune in 888, a city where a Burgundian king had had an abbey built. He thus reigns over the current territories of the Jura, Roman Switzerland and part of Savoy.
His successor Rodolphe II subsequently recovers the kingdom of Provence from the successors of Boson and again reforms a territory very close to the old regnum Burgundiae. However, the Rodolphean dynasty was not very powerful against the local aristocracy and disappeared without posterity with Rodolphe III, who died without an heir. His kingdom was recovered by his nephew, Emperor Conrad II and remained imperial land throughout the Middle Ages. The term Burgundy then disappears except to mention Cisjuran Burgundy, i.e. the current Franche-Comté.
Richard le Justicier, from Norman waves to the construction of the duchy
If the majority of the regnum Burgundiae entered the Germanic Empire at the end of the Rudolf dynasty, the Carolingian king de Francia occidentalis had however retained territories to the north and on the left bank of the Saône which were to become the Duchy of Burgundy. However, this geographical area is confronted from the years 887-888 with the Norman peril. Indeed, if the Hungarian hordes like the Saracen ones appear to be a pure historiographical legend, the Scandinavian invaders represent a real danger on this land rich in sanctuaries and abbeys, easy prey.
Faced with these invasions and looting, the king entrusted military command to a certain Richard, Count of Autun, who was none other than Boson's brother. He was then the only one to carry out an effective action from 890 against the Normans going up the Seine, the Yonne and the Aube to strike Burgundy. Initially mentioned as "marquis" then as "duke", Richard nicknamed "the Justicier" unified by his military action the counties of Autun, Nevers, Auxerre, Avallon and Sens, while establishing his authority in particular to the Counts of Troyes, Chalon and Beaune.
He also strengthened his authority by maneuvering politically in the Carolingian succession disputes involving the Robertians (from whom Hugues Capet would come). This allows him to increase both his possessions and his authority because Richard had understood that running a large state is not feasible and that it is better to rely on a solid local construction of federated counties under his authority. The Duchy of Burgundy was being born.
At the death of Richard in 921, his son Raoul continued his work of consolidation, but he was not duke only for two years, then becoming king of France – Francia occidentalis should we still say – and leaving the duchy to his younger brother Hugues le Noir. The latter finds himself confronted with the Robertien Hugues le Grand, father of Hugues Capet and who is granted the title of Duke of Burgundy by the weak King Louis IV of Overseas. The Robertian seizes Troyes, Sens, Langres, Auxerre and Dijon while Hugues le Noir keeps the south of Burgundy. It was the beginning of the Capetian influence on a duchy of Burgundy then close to completing its construction and becoming a powerful principality within the kingdom of France.
Bibliography
- Jean-Pierre Leguay, Carolingian Europe, 8th-10th centuries, Éditions Belin, 2002.
- The year 888. The Kingdom of Burgundy:A European power on the shores of Lake Geneva, by François Demotz. PPUR, 2012.
- Jean Richard (dir.), History of Burgundy, Éditions Privat, 1988.