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The era of the Dukes of BurgundyIf the most important period of the history of Burgundy, and particularly of the Côte-d'Or, seems to be the 150 years that follow, this is because the four great Valois Dukes who succeeded each other at that time led Burgundy to its greatest achievements. It had never been so important and so prosperous. Its prestige aroused the jealousy and envy of others, notably of its great rival, the French Royal house.Philippe le Hardi made his official entrance into Dijon on 17th November 1364. His marriage to Marguerite de Flandre gave him dominion over Flanders. He was responsible for the Tour du Bar (Bar tower) in the Ducal palace that can still be seen today, for the development of the parliament at Beaune and for setting up a "chambre des comptes" (early form of Government audit office) in Dijon. He was succeeded by his son, Jean Sans Peur (John the Fearless) who increased rivalry with the French Royal house. His reign was however a short one. His son, Philippe le Bon (Philip the Good) was responsible for taking the duchy to the peak of its greatness. He bought the earldom of Namur, had the Hainault handed over to him and inherited Luxembourg, Brabant and Limbourg. He was also the Duke who, in 1419, founded the knightly order of the Toison d'Or, (the Golden Fleece). The territory of Lorraine was all that was needed to join the Northern part of the Duchy to the South. This was achieved in 1475 but two years later the Duke died fighting the French king Louis XI, at the siege of Nancy. Charles le Téméraire (Charles the Rash) had no male heir and so the duchy passed to the king of France. This marked the end of a great family saga and a great period of history whose remains - architectural, cultural, traditional - are carefully treasured today throughout the Côte-d'Or. Burgundy became a definitive part of the French kingdom in the middle of the 16th century and now assumed its historical role as a French province. |
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The era of the Dukes of Burgundy |
