Bourbonnais

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Bourbonnais (Occitan: Borbonés / Barbonés) was an historic province in the centre of France that corresponded to the modern département of Allier, along with part of the département of Cher. Its capital was Moulins.

[edit] History

Its first known lord was Adhémar (or Aymar) in the 10th century AD. He acquired the castle of Bourbon (today Bourbon Archambault) which gave its name to the family, the House of Bourbon.

The first House of Bourbon ended in 1200 with the death of [[Archambault VII. It left only one heiress, Mahaut de Bourbon, whose husband, Guy II of Dampierre, added Montlucon to the possessions of the lords of Bourbon, extending to the River Cher during the 11th and 12th centuries.

The second house of Bourbon started in 1218 with Archambault VIII, son of Guy II and Mahaut, and brother of William II of Dampierre. He was followed by his son Archambaut IX, who died in Cyprus in 1249 during a crusade. Bourbonnais was then acquired by the House of Burgundy.

In 1272, Béatrix de Bourgogne (1258-1310), Lady of Bourbon, married Robert de France (1256-1318), Count of Clermont, son of king Louis IX (Saint-Louis). It was the beginning of the long-lasting House of Bourbon, providing kings of France from Henry IV onwards.

The Bourbons had concluded an alliance with the royal capacity. They had put their forces at the service of the king, thus benefitting from the geographic position of Bourbonnais, located between the royal field and the duchies of Aquitaine and Auvergne. This alliance, as well as the marriage of Béatrix de Bourgogne and Robert de France, aided the rise and prosperity of the province. In 1327, it was set up as a duchy-peerage by king Charles (le Bel).