Castellany

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A castellany was a district administered by a castellan.

Castellanies appeared during the Middle Ages and in most current states are now replaced by a more modern type of country subdivision.

The word is derived from castle and literally means the extent of land and jurisdiction belonging to a given castle.

It also renders equivalent, often cognate, terms in other languages. Examples of French châtelainies include the castellanies of Ivry, Nonancourt, Pacy, Vernon and Gaillon, all in Normandy, which under in the treaty of Issoudun (1195, after a war with king Richard of England) were acquired for the French crown by Philip Augustus. Examples from Poland include Lenczyc and Sieradz (both once a duchy), Rozpoza, Spicimir and Wolborg (in Cracow diocese) and Ottmachau in Silesia.