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Beaujeu |
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Beaujeu
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| Administration | |
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| Country | France |
| Region | Rhône-Alpes |
| Department | Rhône |
| Arrondissement | Villefranche-sur-Saône |
| Canton | Beaujeu |
| Mayor | Sylvain Sotton (2008–2014) |
| Statistics | |
| Elevation | 277–880 m (909–2,890 ft) (avg. 293 m/961 ft) |
| Land area1 | 17.85 km2 (6.89 sq mi) |
| Population2 | 2,011 (2006) |
| - Density | 113 /km2 (290 /sq mi) |
| INSEE/Postal code | 69018/ 69430 |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
| 2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once. | |
Beaujeu (Bôjor/Biôjœr in Arpitan) is a commune of the Rhône department in eastern France.
It lies between Mâcon and Lyon.
Beaujeu gives its name to the famous wine region of Beaujolais (Biôjolês), a former province of France of which it is the historical capital. However it was overtaken in the 14th century by Villefranche-sur-Saône, which remains the main commercial centre of the region.
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Beaujolais was a semi-autonomous fiefdom of the Lords of Beaujeu. The barony was acquired in the 9th century by Guillaume, Comte du Lyonnais and Count of Forez; on his death, his son Bérard became the first Lord of Beaujeu.
Lords:
After the death of Edouard II, the barony passed to his uncle Louis II, Duke of Bourbon and was used as a title first by members of the Bourbon family and then by the House of Orléans. In 1522, Francis I of France confiscated the title and gave it to his mother Louise of Savoy, but it reverted to the French crown on her death in 1531.