Beaujeu, Rhône

For other communes in France by the same name, see Beaujeu (disambiguation).

Beaujeu
The Church of Saint-Nicolas, in Beaujeu The Church of Saint-Nicolas, in Beaujeu
Coat of arms of Beaujeu Coat of arms
Beaujeu
Location within Rhône-Alpes region Beaujeu
Coordinates:
Country	France
Region	Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Department	Rhône
Arrondissement	Villefranche-sur-Saône
Canton	Belleville
Government
• Mayor (2008–2014)	Sylvain Sotton
Area1	17.85 km2 (6.89 sq mi)
Population (2012)2	2,048
• Density	110/km2 (300/sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code	69018 / 69430
Elevation	277–880 m (909–2,887 ft) (avg. 293 m or 961 ft)
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.

History

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.

List of rulers

Lords:

• Berard of Beaujeu + c. 966
• Guichard I of Beaujeu c. 966-977
• Humbert I of Beaujeu + c. 977-1016
• Guichard II of Beaujeu c. 1016-1050
• Guichard III of Beaujeu c. 1050-1070
• Humbert II of Beaujeu c. 1070-1102
• Guichard IV of Beaujeu 1102-1137
• Humbert III of Beaujeu 1137-1174
• Humbert IV of Beaujeu 1174-1202
• Guichard V le Grand of Beaujeu 1202-1216
• Humbert V of Beaujeu 1216-1250
• Isabelle de Beaujeu 1250-1297 (married Renaud)
• Renaud I of Forez, count of Forez 1250-1297
• Louis de Beaujeu 1250-1295
• Guichard VI of Beaujeu 1295-1331
• Edouard I of Beaujeu 1331-1351 (Marshal of France)
• Antoine of Beaujeu 1351-1374
• Edouard II of Beaujeu 1374-1400 (+1400 without succession)

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.

See also

• Régnié
• Communes of the Rhône department

References

• INSEE