other · France and the Low Countries
Lordship of Beaujeu
Origins
The lords of Beaujeu appear in the 10th century as castellans in the hills west of the Saône, between the counts of Mâcon and Forez and the archbishops of Lyon. Their castle at Beaujeu gave its name to the Beaujolais, and they gradually brought the surrounding parishes under their control.
Rule and society
The lords built a compact barony and around 1140 founded Villefranche-sur-Saône, which became its commercial centre and later capital. Vineyards and the Saône trade underpinned its economy. Lords such as Humbert V, constable of France, rose high in royal service, and the family married into the houses of Forez and Savoy.
Decline and legacy
In 1400 the last lord, Edward II, childless and in debt, left the Beaujolais to Louis II, Duke of Bourbon, and it joined the Duchy of Bourbon. After the Bourbon lands were confiscated in 1527, it passed through several holders before ending up in the Orléans family.
Lineage
On the connections map
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- Lordship of Beaujeu was a vassal of Holy Roman Empire1032 CE – 1400 CE
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Cite this page
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Lordship of Beaujeu. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/lordship-of-beaujeu
- MLA
- “Lordship of Beaujeu.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/lordship-of-beaujeu. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Lordship of Beaujeu.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/lordship-of-beaujeu.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Lordship of Beaujeu’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/lordship-of-beaujeu (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻