Beaujeu | ||
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The Church of Saint-Nicolas, in Beaujeu
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Coordinates: 46°09′18″N 4°35′20″E / 46.155°N 4.5889°ECoordinates: 46°09′18″N 4°35′20″E / 46.155°N 4.5889°E | ||
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) | |
Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | |
• Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | |
INSEE/Postal code | 69018 /69430 | |
Elevation | 277–880 m (909–2,887 ft) (avg. 293 m or 961 ft) |
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1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. 2Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once. |
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.
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.
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.