The Duchy of Nivernais () was a duchy in France, centred around the city of

Nevers Nevers ( , ; la, Noviodunum, later ''Nevirnum'' and ''Nebirnum'') is the prefecture of the Nièvre department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in central France. It was the principal city of the former province of Nivernais. It is sou ...

, of which the duchy took its name.

History

In 1539, it was directly annexed to

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

and became a duchy in the

peerage of France The Peerage of France (french: Pairie de France) was a hereditary distinction within the French nobility which appeared in 1180 in the Middle Ages. The prestigious title and position of Peer of France (french: Pair de France, links=no) was ...

. For a time, it was held by a

cadet branch In history and heraldry, a cadet branch consists of the male-line descendants of a monarch's or patriarch's younger sons ( cadets). In the ruling dynasties and noble families of much of Europe and Asia, the family's major assets— realm, tit ...

of the

House of Gonzaga ) , type = Noble house , country = , estates = Ducal Palace (Mantua) Ducal Palace (Nevers) , titles = * Prince of Arches * Duke of Montferrat * Duke of Mantua * Duke of Guastalla * Duke of Nevers * Duke ...

. This branch inherited the Duchy of Mantua from the senior Gonzaga line (when it became extinct in 1627) and ruled Mantua until 1708, when the branch died out in the male line. Charles IV Gonzaga sold the duchies of Nevers and

Rethel Rethel () is a commune in the Ardennes department in northern France. It is a sub-prefecture and third-most important city and economic center in the department. It is situated on the river Aisne, near the northern border of Champagne and 37 ...

in 1659 to

Cardinal Mazarin Cardinal Jules Mazarin (, also , , ; 14 July 1602 – 9 March 1661), born Giulio Raimondo Mazzarino () or Mazarini, was an Italian cardinal, diplomat and politician who served as the chief minister to the Kings of France Louis XIII and Louis X ...

. His family held the duchy of Nevers until the

French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in coup of 18 Brumaire, November 1799. Many of its ...

. In 1659, when the Mazarin family took control of the duchy, the region was reduced to become a province of the Kingdom of France, thus becoming the Province of Nevers (). However, according to the laws of the peerage of France, the province kept the official title of 'Duchy of Nivernais', though it held the status of province of the Kingdom. Following the Decree dividing France into departments in 1790, the province was broken up into three new departments: Nièvre (forming the main part),

Yonne Yonne () is a department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in France. It is named after the river Yonne, which flows through it, in the country's north-central part. One of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté's eight constituent departments, it is l ...

(northernmost parts), and Cher (south eastern most parts).

Government

Following the governmental reforms of 1773, the Duchy of Nevers formed part of the Military Government of Nivers (''Gouvernement de Nivernais''). For the Department of Finances, the duchy was divided into four election counties: Nevers and Château-Chinon part of the Generality of Moulins, Clamecy was part of the Generality of Orléans, and

La Charité-sur-Loire La Charité-sur-Loire (before 1961: ''La Charité'') is a commune in the Nièvre department and Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region of eastern France. Geography La Charité-sur-Loire lies on the right, eastern bank of the river Loire, about 25 km n ...

part of the Generality of Bourges. The Judicial Department, the county was part of the powerful

Parliament of Paris The Parliament of Paris (french: Parlement de Paris) was the oldest ''parlement'' in the Kingdom of France, formed in the 14th century. It was fixed in Paris by Philip IV of France in 1302. The Parliament of Paris would hold sessions inside the ...

.Nivernais
at the Larousse online encyclopedia Following the Decree dividing France into departments announced on 22 December 1789, the Duchy of Nevers was disestablished. The majority of the county formed the new Nièvre (forming the main part),

(northernmost parts), and Cher (south eastern most parts).

Footnotes

External links

{{Historic Provinces of France Nivernais History of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes History of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté History of Centre-Val de Loire History of Allier History of Cher (department) History of Nièvre History of Yonne Former duchies of France