The Forest of Retz (French ''Forêt de Retz'', ) is one of the largest

forests of France Metropolitan France contains a total of of tree coverage, with considered to be forestry by the National Forest Inventory (IFN). Of those , consist of leafy forests while the remaining consist of evergreen forests. The majority of forestry ...

, covering some 13,000 hectares in the

Aisne Aisne ( , ; ; pcd, Ainne) is a French department in the Hauts-de-France region of northern France. It is named after the river Aisne. In 2019, it had a population of 531,345.Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

. It is a national forest (''forêt domaniale'') in the former

Picardy Picardy (; Picard and french: Picardie, , ) is a historical territory and a former administrative region of France. Since 1 January 2016, it has been part of the new region of Hauts-de-France. It is located in the northern part of France. Hi ...

region. One characteristic that sets the Forest of Retz apart from other French national forests, in which the actual forested area has fluctuated, is that the forest here has scarcely changed since it was set apart, ''en futaie'', in 1672.

History

2nd millennium

Coyolles (60), la cave du Diable en forêt de Retz 4

Coyolles (60), la cave du Diable en forêt de Retz 12

The forest is a

relict A relict is a surviving remnant of a natural phenomenon. Biology A relict (or relic) is an organism that at an earlier time was abundant in a large area but now occurs at only one or a few small areas. Geology and geomorphology In geology, a r ...

of the ancient forested cover, though as

deforestation Deforestation or forest clearance is the removal of a forest or stand of trees from land that is then converted to non-forest use. Deforestation can involve conversion of forest land to farms, ranches, or urban use. The most concentrated d ...

progressed, this was not identified as a distinct unity until the 12th century. when it formed part of the vast tracts belonging to the

counts of Valois Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...

, an immense forested expanse that reached from

Retheuil Retheuil () is a commune in the Aisne department in Hauts-de-France in northern France. Population See also *Communes of the Aisne department The following is a list of the 799 communes in the French department of Aisne. The commu ...

, Chaudin and Buzancy as far as the river

Marne Marne can refer to: Places France *Marne (river), a tributary of the Seine *Marne (department), a département in northeastern France named after the river * La Marne, a commune in western France *Marne, a legislative constituency (France) Nethe ...

, but was reduced and fragmented by increasing agricultural uses during the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

. In 1214

Philip Augustus Philip II (21 August 1165 – 14 July 1223), byname Philip Augustus (french: Philippe Auguste), was King of France from 1180 to 1223. His predecessors had been known as kings of the Franks, but from 1190 onward, Philip became the first French m ...

attached the forest to the royal domain and dictated the first ordonnances to guide its maintenance by foresters called ''sergents du roi'', under the governor of royal

château A château (; plural: châteaux) is a manor house or residence of the lord of the manor, or a fine country house of nobility or gentry, with or without fortifications, originally, and still most frequently, in French-speaking regions. Nowaday ...

x of

Villers-Cotterêts Villers-Cotterêts () is a commune in the Aisne department in Hauts-de-France, France. It is notable as the signing-place in 1539 of the ''Ordinance of Villers-Cotterêts'' discontinuing the use of Latin in official French documents, and as the ...

and of Vivières. The period of the

Hundred Years' War The Hundred Years' War (; 1337–1453) was a series of armed conflicts between the kingdoms of Kingdom of England, England and Kingdom of France, France during the Late Middle Ages. It originated from disputed claims to the French Crown, ...

(1337–1453) marked depredations on the woodlands. In 1346, the Valois King Philip VI of France promulgated the first codified forestry law, the ''ordonnance de Brunoy'', which gave birth to the designated ''Maître des Eaux et Forêts'', a member of the ''

Maison du Roi The Maison du Roi (, "King's Household") was the royal household of the King of France. It comprised the military, domestic, and religious entourage of the French royal family during the Ancien Régime and Bourbon Restoration. Organisation ...

''. The kingdom's first ''Maître des Eaux et Forêts'' was installed at the château de Villers-Cotterêts in the Forest of Retz. In 1499, the Forest of Retz returned to a royal

apanage An appanage, or apanage (; french: apanage ), is the grant of an estate, title, office or other thing of value to a younger child of a sovereign, who would otherwise have no inheritance under the system of primogeniture. It was common in much o ...

, held by François de Valois, soon to be King François I. The King expressed his appreciation of this forest in numerous works and improvements that included the piercing of rides suited to the hunt now overseen by a ''Capitaine de chasses'', and rebuilding the château de Villers-Cotterêts, for which new sources of water were tapped, which also served the village. A more rational

forestry Forestry is the science and craft of creating, managing, planting, using, conserving and repairing forests, woodlands, and associated resources for human and environmental benefits. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands. Th ...

was established and poachers of the king's game were apprehended.

3rd millennium

On 8 January 2015, the forest became the center of an extensive manhunt for brothers Saïd and Chérif Kouachi, who were the two main suspects of a terrorist attack against the French

satirical magazine This is a list of satirical magazines which have a satirical bent, and which may consist of fake news stories for mainly humorous purposes. List See also * List of satirists and satires * List of satirical news websites * List of satir ...

Charlie Hebdo ''Charlie Hebdo'' (; meaning ''Charlie Weekly'') is a French satirical weekly magazine, featuring cartoons, reports, polemics, and jokes. Stridently non-conformist in tone, the publication has been described as Anti-racism, anti-racist, sceptica ...

''. The following day, both suspects were found at a signage production company in

Dammartin-en-Goële Dammartin-en-Goële ( or ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Seine-et-Marne Departments of France, department in the Île-de-France Regions of France, region in north-central France. It is around northeast of the centre of Paris. Geograp ...

. After an hours-long standoff, the Kouachi brothers were fatally shot by police.Charlie Hebdo attack: Kouachi brothers killed
BBC News. Retrieved 9 January 2015.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Forest of Retz

Retz Retz is a town with a population of 4,168 in the Hollabrunn District in Lower Austria, Austria. Geography Retz is located in the north western Weinviertel in Lower Austria. The municipality's area covers 45,01 km². 11.83 percent of this ...

Geography of Aisne Protected areas of France Tourist attractions in Aisne