Henrichemont (), formerly known as Boisbelle, is a

commune A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to: Administrative-territorial entities * Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township ** Communes of ...

in the Cher department in the Centre-Val de Loire

region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics ( physical geography), human impact characteristics ( human geography), and the interaction of humanity an ...

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 ...

. The village was created and named in honour of

Henri IV Henry IV (french: Henri IV; 13 December 1553 – 14 May 1610), also known by the epithets Good King Henry or Henry the Great, was King of Navarre (as Henry III) from 1572 and King of France from 1589 to 1610. He was the first monarc ...

in 1609 by

Maximilien de Béthune, Duke of Sully Maximilien de Béthune, 1st Duke of Sully, Marquis of Rosny and Nogent, Count of Muret and Villebon, Viscount of Meaux (13 December 156022 December 1641) was a nobleman, soldier, statesman, and counselor of King Henry IV of France. Historians emp ...

to be the capital of the principality of Boisbelle and possibly a refuge for the

protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...

s of the region. The principality approximated to the territories of the former canton of Henrichemont. The hamlet of La Borne is home to a restored tradition of

stoneware Stoneware is a rather broad term for pottery or other ceramics fired at a relatively high temperature. A modern technical definition is a vitreous or semi-vitreous ceramic made primarily from stoneware clay or non-refractory fire clay. Whether vi ...

pottery, attracting world-renowned artists and writers to stay there. The village is one of the most popular small tourist attractions in France.

History

Beginnings

From ancient times, Boisbelle had been a sovereign

allod In the law of the Middle Ages and early Modern Period and especially within the Holy Roman Empire, an allod ( Old Low Franconian ''allōd'' ‘fully owned estate’, from ''all'' ‘full, entire’ and ''ōd'' ‘estate’, Medieval Latin ''allodiu ...

. Under Roman law, an allod is a freehold with none of the constraints of feudal tenure. Being sovereign meant that the owner had the rights of a ruler and governed the territory in complete independence: he or she could make laws, administer justice and mint money. The inhabitants of Boisbelle were free from any taxes or services and could not be conscripted into the armed forces, but were however subject to the requirements of the Roman Catholic Church.

Acquisition by Sully

On 31 August 1605, Maximilien de Béthune, Duke of Sully, a Protestant and a friend of King Henri IV since 1572, bought from the Duke of Nevers the title and lands of the principality of Boisbelle.

Challenges over status

As the French Treasury had challenged the tax-exempt position of Boisbelle, Sully obtained from Henri IV letters patent of 11 July 1606 and 27 October 1606 which confirmed its sovereign status and the immunity of its inhabitants. After further dispute with the provincial authorities over the

gabelle The ''gabelle'' () was a very unpopular tax on salt in France that was established during the mid-14th century and lasted, with brief lapses and revisions, until 1946. The term ''gabelle'' is derived from the Italian ''gabella'' (a duty), itself ...

salt tax, Henri IV issued further letters patent on 23 September 1608 declaring the people of Boisbelle free of all tax in perpetuity.

Foundation of the town of Henrichemont

Secure over the status of the principality, Sully decided to build a new capital, calling it Henrichemont in honour of the king. To lay out the town, he called on the civil engineer Claude Chastillon, while the design of the buildings was entrusted to the architect

Salomon de Brosse Salomon de Brosse (c. 1571 – 8 December 1626) was an early 17th-century French architect who moved away from late Mannerism to reassert the French classical style and was a major influence on François Mansart. Life Salomon was born in V ...

. Planned as a grid, it was to have a Catholic church, a Protestant chapel, a secondary school, a market hall and an inn. The first stone was laid on 13 April 1609 on the central square, which was given the name of Béthune.

Assassination of Henri IV and collapse of project

On 14 May 1610, when Henri IV was assassinated, Sully lost his friend and protector. Rapidly, his offices were taken away and with them his income. Construction of his town slowed and the contractors fell into dispute with him. Work stopped in 1612 and lawsuits started, though in 1614 the archbishop of Bourges was able to consecrate the new church of St Laurent. In 1624, Sully was ordered by the court to pay the contractors and in 1636 the owners of the few private houses that had been built sold up at a loss.

Establishment of a mint

A mint to provide coinage for the principality was built and it operated from 1635 to 1656. The building still stands.

End of the principality

On 24 September 1766, the 7th Duke of Sully and last independent Prince ceded the principality to the Crown. It was integrated into France and the inhabitants lost all their privileges.

Geography

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. ...

and

farming Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled peopl ...

village situated by the banks of the river Vernon, some northeast of Bourges, at the junction of the D12, D11, D20 and the D22 roads.

Population

Sights

* The church of St. Laurent, dating from the nineteenth century. * Two

museum A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make thes ...

s of

pottery Pottery is the process and the products of forming vessels and other objects with clay and other ceramic materials, which are fired at high temperatures to give them a hard and durable form. Major types include earthenware, stoneware and ...

at the hamlet of La Borne.. * A five-sided feudal

motte A motte-and-bailey castle is a European fortification with a wooden or stone keep situated on a raised area of ground called a motte, accompanied by a walled courtyard, or bailey, surrounded by a protective ditch and palisade. Relatively easy to ...

. * The “Maison de Sully”, an old house.