Quierzy (), also known as Quierzy-sur-Oise (; formerly in la, Cariciacum, ''Carisiacum'', ''Charisagum'', ''Karisiacum''), is a
commune 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.[department
Department may refer to:
* Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility
Government and military
*Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...]
in
Hauts-de-France
Hauts-de-France (; pcd, Heuts-d'Franche; , also ''Upper France'') is the northernmost Regions of France, region of France, created by the territorial reform of French regions in 2014, from a merger of Nord-Pas-de-Calais and Picardy. Its Prefectu ...
in northern
France, straddling the
Oise River between
Noyon and
Chauny
Chauny () is a Communes of France, commune in the Aisne Departments of France, department in Hauts-de-France in northern France.
History
There has been a settlement on the site, more or less continuously, since at least the Carolingian era. Know ...
.
History
Today's peaceful village was the site of a major
villa or
palatium
The Palatine Hill (; la, Collis Palatium or Mons Palatinus; it, Palatino ), which relative to the seven hills of Rome is the centremost, is one of the most ancient parts of the city and has been called "the first nucleus of the Roman Empire." ...
in the
Merovingian and
Carolingian
The Carolingian dynasty (; known variously as the Carlovingians, Carolingus, Carolings, Karolinger or Karlings) was a Frankish noble family named after Charlemagne, grandson of mayor Charles Martel and a descendant of the Arnulfing and Pippin ...
eras, and the site of assemblies of the
Frankish nobles, of
synods of bishops and abbots and other important events. Here
Charles Martel died, 22 October 741.
The name of the place appears variously in documents: ''Cariciacum, Carisiacum, Charisagum, Karisiacum''. Of the royal residence of the Merovingians and the house of Pepin, only traces of earthworks remain, in fields outside Quierzy, in the direction of Manicamp. The early medieval Château de Quierzy on the bank of the Oise, rebuilt in the fifteenth century as the fortress of the bishops of Noyon, survives as a single tower.
Quierzy was already a significant stronghold of
Neustria recorded in events in the
Chronicle of Fredegar at the opening of the seventh century, when
Protadius, the mayor of the palace of Burgundy was the noble lover of Brunhilda, the grandmother of and regent for King
Theuderic II. Brunhilda pressured her grandson to go to war against her other grandson,
Theudebert II of Austrasia
Theudebert II () (c.585-612), King of Austrasia (595–612 AD), was the son and heir of Childebert II. He received the kingdom of Austrasia plus the cities (''civitates'') of Poitiers, Tours, Le Puy-en-Velay, Bordeaux, and Châteaudun, as well ...
, but when Theuderic assembled the army at Quierzy in 606, the men did not want to fight their fellow
Franks: Protadius was promptly killed by the warriors, who forced the king to sign a treaty.
In January 754
Pepin the Short
the Short (french: Pépin le Bref; – 24 September 768), also called the Younger (german: Pippin der Jüngere), was King of the Franks from 751 until his death in 768. He was the first Carolingian to become king.
The younger was the son of ...
received
Pope Stephen II
Pope Stephen II ( la, Stephanus II; 714 – 26 April 757) was born a Roman aristocrat and member of the Orsini family. Stephen was the bishop of Rome from 26 March 752 to his death. Stephen II marks the historical delineation between the Byzant ...
at Quierzy, and his decision was taken to adopt the Roman liturgy and Gregorian chant in his domains. The
Donation of Pippin is alleged to have been made at Quierzy to
Pope Stephen II
Pope Stephen II ( la, Stephanus II; 714 – 26 April 757) was born a Roman aristocrat and member of the Orsini family. Stephen was the bishop of Rome from 26 March 752 to his death. Stephen II marks the historical delineation between the Byzant ...
, granting him the
Exarchate of Ravenna. For his part the pope legitimized the Carolingians. Charlemagne confirmed this donation in 774, in
Rome.
Pepin spent the winter of 762 at Quierzy. Charlemagne convoked an assembly of the nobles here in January 775, in preparation of his invasion of Saxony. In 804
Pope Leo III
Pope Leo III (died 12 June 816) was bishop of Rome and ruler of the Papal States from 26 December 795 to his death. Protected by Charlemagne from the supporters of his predecessor, Adrian I, Leo subsequently strengthened Charlemagne's position b ...
met Charlemagne at Quierzy before proceeding to
Aachen
Aachen ( ; ; Aachen dialect: ''Oche'' ; French and traditional English: Aix-la-Chapelle; or ''Aquisgranum''; nl, Aken ; Polish: Akwizgran) is, with around 249,000 inhabitants, the 13th-largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia, and the 28th- ...
. In December 842
Charles the Bald married Ermentrude d'Orléans at Quierzy.
In the ninth century several
councils of Quierzy debated contentious issues. At the synod of 853, the famous four decrees or chapters (''capitula'') drawn up by
Hincmar, archbishop of Reims, on the questions of
predestination were published, and
Gottschalk Gottschalk or Godescalc (Old High German) is a male German name that can be translated literally as " servant of God". Latin forms include ''Godeschalcus'' and ''Godescalcus''.
Given name
* Godescalc of Benevento, 8th-century Lombard duke
*Godescal ...
condemned.
The
Capitulary of Quierzy The Capitulary of Quierzy () was a capitulary of the emperor Charles II, comprising a series of measures for safeguarding the administration of his realm during his second Italian expedition, as well as directions for his son Louis the Stammerer, w ...
was promulgated in June 877
[A former capitulary of Charles the Bald was promulgated at Quierzy on 14 February 857, and aimed especially at the repression of brigandage.] by the emperor
Charles the Bald, comprising a series of measures for safeguarding the administration of his realm during his second Italian expedition, as well as directions for his son
Louis the Stammerer, who was entrusted with the government during his father's absence. A great concourse of lords was assembled to hear it read. In this document Charles took elaborate precautions against
Louis the German, whom he had every reason to distrust. He forbids him to sojourn in certain palaces and in certain forests, and compels him to swear not to despoil his stepmother Richilde of her allodial lands and benefices.
At the same time Charles refuses to allow Louis to nominate his candidates to the countships left vacant in the emperor's absence.
The capitulary thus served as a guarantee to the
aristocracy
Aristocracy (, ) is a form of government that places strength in the hands of a small, privileged ruling class, the aristocracy (class), aristocrats. The term derives from the el, αριστοκρατία (), meaning 'rule of the best'.
At t ...
that the general usage would be followed in the existing circumstances, and also as a means of reassuring the counts who had accompanied the emperor into Italy as to the fate of their benefices.
In the following century, however,
Viking raids destroyed the ''palatium'', and
Hugh Capet gave his lands at Quierzy to the
bishop of Noyon, who built a fortress to serve in confrontations with the powerful lords of
Coucy. In ensuing centuries, the lands of Quierzy passed successively to the Chérisy, the Montmorency, the Roye, the Halluin, the Brûlart and Bussy-Rabutin families, until the
French Revolution.
Geography
The town lies on the
left bank of the river
Oise, which flows westward through the commune. The river
Ailette joins the Oise in the eastern part of the commune.
Population
See also
*
Communes of the Aisne department
*
Councils of Quierzy
References
{{authority control
Communes of Aisne
Aisne communes articles needing translation from French Wikipedia