natural region
A natural region (landscape unit) is a basic geographic unit. Usually, it is a region which is distinguished by its common natural features of geography, geology, and climate.
From the ecology, ecological point of view, the naturally occurring fl ...
of
Eure-et-Loir
Eure-et-Loir (, locally: ) is a French department, named after the Eure and Loir rivers. It is located in the region of Centre-Val de Loire. In 2019, Eure-et-Loir had a population of 431,575.France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
, where history and geography meet. Open to influences from
Normandy
Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...
, Drouais,
Beauce Beauce may refer to:
* Beauce, France, a natural region in northern France
* Beaucé, a commune in the Ille-et-Vilaine department, Brittany, France
* Beauce, Quebec, an historical and cultural region of Canada
** Beauce (electoral district), a fed ...
and
Perche
Perche () (French: ''le Perche'') is a former province of France, known historically for its forests and, for the past two centuries, for the Percheron draft horse breed. Until the French Revolution, Perche was bounded by four ancient territorie ...
, it is a transition zone like the Drouais.
A former country of
Perche
Perche () (French: ''le Perche'') is a former province of France, known historically for its forests and, for the past two centuries, for the Percheron draft horse breed. Until the French Revolution, Perche was bounded by four ancient territorie ...
under the
Merovingian dynasty
The Merovingian dynasty () was the ruling family of the Franks from the middle of the 5th century until 751. They first appear as "Kings of the Franks" in the Roman army of northern Gaul. By 509 they had united all the Franks and northern Gauli ...
, it took its name from its allegiance to Theodemer, prince of the Merovingian family.
Thymerais is also associated with the barony of
Châteauneuf-en-Thymerais
Châteauneuf-en-Thymerais () is a commune in Eure-et-Loir department in northern France.
The commune was once an important stronghold reigning over the whole natural and historic province of Thymerais.
Born of the fierce determination of its f ...
whose territory included in the thirteenth century the north-west of the
Eure-et-Loir
Eure-et-Loir (, locally: ) is a French department, named after the Eure and Loir rivers. It is located in the region of Centre-Val de Loire. In 2019, Eure-et-Loir had a population of 431,575.Eure
Eure () is a department in Normandy in Northwestern France, named after the river Eure. Its prefecture is Évreux. In 2019, Eure had a population of 599,507.Orne
Orne (; nrf, Ôrne or ) is a département in the northwest of France, named after the river Orne. It had a population of 279,942 in 2019.Courville-sur-Eure
Courville-sur-Eure () is a commune in the Eure-et-Loir department in France.
Population
See also
*Communes of the Eure-et-Loir department
The following is a list of the 365 communes of the Eure-et-Loir department of France.
The communes coo ...
and
La Loupe
La Loupe is a commune in the Eure-et-Loir department in northern France.
Population
Sister city
* Pfalzgrafenweiler, Germany
* Royston in Hertfordshire, England
See also
*Communes of the Eure-et-Loir department
The following is a list of t ...
.
The name Thymerais was taken in 2003 to designate the district of Thymerais municipalities made of communes belonging to the canton of
Châteauneuf-en-Thymerais
Châteauneuf-en-Thymerais () is a commune in Eure-et-Loir department in northern France.
The commune was once an important stronghold reigning over the whole natural and historic province of Thymerais.
Born of the fierce determination of its f ...
.
Châteauneuf-en-Thymerais
Châteauneuf-en-Thymerais () is a commune in Eure-et-Loir department in northern France.
The commune was once an important stronghold reigning over the whole natural and historic province of Thymerais.
Born of the fierce determination of its f ...
and
Thimert-Gâtelles
Thimert-Gâtelles () is a commune in the Eure-et-Loir department in northern France.
It was the site of a royal castle until 1058, when it was taken by the Normans. Between 1058 and 1060, it was besieged by the king of France. After that the ca ...
Normandy
Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...
and
Perche
Perche () (French: ''le Perche'') is a former province of France, known historically for its forests and, for the past two centuries, for the Percheron draft horse breed. Until the French Revolution, Perche was bounded by four ancient territorie ...
, Thymerais consists of plateaus and valleys cleared in 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 ...
, forests and ponds. It is a transition zone bounded roughly in the north by the River Avre, which separates the department of
Eure
Eure () is a department in Normandy in Northwestern France, named after the river Eure. Its prefecture is Évreux. In 2019, Eure had a population of 599,507.river Eure, and in the west by the
Orne department
Orne (; nrf, Ôrne or ) is a département in the northwest of France, named after the river Orne. It had a population of 279,942 in 2019.Châteauneuf-en-Thymerais
Châteauneuf-en-Thymerais () is a commune in Eure-et-Loir department in northern France.
The commune was once an important stronghold reigning over the whole natural and historic province of Thymerais.
Born of the fierce determination of its f ...
and
Senonches
Senonches () is a commune in Eure-et-Loir, Centre-Val de Loire, France.
Geography
Senonches is located northwest of the department of Eure-et-Loir and the northeastern boundary of the Regional Natural Park of the Perche, at a crossroads betwee ...
alone represent more than half the area of forest in the
Eure-et-Loir
Eure-et-Loir (, locally: ) is a French department, named after the Eure and Loir rivers. It is located in the region of Centre-Val de Loire. In 2019, Eure-et-Loir had a population of 431,575.Perche
Perche () (French: ''le Perche'') is a former province of France, known historically for its forests and, for the past two centuries, for the Percheron draft horse breed. Until the French Revolution, Perche was bounded by four ancient territorie ...
in the sense that a forest area designated Perche known before the sixth century and not to be confused with the political constituencies established on the ancient ''silva pertica''. This error continues to be transmitted since Gilles Bry de la Clergery published his ''Histoire des pays et comté du Perche'' in 1620, in which he divided the Perche into four parts:
* The Great Perche, or proper Perche;
* The Perche-Gouet, which merged with the Little Perche;
* The Thimerais, or "Land dismembered";
* The French Lands, so called because they followed the customs of France and not that of
Normandy
Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...
, district which, according to Bry Clergerie, included the ''Tour grise de Verneuil'' and was connected to Thimerais.
The Thimerais would then have been born in the
Perche
Perche () (French: ''le Perche'') is a former province of France, known historically for its forests and, for the past two centuries, for the Percheron draft horse breed. Until the French Revolution, Perche was bounded by four ancient territorie ...
as a result of its progressive deforestation for agricultural purposes. The name Thimerais designated the area around the castle Thimert (near
Châteauneuf-en-Thymerais
Châteauneuf-en-Thymerais () is a commune in Eure-et-Loir department in northern France.
The commune was once an important stronghold reigning over the whole natural and historic province of Thymerais.
Born of the fierce determination of its f ...
). In the Middle Ages, it became part of the barony of Châteauneuf;. It was called "Land dismembered" because, after being joined to the
Kingdom of France
The Kingdom of France ( fro, Reaume de France; frm, Royaulme de France; french: link=yes, Royaume de France) is the historiographical name or umbrella term given to various political entities of France in the medieval and early modern period. ...
, it was separated from its royal domain and not, as is often believed, from the province of Perche. In the 16th century, it was parted in favor of Henri de Bourbon (the future Henry IV) and
Louis Gonzaga, Duke of Nevers
Louis de Gonzague, Duke of Nevers ( it, Ludovico, italic=no or Luigi di Gonzaga-Nevers; 18 September 1539 – 23 October 1595) was a soldier, governor and statesman during the French Wars of Religion. Of Italian extraction, his father and br ...
. This corner of earth, as the entire extent between Avre and Eure, was part of ''silva pertica'' (in Latin "Perche forest").
The villages of the region have gradually lost their suffix ''Perche''. Châteauneuf adopted the suffix Thymerais to distinguish a city namesake and Verneuil-en-Perche became Verneuil-sur-Avre. Only one village kept the word Perche in its name, providing evidence of the decline in Perche. It is Louvilliers (Canton Brezolles). Named '' Lovillare in Pertico'' in an ecclesiastical register (''pouillé'') in around 1250 and in another in the late 15th century. This village ceased to be registered inside the Perche, and took the name ''Louvilliers-lès-Perche''.
History
The origin of Thymerais goes back to the 7th century, when king Thierry III gave this territory to Theodemer, prince of the Merovingian family. The country was then called ''Theodemerensis'' (literally "Theodemer Territory") in his honor, then abbreviated to ''Themerensis'' and gallicized to ''Thymerais'' or ''Thimerais''. The country was attached to the
Kingdom of France
The Kingdom of France ( fro, Reaume de France; frm, Royaulme de France; french: link=yes, Royaume de France) is the historiographical name or umbrella term given to various political entities of France in the medieval and early modern period. ...
in the 12th and 13th centuries.
According to the vicomte de Romanet,Romanet (vicomte), ''Chartes servant de pièces justificatives à la géographie du Perche'' the Thymerais territory that was originally part of the counties of Chartres and Dreux, was occupied by powerful independent lords who owed allegiance only to the King of France.
On the religious side, the Thymerais belonged to the diocese of Chartres, on its north-west. It was composed of 14 parishes.
In 1058, Albert Ribaud, lord of Thymerais, took a stand against
William the Conqueror
William I; ang, WillelmI (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), usually known as William the Conqueror and sometimes William the Bastard, was the first House of Normandy, Norman List of English monarchs#House of Norman ...
, Duke of Normandy and king of England, who seized Thimert and then installed there a governor. The following year, Henry I, King of the Franks, retook the castle and razed it. Not very far, in a clearing in the woods, Gaston, brother of Albert Ribaud, built a fort named ''Chastel-neuf'', which soon was surrounded by a village of the same name, and which became the capital of Thymerais.
From a feudal standpoint, the Thymerais formed in 1200 one great fief with
Châteauneuf-en-Thymerais
Châteauneuf-en-Thymerais () is a commune in Eure-et-Loir department in northern France.
The commune was once an important stronghold reigning over the whole natural and historic province of Thymerais.
Born of the fierce determination of its f ...
at its center. This fief was divided into two parts, both dependencies of the Crown of France. On one side Châteauneuf, and on the other Senonches and Brezolles, erected later into Senonches county.
In the 18th century,
La Ferté-Vidame
La Ferté-Vidame () is a commune in the Eure-et-Loir department in northern France.
History
The title of vidame of Chartres was, under the Ancien Régime, attached to the lands of aFerté-Arnault. Among the famous men to bear the title ''Vidam ...
was distracted from the barony of Châteauneuf-en-Thymerais and attached to the Crown of France, as were those of Maillebois and Blévy; thus, until the late 18th century, the barony of Châteauneuf-en-Thymerais was far from having the same extent it had in the 13th century. Also, instead of being a single fief, the Thymerais was composed of four: the barony of Châteauneuf, the county of Senonches, the marquisat of Maillebois and the county of La Ferté-Vidame.
In financial and administrative terms, the Thimerais was part of Verneuil-sur-Avre, included in the ''Généralité'' of
Alençon
Alençon (, , ; nrf, Alençoun) is a commune in Normandy, France, capital of the Orne department. It is situated west of Paris. Alençon belongs to the intercommunality of Alençon (with 52,000 people).
History
The name of Alençon is firs ...
, and divided into four subdivisions (Thimerais addition, still included eight parishes in the province of Perche since the abolition of the election
Longny-au-Perche
Longny-au-Perche () is a former commune in the Orne department in north-western France. On 1 January 2016, it was merged into the new commune of Longny les Villages.constabulary Constabulary may have several definitions:
*A civil, non-paramilitary (police) force consisting of police officers called constables. This is the usual definition in the United Kingdom, in which all county police forces once bore the title (and som ...