Marche (Traditional province, France)

Last modified: 2004-07-03 by ivan sache
Keywords: marche | fleur-de-lys (yellow) | lions: 3 (white) |
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by Pierre Gay

• History of Marche
• Description of the flag of Marche

See also:

• France
• Traditional provinces
• Regions
  • Limousin
  • Centre
• Departments
  • Creuse
  • Haute-Vienne
  • Indre

History of Marche

The county of Marche (Latin, Marchia) was founded in the Xth century. The first counts of Marche were the lords of Charroux. Charroux is now a village of 1,500 inhabitants, which was built near a Benedictine abbey dedicated to St. Savior. The abbey was protected by Charlemagne and several councils were hold in Charroux. The abbey owned important relics, such as parts of the True Cross, and samples of the flesh and the blood of Christ, which attracted more than 25,000 visitors during the June pilgrimage. The abbey was extremely wealthy and owned land in England. The abbey was suppressed in 1762 and preserved from total destruction by the writer Prosper Mérimée, General Inspector of the Historical Monuments during the Second Empire.

The next owners of Marche were the counts of Lusignan, from Poitou, who claimed to descend from fairy Mélusine. The most famous member of the Lusignan family is Gui de Lusignan (1129-1194), king of Jerusalem (1186-1192) and of Cyprus (1192-1194) after having been expelled from Jerusalem b