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Puisaye
The Puisaye (French pronunciation: [pɥizɛ] ⓘ) is a natural and historical region of France, now divided between the departments of Loiret, Nièvre and Yonne. Its historical and administrative center is the town of Saint-Fargeau. Its inhabitants are known as Poyaudins (or Puisayens).
According to local 19th-century historian Ambroise Challe, the name Puisaye first appeared in 12th-century charters. It was variously spelled Poiseia, Puseium, Pusaya, Puiseia, Puteacia, or Poidaceia.
Since the Puisaye is not an administrative region, its exact definition and limits can vary depending on time and context. Its core is a land of forests and ponds, traversed by several rivers including the Loing. It is bordered by Sancerrois to the west across the Loire river, Gâtinais to the northwest, Auxerrois to the northeast, Forterre to the southeast, and Donziais to the south.
The Communauté de communes de Puisaye-Forterre, created in 2017, covers most of the historical Puisaye, though not its Western fringe in the Loiret. It also includes the geologically distinct land of Forterre as well as parts of the Auxerrois, both to the east. The name Puisaye appears to exert a certain attraction, leading communities that are not historically part of Puisaye to adopt it. This has been the case of Sougères-en-Puisaye, which changed its name from Sougères-les-Simon in 1955, and of Charny-Orée-de-Puisaye, which adopted this name when it was formed by the merger of 14 villages in 2016. As a result, the contemporary usage of the word Puisaye can cover a broader territory than has been the case in the past.
The Lac du Bourdon is the largest body of water in Puisaye, albeit far from the only one. It is a reservoir formed in 1901 to help regulate water levels of the Briare Canal. The Bourdon is a small tributary of the Loing that feeds into and from the lake.
The territory of Puisaye was Christianized in late antiquity. Some villages are traditionally associated with late-Antiquity saints, e.g. Priscus in Saints-en-Puisaye. A Carolingian manuscript lists several Puisaye parishes on the itinerary of Saint Aunarius, Bishop of Auxerre in the late 6th century, namely Neuvy-sur-Loire (Novus Vicus), Briare (Brioderus), Bléneau (Blanoilus), Bitry (Vitriacus), and Arquian (Arcuncius), and also refers to Toucy (Tociacus).
The lordship of Toucy was prominent in the High Middle Ages, as several of its leaders and family affiliates played significant roles, not least as associates of the House of Courtenay in their overseas endeavors. Meanwhile, the south of the Puisaye was in the orbit of the County of Nevers and specifically of the Barony of Donzy.
The crisis of the late Middle Ages and specifically the Hundred Years' War marked a rupture in the history of the region. Toucy was devastated in the runup to the Battle of Cravant, and was subsequently displaced by Saint-Fargeau as the main urban center of the Puisaye. Antoine de Chabannes significantly developed Saint-Fargeau, reconstructing its castle but also founding a hospital there. Generally, the century between 1450 and 1550 was a time of prosperity and renewal in the region, still represented in the landscape by numerous village churches built during that era. This period of prosperity ended with the Wars of Religion and troubles of the early 17th century.
Puisaye
The Puisaye (French pronunciation: [pɥizɛ] ⓘ) is a natural and historical region of France, now divided between the departments of Loiret, Nièvre and Yonne. Its historical and administrative center is the town of Saint-Fargeau. Its inhabitants are known as Poyaudins (or Puisayens).
According to local 19th-century historian Ambroise Challe, the name Puisaye first appeared in 12th-century charters. It was variously spelled Poiseia, Puseium, Pusaya, Puiseia, Puteacia, or Poidaceia.
Since the Puisaye is not an administrative region, its exact definition and limits can vary depending on time and context. Its core is a land of forests and ponds, traversed by several rivers including the Loing. It is bordered by Sancerrois to the west across the Loire river, Gâtinais to the northwest, Auxerrois to the northeast, Forterre to the southeast, and Donziais to the south.
The Communauté de communes de Puisaye-Forterre, created in 2017, covers most of the historical Puisaye, though not its Western fringe in the Loiret. It also includes the geologically distinct land of Forterre as well as parts of the Auxerrois, both to the east. The name Puisaye appears to exert a certain attraction, leading communities that are not historically part of Puisaye to adopt it. This has been the case of Sougères-en-Puisaye, which changed its name from Sougères-les-Simon in 1955, and of Charny-Orée-de-Puisaye, which adopted this name when it was formed by the merger of 14 villages in 2016. As a result, the contemporary usage of the word Puisaye can cover a broader territory than has been the case in the past.
The Lac du Bourdon is the largest body of water in Puisaye, albeit far from the only one. It is a reservoir formed in 1901 to help regulate water levels of the Briare Canal. The Bourdon is a small tributary of the Loing that feeds into and from the lake.
The territory of Puisaye was Christianized in late antiquity. Some villages are traditionally associated with late-Antiquity saints, e.g. Priscus in Saints-en-Puisaye. A Carolingian manuscript lists several Puisaye parishes on the itinerary of Saint Aunarius, Bishop of Auxerre in the late 6th century, namely Neuvy-sur-Loire (Novus Vicus), Briare (Brioderus), Bléneau (Blanoilus), Bitry (Vitriacus), and Arquian (Arcuncius), and also refers to Toucy (Tociacus).
The lordship of Toucy was prominent in the High Middle Ages, as several of its leaders and family affiliates played significant roles, not least as associates of the House of Courtenay in their overseas endeavors. Meanwhile, the south of the Puisaye was in the orbit of the County of Nevers and specifically of the Barony of Donzy.
The crisis of the late Middle Ages and specifically the Hundred Years' War marked a rupture in the history of the region. Toucy was devastated in the runup to the Battle of Cravant, and was subsequently displaced by Saint-Fargeau as the main urban center of the Puisaye. Antoine de Chabannes significantly developed Saint-Fargeau, reconstructing its castle but also founding a hospital there. Generally, the century between 1450 and 1550 was a time of prosperity and renewal in the region, still represented in the landscape by numerous village churches built during that era. This period of prosperity ended with the Wars of Religion and troubles of the early 17th century.