Duchy of Aquitaine: Map & History
The Duchy of Aquitaine was a historical fiefdom located in the western, central, and southern areas of present-day France, south of the river Loire.
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The Duchy of Aquitaine was a historical fiefdom located in the western, central, and southern areas of present-day France, south of the river Loire. The full extent of the duchy, as well as its name, fluctuated greatly over the centuries and at times comprised much of what is now southwestern and central France.
Modern Countries Once Part of Duchy of Aquitaine
At its mapped extent, Duchy of Aquitaine covered territory in 1 present-day country. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside Duchy of Aquitaine's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
Duchy of Aquitaine in Depth
History
Gallia Aquitania fell under Visigothic rule in the 5th century. It was conquered by the Franks under Clovis I in 507, as a result of the Battle of Vouillé. During the 6th and early 7th century, it was under direct rule of Frankish kings, divided between the realms of Childebert II and Guntram in the Treaty of Andelot of 587. Under Chlothar II, Aquitaine was again an integral part of Francia, but after Chlothar's death in 629, his heir Dagobert I granted a subkingdom in southern Aquitaine to his younger brother Charibert II. This subkingdom, consisting of Gascony and the southern fringe of Aquitaine proper, is conventionally known as "Aquitaine" and forms the historical basis for the later duchy.
Geography and subdivisions
Over the course of its existence, the duchy incorporated the Duchy of Gascony and, until 1271, the County of Toulouse, which now falls in the region of Occitanie. Most of the rest of the post-1271 duchy now forms the region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, though parts fall into the three neighbouring regions of Pays de la Loire, Centre-Val de Loire, and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes.
The county of Aquitaine as it stood in the High Middle Ages, then, was bordering the Pyrenees to the south (Navarre, Aragon and Barcelona, formerly the Marcha Hispanica) and the county of Toulouse and the Kingdom of Burgundy (Arelat to the east. To the north, it bordered on Bretagne, Anjou, Blois and Bourbonnais, all of which had passed to the Kingdom of France by the 13th century.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Duchy of Aquitaine (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Duchy of Aquitaine: Key Facts
| Founded | 841 CE |
|---|---|
| Dissolved | 1449 |
Facts from Wikidata Q7703611 (CC0).
Duchy of Aquitaine Map Over Time
Dated world maps on which Duchy of Aquitaine appears, with the other states of the time.
Duchy of Aquitaine Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Expansion to peak recorded area of 141,605 km² in 1098 CE.
Duchy of Aquitaine: Frequently Asked Questions
When did Duchy of Aquitaine exist?
Duchy of Aquitaine is dated to 990 CE – 1439 CE, in the Early Middle Ages era.
What was the capital of Duchy of Aquitaine?
The capital of Duchy of Aquitaine was Toulouse.
How large was Duchy of Aquitaine at its peak?
At its peak in 1098 AD Duchy of Aquitaine covered about 141,605 km².
How did the map of Duchy of Aquitaine change over time?
Duchy of Aquitaine appears on 4 dated world maps in the atlas, from 1000 CE to 1400 CE. Each shows its borders in that year next to the other states of the time.
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