We arrive once more at the gates of Nancy, France and witness the defeat of the army of Charles of Burgundy. The fall of one man set into motion so many entangled events, most of them grandiose in nature, it reminds me of the 2000’s domino craze. The fall of Charles the Bold was almost exactly like one of those televised Guinness world record domino attempts. Only with a bit more blood.
One easily overlooked dot in a sea of connecting points is the city of Arras.
As the Duke of Burgundy falls, the French leave no time at all to start picking at the borders and pushing into Burgundian territory. The French king then was Louis XI, later called ‘le roi le plus terrible qui fut jamais’ — the most terrible king that ever was. Honestly, there have been an extreme amount of terrible kings and who knows, I might one day set up a real contest. But as far as evil monarchs go, Louis XI contended nicely.
The Burgundian cities were proud and loyal. The last standing duke might have fallen but his daughter still lived and would soon be wed to the Habsburg Maximilian, allowing the Duchess to officially resume control. They would not yield to Louis.
Louis had some ideas as to persuading these cities.
In the city known as Beaune, he offered people the choice between crippling taxation or death. The city Dôle he had burned to ashes, inhabitants and all. But Arras, also known as Atrecht when belonging to the Low Countries, was Louis’ pièce de résistance.
When the city chose in favour of their Burgundian dynasty, the French stormed the gates and razed the walls. Louis vowed to have the city entirely erased. He was mayhaps a sorry excuse of a human being generally, but he was indeed a man of his word.
In the year 1479, every single citizen of the city was banished and expelled. The city was endowed with different privileges, given a new coat of arms and city seal and even renamed to Franchise, which back then meant something along the lines of exemption or right to asylum.
Round about 12,000 men, women and children, mostly cloth traders and artisans, were taken from all over France and moved into this new city. Entire families were ripped apart. All of this was done in but three months, a remarkable feat for the 15th century.
The experiment was an absolute disaster. The rebellion had left the city in rags and ruin. Its newfound inhabitants came from all possible corners of France and today, someone from Paris has a hard time understanding a farmer from La Giettaz next to the French Mont Blanc. So imagine fifteenth century people, from a time where there was no such thing as standardised French, having to understand each other, let alone live together in a city.
To make matters worse, most cities had been asked to pay for the moving of their former citizens into Franchise. So instead of sending the promised merchants and artisans, the cities chose to get rid of their beggars, drunks and mentally unstable. If they were having to pay, might as well get something out of the deal, right?
In less than a year of its existence, the fit of body and mind ran for it and abandoned the city. Those that remained, well, you by now get the point, the city would have scored badly on your average travel guide.
As you might know from my Chronicle of Crowns series, Maximilian and the Burgundian Duchess do get married and Maximilian takes control over the Flemish regions and fourteen years after this catastrophic experiment starts, the city is handed to the Habsburgs and all former inhabitants are allowed to return.
The Long Tail
Arras spends another two centuries passing between hands before finally becoming French for good in 1659. The resentment for French royalty by now so ingrained into its history, that the city produces a man that would see an end to the French kings forevermore. Another Max to feature in yet another Chronicle of Crowns at a later date, one about, you might have guessed, the French Revolution.
I guess you will have to tune in to the Kobi One podcast again if you want to find out who Maximilien Robespierre is.
See you then.
