Picardy (English spelling)

Japanese: ピカルディー - ぴかるでぃー（英語表記）Picardie

A historical region and former province name in northern France. Located in the northern suburbs of Paris, its capital city is Amiens. It is still used as an administrative region, covering the three departments of Aisne, Oise, and Somme. Although this is slightly different from the former province name, its area is 19,399 square kilometers, with a population of 1,857,481 (1999). Geologically, it includes the northern part of the Paris Basin, and is made up of plains and low-lying plateaus. There are only small and medium-sized cities, but industrialization has progressed due to the abundance of labor and the dispersion of industry from Paris, and the population has increased significantly. Large-scale management is also prominent in agriculture, with mechanization and extensive use of fertilizer, forming the country's main agricultural region with the production of sugar beets, wheat, barley, potatoes, and other crops.

[Nobuo Takahashi]

history

Human habitation has been confirmed since prehistoric times, and the discovery of early Paleolithic artifacts at Saint-Acheur is particularly famous. The Celts migrated there in the 1st millennium BC, but since 57 BC, it has been incorporated into the Roman province of Gallia Belgica. From the 3rd century AD, the Franks gradually migrated and formed the main part of the Frankish Kingdom, but Christianity was also spread early, and several monasteries were founded in the 7th century, strengthening its political and cultural influence. From the 11th century onwards, agriculture based on the three-field system became widespread, land reclamation progressed, and the wool industry grew in the Somme River basin. Prosperous cities developed a commune (autonomous city) movement in the 12th century and strengthened their independence, so the royal authority of Paris turned its attention to the region and united with these communes. Culturally, it left behind excellent Gothic architecture, such as Amiens Cathedral (established in the 13th century). During the Hundred Years' War, the region was the target of contention between the English and French monarchies and the Duke of Burgundy, and even after the war, conflict between King Louis XI and Duke Charles the Bold continued until 1477. It was annexed to the Kingdom of France in 1482. In the 16th century, the region regained economic prosperity, including the twill weaving industry in Amiens, but during the religious wars it became a base for Catholic forces.

In the 17th century, Amiens became the front line of the Thirty Years' War, causing great damage, but during the reign of Louis XIV, privileged businesses such as the Van Robé woolen factory in Abbeville grew. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the Industrial Revolution centered on the textile industry progressed, but the rural population declined. In the 20th century, Amiens became a battlefield during both world wars, and most of the cities, including Amiens, were destroyed.

[Haruo Chiba]

Amiens Cathedral
The west facade of the cathedral is a representative example of French High Gothic. The sculptures decorating the three entrances are the source of the late 13th century style. World Heritage Site "Amiens Cathedral" (France, registered in 1981) Amiens, France ©Shogakukan ">

Amiens Cathedral

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

フランス北部の歴史的地方名、旧州名。パリ北郊の地域で、中心都市はアミアン。現在も行政地域名として用いられ、エーヌ、オアーズ、ソンム3県の範囲にあたる。これは旧州名の範囲とは多少異なるが、その面積は1万9399平方キロメートル、人口185万7481（1999）。地質的にはパリ盆地の北部を含み、平野と標高の低い台地からなる。中小都市しか存在しないが、豊富な労働力の存在とパリからの工業の分散によって工業化が進展し、人口の増加が著しい。農業も大規模経営が卓越し、機械化が進み肥料の投下も多く、テンサイ、小麦、大麦、ジャガイモなどの産出によって国内の主要農業地域を形成している。

［高橋伸夫］

歴史

先史時代から人類の居住が認められ、サン・タシュールの初期旧石器の出土はとくに名高い。ケルト人が紀元前1000年紀に移住したが、前57年以来、ローマの属州ガリア・ベルギカの一部に編入された。紀元後3世紀以来フランク人が徐々に移住してフランク王国の主要部を形成したが、キリスト教の伝道も早く、7世紀にはいくつかの修道院が創設され、その政治的・文化的影響力を強めた。11世紀以降、三圃(さんぽ)制度による農業が普及し、開墾も進み、毛織物工業がソンム川流域に成長した。繁栄した都市は12世紀にコミューヌ（自治都市）運動を展開、自立性を強めたので、パリの王権はこの地方に注目し、これらのコミューヌと結合した。文化的にもアミアン大聖堂（13世紀創建）など優れたゴシック建築を残した。百年戦争期には、イギリス、フランス両王権とブルゴーニュ公の争奪の的となり、戦争後も国王ルイ11世とブルゴーニュ公シャルル（豪胆公）との争いが1477年まで続いた。1482年フランス王国に併合。16世紀はアミアンの綾(あや)織物工業をはじめとして経済的活況を取り戻したが、宗教戦争の過程では、カトリック勢力の拠点地方となった。

　17世紀に入ると、三十年戦争の最前線となり戦禍は甚大であったが、ルイ14世時代にはアブビルのバン・ロベー毛織物工場など特権的企業が成長している。18、19世紀にかけて織物工業を中心とする産業革命が進展する一方、農村人口の減少がみられた。20世紀の両大戦では戦場となり、アミアンをはじめ諸都市の大半が破壊された。

［千葉治男］

アミアン大聖堂

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