Delphinate

Sources from old books

1635. Historia mundi: or Mercator's atlas. London. by Gerhard Mercator.

THE DELPHINATE OF FRANCE. (Book Delphinate)

ON the South Province is neere to the Delphinate, and on the North it hath the Bressians, who are parted from it by the River Rhodanus flowing betweene them, on the West is the County of Venusinum: and lastly on the East the Pedemontian and Sabaudians doe encompasse it. Caesar by one common name calleth those of the Delphinate, and the Sabaudians, Allobrogians, who were then confederate with the Romanes: The Country is now devided into the higher part, the chiefe City whereof is Ebrodunum; and the lower part in which the prime Cities are Gratian•polis and Vienna. Those of the Delphinate who dwelt beyond Rhodanus, were hertofore a part of the Kingdome of Burgundy, and then of Orleans, and afterward of Burgundy, the head City whereof was then Arelate, which afterward from that City was called the Kingdome of Arelatum, but when that Kingdome came to the Emperour Conradus the 2. after the decease of Rodolfus the first, the last King thereof, there arose one Guigno, a man of base birth, who was called afterward the fat Earle Grinmand, hee through his owne industry and the confusion of the times obtained most of the chiefest Cities of this Country, so that at last he possessed Gratianopolis and made himselfe Lord of the whole Province, which to honour his Sonne who had married Delphina the Daughter of the Earle of Albon and Vienna, he called it the Delphinate. After this the Province of the Delphinate became subject to Provinces who ruled it, untill the time of Philip Valerius King of France, who annexed it to his Crowne about the yeere of Christ 1348. which was the cause that Humbert Delphine of Vienna having lost his eldest Sonne in the Battell of Cressey, and his yonger Sonne dying by sicknesse, when hee was provoked to warre and set upon by Amades the 6. of that name, he determined to put himselfe into the Kings protection, and to leave him Heire to his Dominions, on this condition, that from thenceforth the eldest Sonnes of the Kings of France, during their Fathers life time, should beare the Armes and Title of the Delphinate. And so this Country came into the Kings hands, who thought fit to annex so noble a Prince neighbouring on Italy for ever to his Kingdome. The Delphinate therefore being one of the chiefe Countries of France, is devided as I said before into the higher and lower part, and hath many faire Cities and Townes in it. In the higher there are Ebrodunum, which hath a Prelate, also Valence, Dium, and S. Pauls Church: In the lower is Vienna, which was formerly the Metropolis and Mother City of the whole Delphinate, which is now Gratianopolis, there are also Romanium, Brianconium, Mons-Limartium upon Rhodanus, a Towne much frequented by Merchants, where there are also many Monuments of Antiquity, also S. Antonies Church, Valerians Church, and the Monastery. Gratianopolis was so called from the Emperour Gratian, who reedified it, and beautified it with many Buildings, now it hath a Parliament, and a President, with Senators, and other Officers belonging thereunto, and it hath a Prelate, who is one of the chiefe men of the Province, under the Metropolitan of Vienna. But Vienna venerable for Antiquity hath a long time had a Metropolitan Bishop. Valence is converted and raised to a Dukedome, and hath a Bishop and a University, in which the Romane Lawes are read and declared, in which Iames Cuyacius taught, who was the Prince of all those Lawyers which flourished in former times, whose name shall live as long as Lawes continue in the world. Here are found Romane Inscriptions, and other ancient Romane Monuments. King Francis intended to have newly fortified Gratianopolis against the invasion of enemies, but hee left it undone.