View source for Picardy

=== Middle Ages ===
From the 5th century, the area formed part of the [[Francia|Frankish Empire]] and, in the feudal period, it encompassed the six countships of [[County of Boulogne|Boulogne]], [[Montreuil, Pas-de-Calais|Montreuil]], [[Ponthieu]], [[County of Amiens|Amiénois]], [[Vermandois]] and [[Laon]]nois.<ref name="dunbabin4">Dunbabin.France in the Making. Ch.4. The Principalities 888–987</ref> In accordance with the provisions of the 843 [[Treaty of Verdun]], the region became part of [[West Francia]], the later [[Kingdom of France]].

The name "Picardy" derives from the Old French ''pic,'' meaning "[[Pike (weapon)|pike]]", the characteristic weapon used by people from this region in ancient times.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.etymonline.com/word/picardy |title=picardy {{!}} Origin and meaning of picardy by Online Etymology Dictionary |website=www.etymonline.com |language=en |access-date=18 March 2020 |archive-date=1 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190501172930/https://www.etymonline.com/word/Picardy |url-status=dead}}</ref> The term "Picardy" was first used in the early 13th century,<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.eupedia.com/france/picardy.shtml |title=Eupedia |last=Maciamo |website=Eupedia |language=en |access-date=18 March 2020}}</ref> during which time the name applied to all lands where the [[Picard (language)|Picard]] language was spoken including territories from Paris to the [[Netherlands]].<ref name="PlanholClaval1994">{{cite book |author1=Xavier De Planhol |author2=Paul Claval |title=An Historical Geography of France |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=C19glZh7zfoC&pg=PA172 |access-date=25 March 2012 |date=17 March 1994 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0-521-32208-9 |page=172}}</ref> In the [[Latin Quarter]] of Paris, people identified a "Picard Nation" (''Nation Picarde'') of students at [[Sorbonne University]], most of whom actually came from [[County of Flanders|Flanders]].<ref name="britannica">
Encyclopædia Britannica Online. History of Picardy.
</ref>
During the [[Hundred Years' War]], Picardy was the centre of the [[Jacquerie]] peasant revolt in 1358.

Beginning in 1419, the Picardy counties ([[county of Boulogne|Boulogne]], [[county of Ponthieu|Ponthieu]], [[county of Amiens|Amiens]], [[county of Vermandois|Vermandois]]) were gradually acquired by the [[Duchy of Burgundy|Burgundian]] duke [[Philip the Good]], acquisitions confirmed by King [[Charles VII of France]] at the 1435 [[Congress of Arras]]. In 1477, King [[Louis XI of France]] led an army and occupied key towns in Picardy.{{sfn|Potter|1993|p= 37}} By the end of 1477, Louis would control all of Picardy and most of [[County of Artois|Artois]].{{sfn|Potter|1993|p= 39}}