Kingdom of Burgundy

Kingdom of Burgundy was a name given to various states located in Western Europe during the Middle Ages. The historical Burgundy correlates with the border area of France and Switzerland and includes the major modern cities of Geneva and Lyon. As a political entity, Burgundy existed in a number of forms with different boundaries, notably, when it was divided into Upper and Lower Burgundy and Provence. Two of the entities, the first around the 6th century and the second around the 11th century, were called the Kingdom of Burgundy. At other times were the Kingdom of Provence, the Duchy of Burgundy and the County of Burgundy. Kingdom of the Burgundians (411–534) Burgundy is named after a Germanic tribe of Burgundians who may have originated on the island of Bornholm, whose name in Old Norse was Burgundarholmr ("Island of the Burgundians"). The Burgundian name may have also been a general Germanic name for "highlanders", as such may have been the name of more than one unrelated tribe. From their first documented location on the Middle Rhine, they migrated south into Roman Gaul and settled in large numbers in the territory of Sapaudia, in what is today western Switzerland and northeastern France, before expanding their domain further south to the Rhône valley, establishing a barbarian kingdom of the Burgundians.