France Project > Orphaned Profiles Team page > France Orphan Trail Pre-1792 > From Provinces to Départements

Provinces and Departments

France was organized into provinces until March 4, 1790, when the establishment of the department (French: département) system superseded provinces. In some cases, several modern regions or departments share names with the historic provinces, and their borders may cover roughly the same territory.

Provinces

Below is a list of the provinces with the current departments they correspond to. Click on the image thumbnail for to see a larger version of the images.

Province	Provincial capital	Succeeding departments	Map
Île-de-France	Paris	Seine (Paris, Hauts-de-Seine, Seine-Saint-Denis, Val-de-Marne), most of Seine-et-Oise (Yvelines, Val-d'Oise, Essonne), parts of Oise, Seine-et-Marne, Aisne, small part of Eure-et-Loir, Loiret, Yonne; one commune in Ardennes and one in Somme
Berry	Bourges	Cher, Indre, small parts of Creuse, Loiret and Loir-et-Cher, one commune in Allier
Orléanais	Orléans	Loiret, Loir-et-Cher, part of Eure-et-Loir, small parts of Yvelines, Essonne, Seine-et-Marne, Yonne, Cher, Indre-et-Loire, Sarthe
Normandie (Normandy)	Rouen	Calvados, Eure, Manche, Seine-Maritime (Seine-Inférieure), most of Orne
Languedoc	Toulouse	Ardèche, Aude, Gard, Hérault, Lozère, Tarn, parts of Haute-Garonne, Tarn-et-Garonne, Ariège and Pyrénées-Orientales (Basses-Pyrénées)
Lyonnais	Lyon	Rhône, Loire, part of Haute-Loire, one commune in Puy-de-Dôme
Dauphiné	Grenoble	Isère, Drôme, part of Hautes-Alpes, small parts of Rhône, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, Vaucluse, and Italy
Champagne	Troyes	Ardennes, Aube, Marne, most of Haute-Marne, parts of Yonne, Seine-et-Marne, Aisne, Meuse, small parts of Vosges, Haute-Saône and Côte-d'Or
Aunis	La Rochelle	part of Charente-Maritime (Charente-Inférieure), three communes in Deux-Sèvres, one in Vendée
Saintonge	Saintes	Parts of Charente-Maritime, Charente, Deux-Sèvres, one commune in Dordogne
Poitou	Poitiers	Vienne, Haute-Vienne, Vendée, small parts of Charente, Charente-Maritime, Indre, one commune in: Loire-Atlantique, Maine-et-Loire, Haute-Vienne
Guyenne	Bordeaux	Dordogne, Lot, Aveyron, parts of Gironde, Lot-et-Garonne Tarn-et-Garonne, small part of Corrèze, one commune in Charente
Gascogne		Landes, Gers, Hautes-Pyrénées, parts of Gironde, Lot-et-Garonne, Tarn-et-Garonne, Haute-Garonne, Ariège, Pyrénées-Atlantiques
Bourgogne (Burgundy)	Dijon	Côte-d'Or, Saône-et-Loire, Ain, part of Yonne, small parts of Haute-Marne, Nièvre, Allier, Haute-Loire, Rhône, Jura, Switzerland
Picardie (Picardy)	Amiens	Somme, parts of Pas-de-Calais, Aisne, Oise, small part of Nord
Anjou	Angers	Maine-et-Loire, parts of Mayenne, Sarthe, Indre-et-Loire, Vienne, two communes in Deux-Sèvres and one in Loire-Atlantique
Provence	Aix-en-Provence	Var, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence (Basses-Alpes), parts of Var, Vaucluse, small parts of Drôme, one commune in Hautes-Alpes
Angoumois	Angoulême	Charente, small parts of Haute-Vienne, Deux-Sèvres, Dordogne
Bourbonnais	Moulins	Allier, part of Cher, small parts of Puy-de-Dôme and Nièvre, one commune in Saône-et-Loire
Marche	Guéret	Creuse, part of Haute-Vienne, small parts of Indre, Vienne, and Charente
Bretagne (Brittany)	Rennes	Côtes-du-Nord, Finistère, Ille-et-Vilaine, Loire-Atlantique (Loire-Inférieure), Morbihan
Maine	Le Mans	most of Sarthe, Mayenne
Perche		Parts of Orne and Eure-et-Loire, small parts of Eure, Sarthe, Loir-et-Cher
Touraine	Tours	Indre-et-Loire, part of Indre, small parts of Vienne and Loir-et-Cher
Limousin	Limoges	Corrèze, part of Haute-Vienne, small part of Dordogne
Foix	Foix	Part of Ariège
Auvergne	Clermont-Ferrand	Cantal, Puy-de-Dôme, parts of Haute-Loire and Allier
Béarn	Pau	Pyrénées-Atlantiques (Basses-Pyrénées)
Basse-Navarre	Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port	Pyrénées-Atlantiques (Basses-Pyrénées)
Alsace	Strasbourg and Colmar	Bas-Rhin, Haut-Rhin (dont Territoire de Belfort)
Artois	Arras	Part of Pas-de-Calais
Roussillon	Perpignan	Pyrénées-Orientales
Flandre (Flanders) and Hainaut	Lille and Douai	Nord
Franche-Comté	Besançon	Doubs, Jura, Haute-Saône
Lorraine	Nancy	Most of Vosges, Moselle, former Meurthe (Meurthe-et-Moselle), parts of Meuse, Bas-Rhin, Haut-Rhin, Bas-Rhin, Germany, one commune in Haute-Saône
Barrois	Bar-le-Duc	Parts of Meuse, Meurthe-et-Moselle, small parts of Vosges, Haute-Marne, Moselle, Haute-Saône, two communes in Luxembourg, one in Belgium.
Trois-Évêchés (Three Bishoprics)	Metz	Parts of Moselle, Meurthe-et-Moselle, Meuse, Vosges, one commune in Luxembourg
Corse (Corsica)	Ajaccio and Bastia	Corse
Nivernais	Nevers	Nièvre, small parts of Cher and Yonne, one commune in Allier

Gained territories

Areas that were not part of the Kingdom of France, though they are currently parts of Metropolitan France:

Lost territories

Areas that were part of France in the past but no longer are.

Departments

Below is a list of current departments with the former provinces on their territory.

Department	Prefecture	Former Provinces	Notes
Ain	Bourg-en-Bresse	Bourgogne (Bresse, Bugey, Dombes, Pays de Gex), small part of Lyonnais
Aisne	Laon	Picardie, Île-de-France, Champagne
Allier	Moulins	Bourbonnais, Auvergne, communes from Bourgogne, Nivernais and Berry
Alpes-de-Haute-Provence	Digne-les-Bains	Provence
Hautes-Alpes	Gap	Dauphiné, some communes from Provence
Alpes-Maritimes	Nice	Comté de Nice, Provence
Ardèche	Privas	Vivarais (part of Languedoc)
Ardennes	Charleville-Mézières	Champagne
Ariège	Foix	Comté de Foix, Couserans and Comminges (parts of Gascogne)
Aube	Troyes	Champagne
Aude	Carcassonne	Languedoc
Aveyron	Rodez	Rouergue (part of Guyenne)
Bouches-du-Rhône	Marseille	Provence
Calvados	Caen	Normandie
Cantal	Aurillac	Auvergne
Charente	Angoulême	Angoumois, parts of Saintonge, Poitou, Marche, one commune from Périgord
Charente-Maritime	La Rochelle	Aunis and Saintonge, small parts of Angoumois and Poitou
Cher	Bourges	Berry, parts of Bourbonnais, Nivernais, Orléanais
Corrèze	Tulle	Limousin
Corse-du-Sud	Ajaccio	Corse
Haute-Corse	Bastia	Corse
Côte-d'Or	Dijon	Bourgogne
Côtes-d'Armor	Saint-Brieuc	Bretagne
Creuse	Guéret	Marche
Dordogne	Périgueux	Périgord (part of Guyenne)
Doubs	Besançon	Franche-Comté, Montbéliard
Drôme	Valence	Dauphiné, parts of Provence and Comtat-Venaissin
Eure	Évreux	Normandie
Eure-et-Loir	Chartres	Orléanais, Perche, Île-de-France, two communes from Normandie
Finistère	Quimper	Bretagne
Gard	Nîmes	Languedoc
Haute-Garonne	Toulouse	Languedoc and Gascogne
Gers	Auch	Gascogne (including Armagnac)
Gironde	Bordeaux	Guyenne and Gascogne
Hérault	Montpellier	Languedoc
Ille-et-Vilaine	Rennes	Bretagne
Indre	Châteauroux	Berry, Touraine, parts of Marche and Poitou
Indre-et-Loire	Tours	Touraine
Isère	Grenoble	Dauphiné
Jura	Lons-le-Saunier	Franche-Comté
Landes	Mont-de-Marsan	Guyenne and Gascogne
Loir-et-Cher	Blois	Orléanais, small parts of Touraine, Berry, Maine and Perche
Loire	Saint-Étienne	Lyonnais (including Forez and Beaujolais), two communes from Bourgogne
Haute-Loire	Le Puy-en-Velay	Auvergne and Velay (part of Languedoc), smaller parts of Languedoc and Lyonnais
Loire-Atlantique	Nantes	Bretagne
Loiret	Orléans	Orléanais, Berry
Lot	Cahors	Quercy (part of Guyenne)
Lot-et-Garonne	Agen	Guyenne and Gascogne
Lozère	Mende	Gévaudan (part of Languedoc)
Maine-et-Loire	Angers	Anjou
Manche	Saint-Lô	Normandie
Marne	Châlons-en-Champagne	Champagne
Haute-Marne	Chaumont	Champagne, Lorraine, Bourgogne, Franche-Comté
Mayenne	Laval	Maine, Anjou
Meurthe-et-Moselle	Nancy	Lorraine, including Barrois and Trois-Évêchés
Meuse	Bar-le-Duc	Lorraine, including Barrois and Trois-Évêchés, Montmédy, Carignan
Morbihan	Vannes	Bretagne
Moselle	Metz	Lorraine, including Barrois and Trois-Évêchés
Nièvre	Nevers	Nivernais
Nord	Lille	Flandre (including Hainaut and Cambrésis)
Oise	Beauvais	Île-de-France, Picardie
Orne	Alençon	Normandie, Perche
Pas-de-Calais	Arras	Artois, Picardie
Puy-de-Dôme	Clermont-Ferrand	Auvergne
Pyrénées-Atlantiques	Pau	Béarn
Hautes-Pyrénées	Tarbes	Gascogne (including Bigorre)
Pyrénées-Orientales	Perpignan	Roussillon, part of Languedoc
Bas-Rhin	Strasbourg	Alsace
Haut-Rhin	Colmar	Alsace, Mulhouse
Rhône	Lyon	Lyonnais, including Beaujolais and Forez
Haute-Saône	Vesoul	Franche-Comté
Saône-et-Loire	Mâcon	Bourgogne
Sarthe	Le Mans	Maine, Anjou
Savoie	Chambéry	Savoie (part of Sardinia)
Haute-Savoie	Annecy	Savoie (part of Sardinia)
Paris	Paris	Île-de-France
Seine-Maritime	Rouen	Normandie
Seine-et-Marne	Melun	Île-de-France, Champagne, two communes from Orléanais
Yvelines	Versailles	Île-de-France, small parts of Orléanais
Deux-Sèvres	Niort	Poitou, a few communes from Anjou and Angoumois
Somme	Amiens	Picardie
Tarn	Albi	Languedoc, including Albigeois
Tarn-et-Garonne	Montauban	Languedoc, Guyenne, Gascogne
Var	Toulon	Provence
Vaucluse	Avignon	Comtat-Venaissin, Provence, Principauté d'Orange (part of Dauphiné)
Vendée	La Roche-sur-Yon	Poitou
Vienne	Poitiers	Poitou, Anjou, small parts of Touraine and Marche
Haute-Vienne	Limoges	Limousin, Marche, a few communes from Angoumois and one from Poitou
Vosges	Épinal	Lorraine (including Barrois and Trois-Évêchés), principalty of Salm, small parts of Champagne and Franche-Comté
Yonne	Auxerre	Bourgogne, Champagne, Orléanais, small parts of Nivernais and Île-de-France
Territoire-de-Belfort	Belfort	Alsace
Essonne	Évry	Île-de-France, small part of Orléanais
Hauts-de-Seine	Nanterre	Île-de-France
Seine-Saint-Denis	Bobigny	Île-de-France
Val-de-Marne	Créteil	Île-de-France
Val-d'Oise	Pontoise	Île-de-France

Name changes

The following departments underwent a name change. Two were changed during the Revolution and reverted back to their former names later. Most of the renames happened during the 20th century to remove such adjectives as "Bas" or "Inférieur" because of their perceived negative connotation.

Departments created after 1790

The following departments are the result of changes that occurred after the 1790 reform.

Former departments

The following departments ceased to exist but remained (at least in part) in France.

These departments were created during the First Empire and ceased to exist after Napoléon's defeat in 1814. These territories are no longer part of France.