The Duchy of Berry (French pronunciation: [beʁi] ⓘ; Occitan: Barric; Latin: Bituria) was a former province located in central France.
It is also known for an illuminated manuscript produced in the 14th–15th century called Les Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry.
The title of 'Duke of Berry' was by this period divested of territorial significance, and instead held by princes of the royal house, the last of which was Charles Ferdinand d'Artois.
In 1505 however, the last Duchess of Berry Joan of France died of natural causes and the title was merged into the royal domain.
The dukes included: The name of Berry, like that of its capital, Bourges, originated with the Gaulish tribe of the Bituriges,[4] who settled in the area before the Roman armies of Julius Caesar conquered Gaul.
La Brenne, located west of Châteauroux and east of Tournon-Saint-Martin in the Indre department, is a region which of old straddled on the former provinces of Berry and Touraine, and is now a protected natural area (Parc naturel régional de la Brenne) as well called Pays des mille étangs, because of its many ponds created since the 8th c. by the monks of the local abbeys for pisciculture.