Local stories
The King of Yvetot, the history behind the legend.
In 536, Gautier d’Yvetot was assassinated by King Clotaire I. Fearing reprisals from the Pope, Clotaire decided to release Yvetot and its inhabitants from their obligations to the Kingdom. As a result, Yvetot became a landlocked territory within the then Kingdom of France, enjoying tax exemptions and other privileges. The principality’s border extended beyond the current town limits to included the former parishes of Saint-Clair-sur-les-Monts, Sainte-Marie-des-Champs and Écalles-Alix.
Attracted by these advantages, many merchants and artisans established their businesses in Yvetot, which became a renowned venue for fairs and markets.
In the 16th century, the lawyers of the Kings of France introduced a harmonisation of the tax regimes giving all authority to the King of France, leading King Henry II in 1553 to abolish the special rights granted to the Lords of Yvetot. Martin du Bellay had to renounce his title of King of Yvetot but retained the tax exemptions. Yvetot was a principality like present-day Monaco, placing itself under French protection while enjoying certain benefits. Among the kings and princes of Yvetot were writers, such as Martin I de Bellay, companion of François I during the Italian campaigns, or philosophers such as Camille III d’Albon, who fought against slavery during the Age of Enlightenment.
Of this history, there remains a trace in the song made famous by Beranger: Il était un Roi d’Yvetot.
Learn more about Yvetot’s history HERE.
