Free County of Burgundy

The Free County of Burgundy, also known as Franche-Comté, was a feudal polity ruled by a count from its founding in 982 until its dissolution in 1678. Located in the modern region of Franche-Comté, it was part of the wider historical region of Upper Burgundy and bordered the Duchy of Burgundy. Initially part of the Kingdom of Upper Burgundy and then the Kingdom of Arles, it was incorporated into the Holy Roman Empire in 1032. As an imperial county, it enjoyed a high degree of autonomy, with its rulers holding the title of Freigraf. From 1493, it was ruled by the House of Habsburg until its final conquest by France in 1674, formalized by the Treaties of Nijmegen in 1678.