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Franconia

Franconia (German, Franken), a region in Germany now part of Bavaria. The area was the seat of the Salian Holy Roman Emperors, and is considered one of the five original stem duchies that made up the Holy Roman Empire. Throughout the Middle Ages and into the Early Modern period, much of Upper Franconia, especially those areas that had once been parts of Thuringia, fell under the control of the Bishop of Bamberg, the Bishop of Würzburg, and the Abbot of Fulda.

In 1803, Napoleon incorporated Franconia into Bavaria, to which it still belongs today.

Franconia was divided into three administration districts: Lower Franconia (Unterfranken), Middle Franconia (Mittelfranken), and Upper Franconia (Oberfranken).

The state colors (Landesfarben) of Franconia were (and still are) red and white.


The name Franconia has also been applied to places in the United States of America: