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: