Neustria was a historical region in Western Europe during the early medieval period, primarily from the sixth to ninth centuries.
It was situated in what is now northern and western France, as well as parts of modern-day Belgium. It was the western part of the Frankish Kingdom and was bordered to the east by Austrasia, another major division of the Frankish realm.
Neustria was the western part of the Frankish Kingdom. The division of the Frankish Kingdom into Neustria and Austrasia was primarily a political and administrative distinction, and it had its origins in the Merovingian dynasty. The Merovingian kings often had separate courts and centers of power in the two regions.
Neustria was inhabited by both Frankish and Romanized Gallo-Roman populations. Latin was the administrative and literary language, but the Franks, who were Germanic in origin, also played a significant role in shaping the region’s culture.
Neustria and Austrasia had a history of rivalry and conflicts, with the Merovingian kings frequently struggling to maintain control over both regions. These internal divisions contributed to the overall fragmentation of the Frankish Kingdom.
In the eighth century, the Carolingian dynasty, led by Charles Martel and later Charlemagne, consolidated power in the Frankish Kingdom and gradually reunited Neustria and Austrasia under their rule. This marked the decline of the Merovingian dynasty and the rise of the Carolingians.
The name “Neustria” gradually fell out of use as the Carolingian established a unified Frankish realm. By the ninth century, the division between Neustria and Austrasia had largely disappeared, and the entire region was collectively referred to as the Carolingian Empore.
The name “Neustria” is derived from the Latin Neustrasia, which means “new land” or “western land,” and it reflects the region’s position in the western part of the Frankish Kingdom.
In Arthurian literature, Geoffrey of Monmouth ascribes the duchy Neustria to Bedivere.