PICARDY(La Picardie), one of the old feudal provinces of France, was bounded N. by Hainault, Artois, and the English Channel, E. by Champagne, S. by île-de France, and W. by Normandy and the Channel. Northern Picardy (subdivided into Upper and Lower Picardy) was formed into one of the great military governorships of the kingdom, while Southern Picardy was included in the governorship of Île-de-France. Upper Picardy comprised the districts (pays) of Amienois, Sanierte, Vermandois, and Thierache; Lower Picardy Boulonnais, Ponthieu, Vimeu, and the Pays Reconquis (or Calais, Guines, Ardre, and Oye); and Southern Picardy Beauvaisis, Soissonais, and Laonnais. The territory is now divided among the departments of Pas-de-Calais, Somme, Aisne, Oise, and Nord.

The name Picardy does not appear before the 13th century. Under the Romans the country formed part of Belgica Secunda, and was inhabited by various Belgian tribes—the Morini, Ambiani, Veromandui, Bellovaci, and Suessiones, whose names still appear in Amiens, Vermandois, Beauvais, and Soissons. After forming part of the kingdom of Soissons and of Neustria, Picardy (that is, the countship of Vermandois, &c.) passed to the counts of Flanders. It was finally united with the French crown by Louis XI.

See De Vérité (1770-74), Dubelloy (1770). La Bourt (1840), Roger (1842-43), and Cocheris (1854). V. de Beauvillé has published a magnificent Recueil de documents inédits concernant la Picardie, 1861, 1867, <fcc.