Editing Gascony (section)

{{Short description|Former province in southwestern France (1453–1789)}}
{{other uses|Gascony (disambiguation)}}
{{more citations needed|date=April 2019}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2020}}
[[Image:MapOfGascony.png|thumb|A map of Gascony, showing a wide definition of the region. Other definitions may encompass a smaller area.]]

'''Gascony''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|ɡ|æ|s|k|ə|n|i}}; {{langx|oc|Gasconha}} {{IPA|oc|ɡasˈkuɲɔ|}})<ref>{{langx|fr|Gascogne}} {{IPA|fr|ɡaskɔɲ|}}; {{langx|eu|Gaskoinia}}</ref> was a [[Provinces of France|province]] of the southwestern [[Kingdom of France]] that succeeded the [[Duchy of Gascony]] (602–1453). From the 17th century until the [[French Revolution]] (1789–1799), it was part of the combined Province of [[Guyenne]] and Gascony. The region is vaguely defined, and the distinction between Guyenne and Gascony is unclear; by some they are seen to overlap, while others consider Gascony a part of Guyenne. Most definitions put Gascony east and south of [[Bordeaux]].

It is currently divided between the [[Regions of France|region]] of [[Nouvelle-Aquitaine]] (departments of [[Landes (department)|Landes]], [[Pyrénées-Atlantiques]], southwestern [[Gironde]], and southern [[Lot-et-Garonne]]) and the region of [[Occitania (administrative region)|Occitanie]] (departments of [[Gers]], [[Hautes-Pyrénées]], southwestern [[Tarn-et-Garonne]], and western [[Haute-Garonne]]).

Gascony was historically inhabited by [[Basques|Basque]]-related people who appear to have spoken a language similar to [[Basque language|Basque]]. The name Gascony comes from the same root as the word Basque (see [[Gascony#Wasconia|Wasconia]] below). From the [[Middle Ages]] until today, the [[Gascon language]] has been spoken, usually classified as a regional variety of the [[Occitan language]].

Gascony is the land of [[Charles de Batz-Castelmore d'Artagnan|d'Artagnan]], who inspired [[Alexandre Dumas, père|Alexandre Dumas]]'s character d'Artagnan in ''[[The Three Musketeers]]'', as well as the land of [[Cyrano de Bergerac (play)|Cyrano de Bergerac]], the eponymous character of the play by [[Edmond Rostand]] and the home of Emily St. Aubert, the central character of [[The Mysteries of Udolpho]] by Ann Radcliffe. It is also home to [[Henry III of Navarre]], who later became king of France as [[Henry IV of France|Henry IV]].