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  • 1226-1270: King of France
  • AKA: Saint Louis of France
  • 1248-1254: Leader of Seventh Crusade
  • 1270: Leader of the Eighth Crusade
  • Aug 25: Saint Louis Day

Louis IX the Saint Capet of France, King of France, was born 25 April 1214 in Poissy, France to Louis VIII Capet (1187-1226) and Blanca of Castile (1188-1252) and died 25 August 1270 Tunis, Tunisia of dysentery. He married Marguerite de Provence (1221-1295) 27 May 1234 JL .

Biography

King Louis IX of France, also known as Saint Louis, was born on April 25, 1214, and reigned as king from 1226 until his death on August 25, 1270. He was the son of King Louis VIII of France and Blanche of Castile.

Louis IX was known for his strong religious devotion and commitment to justice. He is perhaps best known for his many acts of charity, including feeding and clothing the poor, building hospitals and orphanages, and establishing a number of universities. He also oversaw the construction of several magnificent Gothic cathedrals, including the famous Sainte-Chapelle in Paris.

During his reign, Louis IX took part in two crusades, the Seventh Crusade (1248-1254) and the Eighth Crusade (1270), in an effort to defend Christian holy lands in the Middle East. While he was initially successful in his campaigns, he was ultimately defeated and taken prisoner during the Seventh Crusade, but was eventually released in exchange for a hefty ransom.

Louis IX was also known for his efforts to reform the French legal system. He established the "parlement," a court of appeal, and appointed professional judges to hear cases. He also abolished the practice of trial by combat and encouraged the use of written legal documents.

Louis IX was canonized as a saint in 1297, and is the only French king to have been officially recognized as a saint by the Catholic Church. He is celebrated in France on August 25th each year as "Saint Louis Day."

Early life

Louis was born on 25 April 1214 at Poissy, near Paris, the son of Louis the Lion and Blanche of Castile,[1] and was baptized there in La Collégiale Notre-Dame church. His grandfather on his father's side was Philip II, king of France; his grandfather on his mother's side was Alfonso VIII, king of Castile. Tutors of Blanche's choosing taught him Latin, public speaking, writing, military arts, and government.[2] He was nine years old when his grandfather Philip II died and his father became King Louis VIII.[3]

Louis was 12 years old when his father died on 8 November 1226. He was crowned king within the month at Reims Cathedral. His mother, Blanche, ruled France as regent during his minority.[4] Louis's mother instilled in him her devout Christianity. She is once recorded to have said:[5]

I love you, my dear son, as much as a mother can love her child; but I would rather see you dead at my feet than that you should ever commit a mortal sin.

His younger brother Charles I of Sicily (1227–85) was created count of Anjou, thus founding the Capetian Angevin dynasty.

Eighth Crusade Death

Mort de Louis IX le Saint

Death of Saint Louis: On 25 August 1270, Saint Louis dies in his tent, ornamented with royal symbols, near Tunis. Illuminated by Jean Fouquet, Grandes Chroniques de France (1455–1460)

In a parliament held at Paris, 24 March 1267, Louis and his three sons "took the cross." On hearing the reports of the missionaries, Louis resolved to land at Tunis, and he ordered his younger brother, Charles of Anjou, to join him there. The crusaders, among whom was the English prince Edward Longshanks, landed at Carthage 17 July 1270, but disease broke out in the camp. Many died of dysentery, and on 25 August, Louis himself died.[6][7] His son Jean Tristan Capet (1250-1270) also died during this expedition.


Marriage & Family

On 27 May 1234, Louis married Marguerite de Provence (1221-1295); she was crowned in the cathedral of Sens the next day.[8] Margaret was the sister of Eleanor of Provence, who later married Henry III of England. The new queen's religious zeal made her a well-suited partner for the king, and they are attested to have gotten along well, enjoying riding together, reading, and listening to music. His closeness to Margaret aroused jealousy in his mother, who tried to keep the couple apart as much as she could.[9]

  1. Blanche Capet (1240-1243), died age 3.[1]
  2. Isabelle Capet (1241-1271), married King Theobald II of Navarre, 1 daughter.[10]
  3. Louis Capet (1244-1260). their eldest surviving son who died at the age of 16. Betrothed to Berengaria of Castile in Paris on 20 August 1255.[11]
  4. Philippe III Capet (1245-1285), married firstly to Isabella of Aragon in 1262 and secondly to Maria of Brabant in 1274.
  5. Jean Capet (c1247-1248) died in infancy.[1]
  6. Jean Tristan Capet (1250-1270), Count of Valois, married Yolande II, Countess of Nevers.[1] He also died on the 8th Crusade expedition with his father.
  7. Pierre Capet (1251-1284),[1] Count of Perche and Alençon, married Joanne of Châtillon.
  8. Blanche Capet (1253-1320), married Ferdinand de la Cerda, Infante of Castile[1] son of King Alfonso X of Castile, and had two children.
  9. Marguerite Capet (1254-1271), married John I, Duke of Brabant.[1]
  10. Robert de Clermont (1256-1317), Count of Clermont,[1] married Beatrice of Burgundy. The French crown devolved upon his male-line descendant, Henry IV (the first Bourbon king), when the legitimate male line of Philip III died out in 1589.
  11. Agnes Capet (1260-1327), married Robert II, Duke of Burgundy[1] and had six children.

Louis and Margaret's two children who died in infancy were first buried at the Cistercian abbey of Royaumont. In 1820 they were transferred and reinterred to Saint-Denis Basilica.[12]

Louis IX was a devoted family man and spent much of his time with his wife and children. He was known for his strict but loving parenting style, and often took his children with him on his crusades. His descendants would go on to rule France for over 300 years.


There are several contemporary references on the life of King Louis IX of France that are considered to be some of the best sources of information about him. Here are a few: The biography written by Jean de Joinville - Joinville was a close friend and confidant of Louis IX, and his biography, "The Life of Saint Louis," is considered one of the most important contemporary sources on the king's life. Joinville accompanied Louis IX on both of his crusades and provides a detailed account of his military campaigns, as well as his personal life and religious devotion. The "Grandes Chroniques de France" - This is a chronicle of French history that was commissioned by King Louis IX in the 13th century. It provides a detailed account of the king's reign, as well as the events leading up to his ascension to the throne. The writings of Matthew Paris - Matthew Paris was an English chronicler who wrote extensively about the reign of King Louis IX. His works provide an outside perspective on Louis' life and reign, as well as valuable insights into the political and social context of the time. The "Livre des Merveilles du Monde" - This is a travelogue written



Children


Offspring of Louis IX of France and Marguerite de Provence (1221-1295)
Name Birth Death Joined with
Blanche Capet (1240-1243)
Isabelle Capet (1241-1271) 1241 1271 Teobaldo II de Navarra (1238-1270)
Louis Capet (1244-1260)
Philippe III Capet (1245-1285) 30 April 1245 Poissy, Île-de-France, France 5 October 1285 Perpignan, Languedoc-Roussillon, France Isabella of Aragon (1247-1271)
Maria van Brabant (1256-1321)
Jean Capet (c1247-1248)
Jean Tristan Capet (1250-1270)
Pierre Capet (1251-1284)
Blanche Capet (1253-1320) 1253 Jaffa, Israel 17 June 1320 Paris, France Fernando of Castile (1256-1275)
Marguerite Capet (1254-1271) 1254 1271 Jan I van Brabant (1253-1294)
Robert de Clermont (1256-1317) 1256 7 February 1317 Béatrice de Bourgogne (1257-1310)
Agnes Capet (1260-1327) 1260 19 December 1327 Robert II de Bourgogne (1248-1306)



Siblings


Offspring of Louis VIII Capet (1187-1226) and Blanca of Castile (1188-1252)
Name Birth Death Joined with
Blanche Capet (1205-1206) 1205 Paris, Île-de-France, France 1206 Paris, Île-de-France, France
Agnes Capet (1207-1207) 1207 Paris, Île-de-France, France 1207 Paris, Île-de-France, France
Philippe Capet (1209-1218) 9 September 1209 Paris, Île-de-France, France 30 June 1218 Paris, Île-de-France, France
Alphonse Capet (1213-1213) 26 January 1213 Paris, Île-de-France, France 1213 Paris, Île-de-France, France
John Capet (1213-1213) 26 January 1213 Paris, Île-de-France, France 1213 Paris, Île-de-France, France
Louis IX Capet (1214-1270) 25 April 1214 Poissy, France 25 August 1270 Tunis, Tunisia Marguerite de Provence (1221-1295)
Robert Capet (1216-1250) 1216 8 February 1250 Mansoura, Egypt Mathildis van Brabant (1224-1288)
Philippe Capet (1218-1220) 20 February 1218 Paris, Île-de-France, France 1220 Paris, Île-de-France, France
John Tristan Capet (1219-1232) 21 July 1219 Paris, Île-de-France, France 1232 Paris, Île-de-France, France
Alphonse Capet (1220-1271) 11 November 1220 Poissy, Yvelines, Île-de-France, France 21 August 1271 Savona, Liguria, Italy Jeanne de Toulouse (1220-1271)
Philippe Dagobert Capet (1222-1232) 20 February 1222 Paris, Île-de-France, France 1232 Paris, Île-de-France, France
Isabel Capet (1225-1269) 14 April 1225 Paris, Île-de-France, France 23 February 1270 Paris, Île-de-France, France
Stephen Capet (1225-1227) 31 December 1225 Paris, Île-de-France, France 27 March 1227 Paris, Île-de-France, France
Charles Capet (1226-1285) March 1226 Paris, France 7 January 1285 Foggia, Apulia, Italy Béatrice de Provence (1231-1267)
Marguerite de Tonnerre (1250-1308)


Ancestry Trees

See Also

  • wikipedia:en:Louis IX of France
  • Louis IX of France at thePeerage
  • Capetian Kings - Foundation for Medieval Genealogy
  • Louis IX of France - Geni.com
  • Louis IX of France at Find A Grave
  • Brown, Elizabeth A. R. (Autumn 1990). "Authority, the Family, and the Dead in Late Medieval France". French Historical Studies 16 (4): 803–832. DOI:10.2307/286323. 
  • Cross, Frank Leslie, ed (2005). The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-1928-0290-9. 
  • Davis, Jennifer R. (Autumn 2010). "The Problem of King Louis IX of France: Biography, Sanctity, and Kingship". Journal of Interdisciplinary History 41 (2): 209–225. DOI:10.1162/JINH_a_00050. 
  • Dupuy, Trevor N. (1993). The Harper Encyclopedia of Military History. HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0-062-70056-8. 
  • Gaposchkin, M. Cecilia (2008). The Making of Saint Louis: Kingship, Sanctity, and Crusade in the Later Middle Ages. Cornell University Press. ISBN 978-0-801-47625-9. 
  • Jackson, Peter (July 1980). "The Crisis in the Holy Land in 1260". The English Historical Review 95 (376): 481–513. DOI:10.1093/ehr/XCV.CCCLXXVI.481. ISSN 0013-8266. 
  • Jordan, William Chester (1979). Louis IX and the Challenge of the Crusade: A Study in Rulership. Princeton University Press. ISBN 978-0-691-05285-4. 
  •    (2017). "A Border Policy? Louis IX and the Spanish Connection". In Liang, Yuen-Gen. Authority and Spectacle in Medieval and Early Modern Europe: Essays in Honor of Teofilo F. Ruiz. Routledge. 
  • Le Goff, Jacques (2009). Saint Louis. University of Notre Dame Press. ISBN 978-0-268-03381-1. 
  • Lock, Peter (2013). The Routledge Companion to the Crusades. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-135-13137-1. 
  • Magill, Frank Northen, ed (1998). Dictionary of World Biography: The Middle Ages. 2. Routledge. ISBN 1-5795-8041-6. 
  • Shadis, Miriam (2010). Berenguela of Castile (1180–1246) and Political Women in the High Middle Ages. Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 978-0-312-23473-7. 
  • Richard, Jean (1983). Lloyd, Simon. ed. Saint Louis: Crusader King of France. Cambridge University Press. 
  • Streyer, J.R. (1962). "The Crusades of Louis IX". In Setton, K.M.. A History of the Crusades. II. Philadelphia. pp. 487–521. 
  • Sumption, Jonathan (1978). The Albigensian Crusade. Faber and Faber. ISBN 978-0-571-20002-3. 
  • Tyerman, Christopher (2006). God's War: A New History of the Crusades. The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press. 
  • Westerhof, Danielle (16 October 2008). Death and the Noble Body in Medieval England. Boydell Press. ISBN 978-1-843-83416-8. 

Contemporary References

There are several contemporary references on the life of King Louis IX of France that are considered to be some of the best sources of information about him. Here are a few:

  1. The biography written by Jean de Joinville - Joinville was a close friend and confidant of Louis IX, and his biography, "The Life of Saint Louis," is considered one of the most important contemporary sources on the king's life. Joinville accompanied Louis IX on both of his crusades and provides a detailed account of his military campaigns, as well as his personal life and religious devotion.
  2. The "Grandes Chroniques de France" - This is a chronicle of French history that was commissioned by King Louis IX in the 13th century. It provides a detailed account of the king's reign, as well as the events leading up to his ascension to the throne.
  3. The writings of Matthew Paris - Matthew Paris was an English chronicler who wrote extensively about the reign of King Louis IX. His works provide an outside perspective on Louis' life and reign, as well as valuable insights into the political and social context of the time.
  4. The "Livre des Merveilles du Monde" - This is a travelogue written by Marco Polo, who visited France during the reign of King Louis IX. His account provides a unique perspective on the king's court and his reputation as a just and pious ruler.


Footnotes

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Richard 1983, p. xxiv.
  2. ^ "Saint Louis, King of France, Archdiocese of St. Louis, MO.". http://archstl.org/becomingcatholic/page/saint-louis-king-france. 
  3. ^ Plaque in the church, Collégiale Notre-Dame, Poissy, France.
  4. ^ "Louis IX". Encarta. Microsoft Corporation. 2008. 
  5. ^ Fr. Paolo O. Pirlo, SHMI (1997). "St. Louis". My First Book of Saints. Sons of Holy Mary Immaculate – Quality Catholic Publications. pp. 193–194. ISBN 971-91595-4-5. 
  6. ^ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named brehier
  7. ^ Magill & Aves 1998, p. 606.
  8. ^ Richard 1983, p. 64.
  9. ^ Richard 1983, p. 65.
  10. ^ Jordan 2017, p. 25.
  11. ^ Jordan 2017, pp. 25–26.
  12. ^ Brown 1990, p. 810.
Louis IX Capet (1214-1270)
Born: 25 April 1214 Died: 25 August 1270
Regnal titles
Preceded by
Louis VIII
King of France
8 November 1226 – 25 August 1270
Succeeded by
Philip III


Footnotes (including sources)

‡ General



Rtol, Phlox, Thurstan, MainTour

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