French King Louis the Saint went down in world history as a just and wise ruler. Thanks to him, France experienced a spiritual flowering that no other European state had seen before. All this gave the monarch the respect of the people, his love and recognition. And even today, the memory of him still lives in the hearts of the French.
King's childhood
Louis IX was born in April 1214 in Prussia. His father was the main heir to the French throne, Louis VIII, and his mother was Blanca of Castile. From a young age, the mother was engaged in the spiritual education of her son, as she herself was a zealous Christian.
Historical annals and books about Saint Louis assure us that the young monarch was a gifted student. His teachers were even surprised at how quickly he learns new skills and knowledge. This fact greatly pleased Father Louis, who saw great potential in his son.
Time of Troubles
In 1223, Louis VIII ascended the throne of France. In his reign, he pursued a strategyfather, that is, he tried to strengthen the borders of the country and suppress the uprisings raised by the English vassals. Alas, it was not easy to do this due to the fact that the enemies formed a strong alliance. Therefore, the only way out was the Crusade, capable of rallying the French aristocracy around the king.
This adventure for Louis VIII turned into a complete disaster. While in the lands of the Muslims, he caught dysentery, which he could not overcome. In October 1226, the king died, handing over the rule of the country to his son Louis IX. But the monarch's testament did not contain a clause about who exactly would become regent under the young ruler.
Because of this, internecine strife began in France, which plunged the country into short-term chaos. It is good that Blanca of Castile was a strong-willed woman and quickly suppressed all applicants who objected to her. Moreover, having shown unprecedented wisdom and prudence, she was able to win two wars: the first - with the Albigensians, the second - with the British. This allowed France to be brought to peace, thus preparing fertile ground for her son's rule.
Young monarch
Saint Louis grew up to be a wise ruler. He carefully weighed all his decisions and never followed his desires. This allowed him to enlist the favor of his vassals, who saw in him a worthy leader who did not want to put them on their knees. Perhaps that is why Louis IX is one of the few kings behind whose back court intrigues were not woven.
It should be noted that the spiritual education of the mother is goodrooted in the mind of the young man. He strictly adhered to the holy commandments and also preached them. Purity and morality for Louis IX were in the first place. And this was evident in everything: his deeds, issued decrees and instructions. Later, his mother admits that she would rather learn about her son's death than about his sin.
And yet Saint Louis was not an ascetic or a recluse. The young king, like most French aristocrats, loved fine clothes. He loved trying on new outfits, demonstrating to everyone his taste. Horses were another weakness of the monarch. Rumor has it that in his stable were the best horses in the country, whose cost more than exceeded the annual budget of a court official.
Marriage of the ruler
As mentioned earlier, the mother had a strong influence on Louis IX. Therefore, it is not surprising that it was she who decided to find a worthy match for her son. After much deliberation, her choice fell on Margaret of Provence, the daughter of Raymond Berenguer IV. This union was politically beneficial for both sides, as it was the guarantor of peace between France and the county of Provence.
The only obstacle was the relationship of Louis and Marguerite. But Blanca of Castile avoided this problem thanks to her connections with Pope Gregory IX. In January 1234, he issued a special document confirming the legality and purity of this marriage. And five months later, Saint Louis and Margaret of Provence got married.
But in one Blanca still miscalculated. After the wedding, it turned out that the youngthe daughter-in-law has a rather stubborn character. In addition, she strongly disliked the fact that Louis relies on his mother for everything. This was the reason for the quarrels that broke out every now and then between these two ladies.
First feat
Most of the early hardships Saint Louis overcame thanks to the support of his mother. Because of this, many nobles for a long time did not see in him a real commander, able to control not only a kind word, but also a formidable fist. Everything changed at the moment when the English king Henry III invaded the French lands in the hope of regaining the once lost counties.
Louis IX not only gathered troops with lightning speed, but also chose a tactically correct battle strategy. Thanks to this, he won an impeccable victory over the enemy at Talliebourg in 1242. At the same time, the French king remained merciful to the losing side. He issued a decree allowing the British to go home in peace. Moreover, a little later, he returned part of the occupied lands to Henry III, guided by his Christian motives.
The King's First Crusade
Louis IX from early childhood wanted to go on a crusade. This was his dream, fortified by an unshakable faith in God. Therefore, when in 1244 the monarch fell ill from illness, the clergy saw this as a sign. They decided that healing would come to him only after Saint Louis led his army in the seventh crusade. Indeed, as soon as the king accepted the pilgrim's staff and received the blessing of the Pope,how the disease receded.
Preparation for a new Crusade (the seventh in a row) ended in the summer of 1248. And already in September, the king's troops, along with the pilgrims, landed in Cyprus. Here they arranged a transit point, from which a long journey to Muslim lands began. It is noteworthy that Saint Louis wanted to get to Jerusalem through Egypt, which was an extremely risky move.
In the beginning, the advance inland was quite fast. In June 1249, the crusaders were even able to take the impregnable port city of Damietta. But that was the end of their brilliant victories. The flooding of the Nile has only exacerbated the current state of affairs. Louis' troops, cut off from their target, lost morale, leading to internecine strife.
But the main problem was the Saracens. During the idle time of the troops, they managed to assemble a strong army capable of holding back any onslaught. But even this was not the reason for the defeat of the crusaders. Having chosen the wrong tactics, Louis led his people across the ford of the local river, where they were caught by the Muslim army. Most of the soldiers died on the spot, and the king himself was taken prisoner.
Fortunately, Louis was not executed. Instead, the Saracens demanded a large ransom and the return of Damietta. Naturally, the king could not refuse such a deal, after which he was immediately released. But he got home only in 1254, as he remained in Egypt for a long time, stipulating the conditions for the return of the rest of the prisoners.
The Wise King
A book about the deeds of St. Louis, written by his contemporary,tells us about exactly what successes the king achieved in governing his country. Historians believe that his greatest merit is the modernization of the ship system. So, he issued a set of norms and laws that applied to all his subjects, whether they were aristocrats or commoners.
Besides this, the French finally got the opportunity to challenge any decision of the local court by filing an appeal with the royal court. They could also ask for legal assistance from lawyers or peers. Thanks to this, the common people fell in love with their king even more, and the aristocracy began to tirelessly repeat about his wisdom and prudence.
An important change was the introduction of the prevote system. Simply put, the king divided his country into 12 clearly defined districts. This allowed to resolve all misunderstandings related to the right of the vassal to the land. In addition, Saint Louis introduced a single state currency, which was valid throughout France.
Great Architect
During the reign of Louis IX, more than a dozen churches and monasteries were built in France. it was he who proposed the design of the cathedral in Reims, erected the monastery of Royomont, and so on. Thanks to this, the French even today can contemplate the architectural masterpieces of the Gothic Middle Ages.
Furthermore, even outside of his kingdom, there are shrines dedicated to the wise king. For example, in honor of the monarch, the Cathedral of St. Louis was built, which is located in Tunisia.
Eighth Crusade: Death of a King
Dreamconquer the Muslim world never left the heart of Louis IX. Therefore, in 1269, he again gathers an army in order to go on another Crusade. In March 1270, an army of thousands of crusaders landed in Tunisia, led by their king. However, Louis, remembering his defeat, decides not to rush the offensive and wait until the rest of the forces from the mainland pull up to him.
It was this decision that later ruined the French king. A large crowd of people led to an outbreak of an unknown disease, which grew into a real epidemic. The king's son Tristan was the first to die, and after him, on August 25, Saint Louis himself died. A film recently shot by the BBC describes well the last days of the great ruler, spent in constant prayer and regret for the unconquered Jerusalem.
Memory of Louis IX
The merits of the wise king were appreciated by his contemporaries. In particular, in August 1297, Pope Boniface VIII canonized the monarch as a saint. After that, the king began to be called Saint Louis of France. No less flattering about him are historians who believe that he gave his country the much-desired calm and peace.
Therefore, it is not surprising that several cathedrals and cultural monuments were erected in his honor. For example, even in the capital of Russia, Moscow, there is a church of St. Louis, named after the same great French ruler.
