    |
Capetian DynastyFrom Hugh Capet to Charles IV
Buy this Art Print at AllPosters.com
Originally conceded by election, kingship did not become hereditary among the Capetians until 1179. The Capetians initially controlled only the duchy of France (Paris and Orleans), but owing to a shrewd and persistent policy of annexation their jurisdiction progressively extended to other regions : Artois, Vermandois and Auvergne were incorporated into the kingdom under Philip Augustus (1180-1223), who also confiscated from the English monarch John Lackland the territories of Anjou (birthplace of the Plantagenet family), Maine, Normandy, Poitou, Saintonge, and Touraine. Capetian dominions further expanded to include the county of Toulouse under Philip III the Bold (1270-1285), and later Champagne, Angoumois, and the county of Lyons under Philip IV the Fair (1285-1314). The direct Capetian line produced 14 monarchs, among them Saint Louis (1226-1270) , then died out with Charles IV the Fair (1323-1328), the last of Philip IV the Fair's three sons. They were succeeded by the Valois branch of the Capetians, of which Charles V was the third to rule after Philip VI of Valois (1328-1350) and John II the Good (1350-1364) . The Valois line endured until the death of Henry III in 1589. His successor, Henry IV (1589-1614) was the first Capetian king of the Bourbon line, which continued without interruption until Louis XVI was deposed in 1791. King of France from 987 to 996. Born in 938 in Paris, he came from a powerful and influential family of the Germanic aristocracy of France, two members of which had already been elected King of France in the ninth and tenth centuries. Hugh Capet was the eldest son of Hugh the Great, then the most powerful man in the kingdom, and of Hedwige of Saxony (c.910-c.965), daughter of King Henry I and sister of Emperor Otto I. Hugh Capet wanted to become a lay abbot, and in 980 arranged to move the relics of St. Valery to Amiens Cathedral. He inherited his father's vast estates and became the most powerful noble of his time. From 978 to 986, Hugh Capet allied himself with the German emperors Otto II and Otto III and with archbishop Adalbero of Reims to dominate the weak Carolingian king, Lothair. By 985, he was king in all but name. After Lothair and his son died in early 987, the archbishop of Reims convinced an assembly of nobles to elect Hugh Capet as their king. He was crowned King of France at Noyon, Picardie on July 3, 987, the first of the Capetian dynasty to rule France. Hugh Capet possessed minor properties near Chartres and Anjou. Between Paris and Orl�ans he possessed towns and estates amounting to approximately 400 square miles (1,000 km�). His authority ended there, and if he dared travel outside his small area, he risked being captured and held for ransom or even murdered. Indeed, there was a plot in 993 masterminded by the Bishop of Laon and Eudes I of Blois to deliver Hugh Capet into the custody of Otto III. The plot failed, but the fact that no one was punished illustrates how tenuous his hold on power was. Beyond his power base, in the rest of France, there were still as many codes of law as there were fiefdoms. The country operated with 150 different forms of currency and at least a dozen languages. Uniting all this into one cohesive unit was a formidable task and a constant struggle between those who wore the crown of France and its feudal lords.
As such, Hugh Capet's reign was marked by numerous power struggles with the vassals on the borders of the Seine and the Loire. Beyond his realm, the investiture and then deposition of Arnulf, nephew of the duke of Lorraine, as archbishop of Reims involved the king and bishops in conflict with Pope John XV that was not yet resolved at Hugh Capet's death in 996. While Hugh Capet's military power was limited and he had to seek military aid from the Duke of Normandy, his unanimous election as king gave him great moral authority and influence. Robert II (March 27, 972 - July 20, 1031) was King of France from 996 to 1031. A member of the Capetian Dynasty, Robert II was born on March 27, 972 in Orl�ans, France, the son of King Hugh Capet (938-996) and Adelaide of Aquitaine (952-1004). In 987, Robert's father had the nobles crown him as successor at Orl�ans on December 30th, thereby confirming the house of Capet as rulers of France. After Robert became king he did as his father and crowned his eldest son Hugh as his successor. But, due to Prince Hugh's death, another son, Henri, became king. Robert, despite marital problems that saw him temporarily excommunicated by Pope Gregory V, was a very devout Roman Catholic, hence the name Robert the Pious. He was very musically inclined and was a composer, a chorister, and a poet, making his palace a place of religious seclusion, where he conducted the matins and vespers in his royal robes.
The kingdom Robert inherited was not large, and in an effort to increase his power, he vigorously pursued his claim to any of the feudal lands as they became vacant which action usually resulted in war with a counter-claimant. In 1003, his invasion of Burgundy was thwarted and it would not be until 1016 that he was finally able to get the support of the Church and be recognized as the Duke of Burgundy. The pious King Robert II made few friends and many enemies, including his own sons Henri and Robert. They turned against their father, in a civil war for power and property. King Robert's army was beaten and he retreated to Beaugency outside Paris. He died in the middle of the war with his sons on July 20, 1031 at Melun, France. He was interred with his third wife, Constance d'Arles (973-July 25, 1032) in Saint Denis Basilica. He was succeeded by his and Constance's second son, Henri I. He was an ancestor to Isabella of France and Isabella of Castile, and so he is the ancestor to the present-day British royal family, including Elizabeth II, Queen of England. Henry I (May 4, 1008�August 4, 1060) was King of France from 1031 to 1060. A member of the Capetian Dynasty, Henri was born in Reims, France, the son of King Robert II (972�1031) and Constance d'Arles (973�1032). He was crowned King of France at the Cathedral in Reims on May 14, 1027. The reign of Henri I, like those of his predecessors, was marked by territorial struggles, including joining his brother Robert in a revolt against his father. In a strategic move, Henri came to the rescue of his very young nephew-in-law, the newly appointed Duke William of Normandy, (who would go on to become William the Conqueror), to suppress a revolt by William's vassals. In 1047 Henri secured the dukedom for William in their decisive victory over the vassals at a battle near Caen. A few years later, when William, who was cousin to king Edward the Confessor of England, married the daughter of the count of Flanders, King Henri I feared William's potential power. In 1054 and again in 1058 Henri went to war to try to conquer Normandy from William, but on both occasions he was defeated. Despite his efforts, Henri's thirty-year reign saw feudal power in France reach its pinnacle. King Henri I died on August 4, 1060 in Vitry-en-Brie, France, and was interred in Saint Denis Basilica. He was succeeded by his son, Philippe I, who was 7 at the time of his death; for six years Henri's queen, Anne of Kiev, ruled as regent. He was also duke of Burgundy from 1016 to 1032, when he abdicated the duchy to his brother Robert Capet Philip I (May 23, 1052 � July 29, 1108) was King of France. A member of the Capetian Dynasty, Philippe was born on May 23, 1052, the son of Henri I (1008-1060) and Princess Anne of Kiev (1024 - 1075). His name (derived from the Greek Philippos, "lover of horses") was rather exotic for Western Europe at the time; it was bestowed upon him by his Russian mother. Although he was crowned king at the age of seven, until 1066 his mother acted as Regent, the first queen ever to do so. Although the marriage produced the necessary heir, Philippe fell in love with Bertrade de Montfort, the wife of Count Fulk IV of Anjou. He repudiated his first wife Bertha and married Bertrade on May 15, 1092. In 1094, he was excommunicated by Hugh, bishop of Lyon for the first time; after long silence, Pope Urban II repeated the excommunication at the council of Clermont in November 1095. Several times the ban was lifted as Philippe promised to to part with Bertrade, but he always returned to her, and after 1104, the ban was not repeated. In France, the king was opposed by Bishop Ivo of Chartres, a famous canonist. Philippe appointed Alberic, the first Constable of France in 1060. A great part of Philippe's reign, like his father's, was spent putting down revolts by his power-hungry vassals. In 1077, he made peace with William I of England (Duke of Normandy) who gave up attempting the conquest of Brittany. In 1082, Philippe expanded his empire with the annexation of Vexin, then in 1100, he took control of Bourges. It was during Philippe's time that the First Crusade was launched in 1095 which he at first did not personally support because of his conflict with Urban II. Urban would not have allowed him to participate anyway, as he had reaffirmed Philippe's excommunication at the Council of Clermont before he called for the Crusade. Philippe's brother Hugh of Vermandois, however, was a major participant. King Philippe I died in the castle at Melun on July 29, 1108 and was buried at the monastery of Saint-Beno�t-sur-Loire -- and not in St Denis with almost all Capetian kings. According to Abbot Suger: "...King Philippe daily grew feebler. For after he had abducted the Countess of Anjou, he could achieve nothing worthy of the royal dignity; consumed by desire for the lady he had seized, he gave himself up entirely to the satisfaction of his passion. So he lost interest in the affairs of state and, relaxing too much, took no care for his body, well-made and handsome though it was. The only thing that maintained the strength of the state was the fear and love felt for his son and successor. When he was almost sixty, he ceased to be king, breathing his last breath at the castle of Melun-sur-Seine, in the presence of the [future king] Louis... They carried the body in a great procession to the noble monastery of St-Beno�t-sur-Loire, where King Philippe wished to be buried; there are those who say the heard from his own mouth that he deliberately chose not to be buried among his royal ancestors in the church of St. Denis because he had not treated that church as well as they had, and because among so many noble kings his own tomb would not have counted for much." He was succeeded by his son, Louis VI whose succession was, however, not uncontested. Louis VI (December 1, 1081 � August 1, 1137) was king of France from 1108 to 1137. A member of the Capetian Dynasty, Louis was born in Paris, the son of Philippe I of France, and Bertha of Holland (1055-1094). Almost all of his 29 year reign was spent fighting either the "robber barons" who plagued Paris, or the English. Nonetheless, King Louis managed to reinforce his power considerably and endeared himself to the working classes of France. Louis VI died on August 1, 1137 and is interred in Saint Denis Basilica. He was succeeded on the throne by his son Louis VII. Louis VII (1120 - September 18, 1180) was King of France from 1137 to 1180. A member of the Capetian Dynasty, Louis VII was born in 1120, the second son of Louis VII and Ad�laide of Maurienne (c. 1100 - 1154). Construction began on Notre-Dame de Paris in Paris during his reign. As a younger son, Louis had been raised to follow the ecclesiastical path. He unexpectedly became the heir to the throne of France after the accidental death of his older brother, Philip, in 1131. A well-learned and exceptionally devout man, Louis was better suited for life as a priest than that of a monarch. In the same year he was crowned king of France, Louis VII was married on July 22, 1137 to Eleanor of Aquitaine (1122 - March 31, 1204), heiress of William X of Aquitaine. The pairing of the monkish Louis and the high-spirted Eleanor was doomed to failure; she once reportedly declared that she had thought to marry a king, only to find she'd married a monk. In the first part of Louis VII's reign he was a vigorous leader, but after his crusade his piety limited his ability to become an effective statesman. His accession was marked by no disturbances, save the uprisings of the burgesses of Orl�ans and of Poitiers, who wished to organize communes. But soon he came into violent conflict with Pope Innocent II.
The archbishopric of Bourges became vacant, and the king supported as candidate the chancellor Cadurc, against the pope's nominee Pierre de la Chatre, swearing upon relics that so long as he lived Pierre should never enter Bourges. This brought the interdict upon the king's lands.
Louis became involved in a war with Theobald II of Champagne, by permitting Raoul I of Vermandois and seneschal of France, to repudiate his wife, Theobald's niece, and to marry Petronilla of Aquitaine, sister of the queen of France. Champagne also sided with the pope in the dispute over Bourges. The war lasted two years (1142-44) and ended with the occupation of Champagne by the royal army. Louis was personally involved in the assault and burning of the town of Vitry. More than a thousand people who had sought refuge in the church, died in the flames. Overcome with guilt, Louis declared on Christmas Day 1145 at Bourges his intention of going on a crusade. Bernard of Clairvaux assured its popularity by his preaching at Vezelay (Easter 1146). Meanwhile in 1144, Geoffrey the Handsome, count of Anjou, completed his conquest of Normandy, threatening the royal domains. Louis VII by a clever manoeuvre threw his army on the Norman frontier and gained Gisors, one of the keys cities of Normandy. In June 1147 Louis and his queen, Eleanor, set out from Metz, Lorraine, on the overland route to Syria. Just beyond Laodicea the French army was ambushed by Turks. The French were bombarded by arrows and heavy stones, the Turks swarmed down from the mountains and the massacre began. The historian Odo of Deuil reported: "During the fighting the king [Louis] lost his small and famous royal guard, but he remained in good heart and nimbly and courageously scaled the side of the mountain by gripping the tree roots ... The enemy climbed after him, hoping to capture him, and the enemy in the distance continued to fire arrows at him. But God willed that his cuirass should protect him from the arrows, and to prevent himself from being captured he defended the crag with his bloody sword, cutting off many heads and hands." Louis and his army finally reached the Holy Land in 1148. His queen Eleanor supported her uncle, Raymond of Antioch, and prevailed upon Louis to help Antioch against Aleppo. But Louis' interest lay in Jerusalem, and so he slipped out of Antioch in secret. He united with Conrad III of Germany and King Baldwin III of Jerusalem to lay seige to Damascus; this ended in disaster and the project was abandoned. Louis decided to leave the Holy Land, despite the protests of Eleanor, who still wanted to help her doomed uncle Raymond of Antioch. Louis and the French army returned to France in 1149. The expedition came to a great cost to the royal treasury and military. It also precipitated a conflict with Eleanor, leading to the annulment of their marriage at the council of Beaugency (March 1152). The pretext of kinship was the basis for annulment. Its reasons had more to do with quarrels between Louis and Eleanor, her scandalous behavior during the Crusades, and the decreasing odds that their marriage would produce a male heir to the throne of France. Eleanor subsequently married Henry, Count of Anjou in the following May, which brought him the duchy of Aquitaine. Louis VII led an ineffective war against Henry for having married without his authorization ; but in August 1154 gave up his rights over Aquitaine, and contented himself with an indemnity. In 1154 Louis married Constance, daughter of Alfonso VII, king of Castile. She, too, failed to give him a son and heir, bearing two more daughters: As part of a peace process with Henry II of England, Louis imprudently pledged his daughter, Marguerite, in the treaty of Gisors (1158) to Henry, Henry's eldest son, promising as a dowry the Norman Vexin and Gisors. Constance died in childbirth on the 4th of October 1160, and five weeks later Louis VII married Ad�le of Champagne. Henry II, to counterbalance the advantage this would give the king of France, had the marriage of their children celebrated at once. Louis VII understood the danger of the growing Angevin power, however, through indecision and lack of fiscal and military resources compared to Henry's, Louis failed to oppose Angevin hegemony effectively. One of the few military successes of Louis, in 1159, was his expedition in the south to aid Raymond V, Count of Toulouse who had been attacked by Henry II. At the same time the emperor Frederick I in the east was making good the imperial claims on Arles. When the schism broke out, Louis took the part of the pope Alexander III, the enemy of Frederick, and after two comical failures of Frederick to meet Louis VII at Saint Jean de Losne (on the 29th of August and the 22nd of September 1162), Louis definitely gave himself up to the cause of Alexander, who lived at Sens from 1163 to 1165. Alexander gave the king, in return for his loyal support, the golden rose. Finally, in 1165 Ad�le gave birth to them much longed-for son, along with a daughter a few years later. Louis and Ad�le's children were: Louis VII received Thomas Becket and tried to reconcile him with King Henry II. Louis sided with Thomas Becket as a way to weaken Henry politically. He also supported Henry's rebellious sons, but the rivalry between Henry's sons and Louis' own indecisiveness contributed to the break up of the coalition (1173-1174). Finally in 1177 the pope intervened to bring the two kings to terms at Vitry. His reign was a difficult and unfortunate one, from the point of view of royal territory and military power. Yet the royal authority made progress in the parts of France distant from the royal domains. More direct and more frequent connection was made with distant vassals, a result largely due to the alliance of the clergy with the crown. Louis thus reaped the reward for services rendered the church during the least successful portion of his reign. His greater accomplishments lie in the development of agriculture, population, commerce, the building of stone fortresses, as well as an intellectual renaissance. Considering the significant disparity of political leverage and financial resources between Louis and his Angevin rival, not to mention Henry's superior military skills, Louis should be credited with preserving the Capetian dynasty. He was to be succeeded by his son by Ad�le, Philip II Augustus and had him crowned at Reims in 1179. However, already stricken with paralysis, King Louis himself was not able to be present at the ceremony. Louis VII died on September 18, 1180 at the Abbey at Saint-Pont, Allier and is interred in Saint Denis Basilica. Philip II (French: Philippe II), called Philip Augustus (French: Philippe Auguste) (August 21, 1165 � July 14, 1223), was King of France from 1180 to 1223. A member of the Capetian dynasty, Philip Augustus was born August 21, 1165 at Gonesse, Val-d'Oise, France, the son of Louis VII of France and his third wife, Ad�le of Champagne. In declining health, his father had him crowned at Reims in 1179. He was married on April 28, 1180 to Isabelle of Hainaut and they had one son, Louis (later King Louis VIII), seven years later. As king, he would become one of the most successful in consolidating France into one royal domain. He seized the territories of Maine, Touraine, Anjou, Brittany, and all of Normandy from King John of England. His decisive victory at the Battle of Bouvines over King John and a coalition of forces that included Otto IV of Germany ended the immediate threat of challenges to this expansion (1214) and left Philip Augustus as the most powerful monarch in all of Europe. He reorganized the government, bringing to the country a financial stability which permitted a sharp increase in prosperity. His reign was popular with ordinary people when he checked the power the nobles and passed some of it on to the growing middle class his reign had created. He went on the Third Crusade with Richard the Lionhearted and the Holy Roman Emperor, Frederick I Barbarossa (1189-1192). His army left V�zelay on July 1, 1190. At first the French and English crusaders traveled together, but the armies split at Lyons, as King Richard decided to go by sea, and Philip Augustus took the overland route through the Alps to Genoa. The French and English armies were reunited in Messina, where they wintered together. On March 1, 1190 the French set sail for the Holy Land, where they launched several assaults on Acre before King Richard arrived. By the time Acre surrended on July 12, Philip Augustus was terribly ill with dysentery and had little more interest in further crusading. He decided to return to France, a decision that displeased King Richard, who said, "It is a shame and a disgrace on my lord if he goes away without having finished the business that brought him hither. But still, if he finds himself in bad health, or is afraid lest he should die here, his will be done." So on July 31, 1191 the French army left Acre, made their way to Genoa, and from there returned to France. Philip Augustus decided to marry again, and so August 15, 1193 he married Ingeborg of Denmark (1175-1236), the daughter of King Valdemar I of Denmark. She was renamed Isambour, and Stephan of Dornik described her as "very kind, young of age but old of wisdom." For some unknown reason, Philip Augustus was repulsed by her, and he refused to have her be crowned queen. Ingeborg protested this treatment, so he shut her up in a convent. He asked the pope for an anullment, on the grounds of non-consummation. Philip Augustus had not counted on Ingeborg, however; she insisted that the marriage had been consummated, and she was his wife and the rightful queen of France. In the meantime Philip Augustus had married for a third time on May 7, 1196 to Princess Agn�s of M�ranie (c.1180 - July 29, 1201). Their children were: Marie (1198 - October 15, 1224) and Philippe Hurepel (1200 - 1234). Pope Innocent III declared that this new marriage was null and void, since Philip Augustus was still wed to Ingeborg. He ordered Philip to part from Agn�s and when he did not, the pope placed France under an interdict in 1199. This continued until September 7, 1200. Due to pressure from the pope and from Ingeborg's brother, King Valdemar II of Denmark, Philip Augustus finally took Ingeborg back as his queen in 1213. Philip Augustus would play a significant role in one of the greatest centuries of innovation in construction and in education. With Paris as his capital, he had the main thoroughfares paved, built a central market, Les Halles, continued the construction begun in 1163 of the Gothic Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral, constructed the Louvre as a fortress and gave a charter to the University of Paris (the Sorbonne) in 1200. Under his guidance, Paris became the first city of teachers the medieval world had known. Philip Augustus died July 14, 1223 at Mantes and was interred in Saint Denis Basilica. He was succeeded by his son by Isabelle of Hainaut, Louis VIII. Louis VIII (September 5, 1187 � November 8, 1226) reigned as King of France from 1223 to 1226. He was a member of the Capetian dynasty. Louis was born in Paris, France, the son of King Philippe II Auguste and Isabelle of Hainaut. As a prince, Louis won battles against the armies of King John of England. In 1216 the English barons rebelled against the very unpopular King John and offered the throne to Louis. In May of 1216, Prince Louis of France and his army invaded England in what has become known as the First Barons' War, but after a year and a half of war, Louis had to give up on his desire to become the King of England and signed the Treaty of Lambeth. Louis succeeded his father on July 14, 1223; his coronation took place on August 6 of the same year in the cathedral at Reims. As king, he continued to seek revenge on the Angevins and seized Poitou and Saintonge from them in 1224. There followed the seizure of Avignon and Languedoc. On 1 November 1223, he issued an ordinance that prohibited his officials from recording debts owed to Jews, thus reversing the policies set by his father King Philippe II Auguste. Usuary (debt with interest) was illegal for Christians to practice, according to Church law it was seen as a vice to profit from others misfortune (like gambling), and was punishable by excommunication, a severe punishment. However since Jews were not Christian, they could not be excommunicated, and thus fell in to a legal gray area which secular rulers would sometimes exploit by allowing (or requesting) Jews to provide usuary services, often for personal gain to the secular ruler, and to the discontent of the Church. Louis' prohibition was one attempt at resolving this legal problem which was a constant source of friction in Church and State courts. Twenty six barons accepted, but Thibaut IV, a powerful baron from Champagne did not, since he had an agreement with the Jews that guaranteed him extra income through taxation. Thibaut IV would become a major opposition force to capetian dominance, and his hostility was manifest during the reign of Louis VIII. For example, during the siege of Avignon, he peformed only the miinimum service of 40 days, and left home amid charges of treachery. While returning to Paris, King Louis became ill with dysentery, and died on November 8, 1226 in the chateau at Montpensier, Auvergne. The Saint Denis Basilica houses the tomb of Louis VIII. His son, Louis IX, succeeded him on the throne. King Louis IX of France or Saint Louis (April 25, 1214/1215�August 25, 1270) was King of France from 1226 until his death. Born at Poissy, France, he was a member of the Capetian dynasty and the son of King Louis VIII and Blanche of Castile. Louis was eleven years old when his father died in 1226. He was crowned king the same year in the cathedral at Reims.
Because of Louis' youth, his mother, Blanche of Castile, ruled France as regent until 1234, when Louis was deemed of age to rule himself. She continued as an important counsellor to the king until her death 1252. Louis married on May 27, 1234, Marguerite de Provence (1221�December 21, 1295), the sister of Eleanor, the wife of Henry III. Louis was the elder brother of Charles I of Sicily (1227�1285), whom he created count of Anjou, thus founding the second Angevin dynasty. Louis brought an end to the Albigensian Crusade in 1229 after signing an agreement with Count Raymond VII of Toulouse that cleared his father of wrong-doing. Raymond VI had been suspected of murdering a preacher on a mission to convert the Cathars. Louis's piety and kindness towards the poor were much celebrated. He went on crusade twice, in 1248 (Seventh Crusade) and then in 1270 (Eighth Crusade). Both crusades were total failures. After initial success in his first attempt, Louis's army was met by overwhelming resistance from the Egyptian army and citizens. In 1249, Louis was eventually defeated and taken prisoner in Mansoura, Egypt. Louis and his companions were then released in return for the surrender of the French army and a large ransom. He died near Tunis during the latter expedition on August 25, 1270 during an outbreak of plague. His finger is interred at Saint Denis Basilica, but most of his body is buried in Tunisia. Pope Boniface VIII proclaimed the canonization of Louis in 1297; he is the only French monarch ever to be made a saint. Louis IX was succeeded by his son, Philippe III. Louis' patronage of the arts drove much innovation in Gothic art and architecture, and the style of his court radiated throughout Europe by both the purchase of art objects from Parisian masters for export and by the marriage of the king's many daughters to foreign husbands and their subsequent introduction of Parisian models elsewhere. Louis' personal chapel, the Sainte-Chapelle in Paris, was copied more than once by his descendants elsewhere. Louis most likely ordered the production of the Morgan Bible, a masterpiece of medieval painting. Saint Louis ruled during the so-called "golden century of Saint Louis", when the kingdom of France was at its height in Europe, both politically and economically. The king of France was regarded as the first among the kings and rulers of Europe. He commanded the largest army, and ruled the largest and most wealthy kingdom of Europe, a kingdom which was the European center of arts and intellectual thought (La Sorbonne) at the time. For many, King Louis IX embodied the whole of Christendom in his person. His reputation of saintliness and fairness was already well established while he was alive, and on many occasions he was chosen as an arbiter in the quarrels opposing the rulers of Europe. It should be noted that the prestige and respect felt in Europe for King Louis IX was due more to the attraction that his benevolent personality created rather than to military domination. For his contemporaries, he was the quintessential example of the Christian prince. This perception of Louis IX as the quintessential Christian prince was reinforced by his religious zeal. Saint Louis was a devout Christian, and he built the Sainte Chapelle ("Holy Chapel"), located within the royal palace complex (now the Paris Hall of Justice), on the �le de la Cit� in the center of Paris. The Sainte Chapelle, a perfect example of the Rayonnant style of Gothic architecture, was erected as a shrine for the Crown of Thorns and a fragment of the True Cross, precious relics of the Passion of Jesus. Louis purchased these in 1239-1241 from the Byzantine emperor Baldwin II, for the exorbitant sum of 135,000 livres (the chapel, on the other hand, only cost 60,000 livres to build). This purchase should be understood in the context of extreme religious fervor that existed in Europe in the 13th century. The purchase contributed to reinforce the central position of the king of France in western Christendom, as well as to further increase the renown of Paris, then the largest city of western Europe. It was a time when cities and rulers vied for relics, trying to increase their reputation and fame, and Louis IX had succeeded in securing the most prized of all relics in his capital. The purchase was thus not only an act of devotion, but also a political gesture: the French monarchy was trying to establish the kingdom of France as the "new Jerusalem".
Louis IX took very seriously his mission of "lieutenant of God on Earth", with which he had been invested when he had been crowned in Reims. Thus, in order to fulfill his duty, he conducted several crusades, and even though they were unsuccessful, it contributed to the prestige that he enjoyed.
Philip III (April 3, 1245 - October 5, 1285) reigned as King of France from 1270 to 1285. A member of the Capetian dynasty, he was born in Poissy, the son of Louis IX of France and of Marguerite Berenger of Provence (1221 - 1295). At the age of twenty-five he ascended to the throne. Indecisive, and dominated by the policies of his father, he followed the dictates of others, first of Pierre de la Broce and then of his uncle Charles I of Anjou, king of Naples. In 1285, the last year of his reign, Philippe made an unsuccessful attempt to annex the kingdom of Aragon. In the aftermath of this struggle, while retreating from Girona, Philippe III died on October 5, 1285 at Perpignan (in the present-day d�partement of Pyr�n�es-Orientales). He lies buried with his wife, Isabella of Aragon (1247 - 1271) in Saint Denis Basilica. Philip IV (French: Philippe IV; 1268�November 29, 1314) was King of France from 1285 until his death. A member of the Capetian dynasty, Philip was born at the Palace of Fontainebleau at Seine-et-Marne, the son of King Philip III and Isabella of Aragon. Philip was nicknamed the Fair (le Bel) because of his handsome appearance. As a king, Philip was determined to strengthen the monarchy at any cost. He relied more than any of his predecessors on a professional bureaucracy of legalists. His reign marks the French transition from a charismatic monarchy�which could all but collapse in an incompetent reign�to a bureaucratic kingdom, a move towards modernity. Philip married queen Jeanne of Navarre (1271�1305) on August 16, 1284. The primary administrative benefit of this was the inheritance of Jeanne in Champagne and Brie, which were adjacent to the royal demesne in Ile-de-France and became thus effectively united to king's own lands, forming a vast area. During the reigns of Jeanne herself, and her three sons (1284-1329) these belonged to the person of the king, but by 1329 they had become so entrenched in royal domain that king Philip VI of France (who was not an heir of Jeanne) switched lands with the then rightful heiress Joan II of Navarre, with the effect that Champagne and Brie remained part of the royal demesne and Jeannne received compensation as lands in Western Normandy. The Kingdom of Navarre in the Pyrenees, was not so important to contemporary interests of the French crown it remained in personal union 1284-1329, after which it went its separate way. Philip IV arrested Jews so he could seize their goods to accommodate the inflated costs of modern warfare, condemned by his enemies in the Catholic Church as his spendthrift lifestyle. When he also levied taxes on the French clergy of one half their annual income, he caused an uproar within the Roman Catholic Church and the papacy. Still, Philippe emerged victorious with a French archbishop made Pope Clement V and the official seat of the papacy removed to Avignon, an enclave surrounded by French territories. He suffered a major embarrassment when a army of 2,500 noble men-at-arms (Knights and Squires) and 4,000 infantry he sent to suppress an uprising in Flanders was defeated in the Battle of the Golden Spurs near Kortrijk on 11 July 1302. Philip reacted with energy to the humiliation and personally defeated the Flemings at Mon-en-P�v�le two years later. Finally, in 1305, Philip forced the Flemish to accept a harsh peace treaty that exacted heavy reparations and humiliating penalties. On October 13, 1307, what may have been all the Knights Templar in France were simultaneously arrested by agents of Philippe the Fair, to be later tortured into admitting heresy in the Order. A modern historical view is that Philippe, who seized the considerable Templar treasury and broke up the Templar monastic banking system, simply sought to control it for himself. The Knights Templar were a papal order, and answerable only to the pope. But Philippe used his influence over Clement V, who was largely a pawn of the king, to disband the order and remove its ecclesiatical status and protection in order to plunder it. What became of the Templar treasures in France has long been a mystery that has led to many theories and speculations. There are a number of stories (legends?) regarding Templars who escaped from Philippe's agents, such as the tale that a number of ships sailed from France to Scotland possibly containing some of the Templar treasure, and that some of the Knights who sailed to Scotland later fought in the Battle of Bannockburn with Robert the Bruce when the Scots gained their independence from England. Philippe tried and tortured a number of the Templars that he had captured, and in 1314 he had Jacques de Molay, the Templar Grand Master, and Geoffrey de Charney, the Preceptor of Normandy burned at the stake. It is said that de Molay cursed both Philippe and Clement V from the flames; both king and pope died within the next year. Philippe IV's rule signaled the decline of the papacy's power from its near complete authority. He died during a hunt and is buried in Saint Denis Basilica. Louis X the Quarreller (October 4, 1289 - June 5, 1316), King of France from 1314 to 1316, was a member of the Capetian Dynasty. He was born in Paris, France, son of Philip IV of France and Jeanne of Navarre. He inherited the title king of Navarre on the death of his mother, on April 2, 1305. On the death of his father in 1314, he became king of France and was officially sacred at Reims in August 1315. On September 21, 1305 he married Marguerite de Bourgogne (Burgundy) and they had a daughter, Jeanne (January 28, 1312 - October 6, 1349). Louis accused his wife of adultery and she was imprisoned and died in the chateau Gaillard. On August 13, 1315 he married Clemence d'Anjou (1293 - 1328), daughter of Charles Martel and sister of Charles I of Hungary. The reign of Louis X was short and unremarkable, dominated by the continued feuding with the noble factions within the kingdom. Louis died at Vincennes, Val-de-Marne. He was interred with his second wife Clemence in Saint Denis Basilica. At the time of Louis's death, his wife Clemence was pregnant, making it impossible to know Louis's successor until the time his child was born. If the child were a son, he would succeed Louis as king: had the child been a daughter, there would be a question between Louis's (eldest) daughter Joan and his brother Philip V. John I's half-sister Jeanne, as a female, had a disputed claim to the throne of France: a female could not succeed to the throne of France if following the Salic law; she did, however, have rights in the succession of Navarre where females are allowed. It must be underscored that at that time, there existed these two ideas of succession, and it was not at all clear that Salic Law should be followed. This legal question had never earlier been resolved regarding the throne of France. Louis's next brother, the future Philip V, was appointed regent (this act working in favor of the idea of him being the heir presumptive and the Salic Law being in control - however, Joan was at that time a minor, thus not a very good candidate for regentship - and apparently, the pregnant widow, queen Clemence, was not regarded a good choice for position of the regent), for the five months remaining until the birth of his brother's child, who turned out to be male. Thus Louis was succeeded by his posthumous son John I (Jean I), who lived only five days. Louis X's brother Philip then became king. John I the Posthumous (November 15, 1316 - November 20, 1316) was King of France for the five days he lived. He was born a king on November 15, 1316, a member of the Capetian dynasty and the posthumous son of King Louis X and Clemence of Hungary. Jean lived for only a few days and many believed his uncle, the future King Philippe V, caused his death in order to gain the throne. There were also stories that Philippe had the child kidnapped and substituted a dead child in his place. During the 1350s, a man claiming to be King Jean I appeared in Provence. He was quickly put in prison and died there. Jean reigned for five days under his uncle's regency, until his death on November 20, 1316. The infant King was buried in Saint Denis Basilica. He was succeeded by his uncle, Philippe V. The other claimant was John's half-sister, the then four-year-old Princess Joan, daughter of Louis X's marriage with Marguerite of Burgundy. It was at that point when the question of the force of Salic Law was resolved regarding te succession to the Throne of France. Philip V (1293 - January 3, 1322) was King of France from 1317 to 1322, a member of the Capetian dynasty. He was the second son of King Philippe IV and Jeanne of Navarre. Philippe became regent for his infant nephew King Jean I, and when Jean lived only a few days, he proclaimed himself king. There was much speculation that Philippe was responsible for the infant king's demise. In 1307 he was married to Jeanne de Bourgogne (daughter and heiress of Otto IV, count of Burgundy) and they had three daughters: They also had a son whose name was either Philip or Louis and who died in 1317. In 1320, Philippe V managed to expand his territory at the expense of Flanders as a result of war. On domestic matters, King Philippe attempted to institute government reforms and worked to standardize weights and measures. King Philippe V died at Longchamp, Paris and is interred in Saint Denis Basilica. Without a male heir, he was succeeded by his younger brother, Charles IV. Charles IV (1294 � February 1, 1328), a member of the Capetian Dynasty, reigned as King of France from 1322 to 1328. He was the third son of Philippe IV. By virtue of his mother, Jeanne I of Navarre's, birthright, Charles claimed the title Charles I, king of Navarre. He was crowned King of France in 1322 at the cathedral in Reims. In 1327 Charles helped his sister Isabelle against her husband, King Edward II of England, having him imprisoned and ultimately executed. During his six-year reign Charles IV offended everyone in his kingdom by increasing taxes, imposing onerous duties, and confiscating estates from those he disliked. Charles IV died at Vincennes, Val-de-Marne, and is interred with his third wife, Jeanne d'Evreux in Saint Denis Basilica. He died without a male heir, thus ending the direct line of the Capetian dynasty. Twelve years earlier, the Salic Law had been recognized to control the succession in the French throne, thus barring Charles's own 1-year-old daughter Mary from succeeding as the monarch. When dying, his wife was pregnant. Since it could have been possible that she would give birth to a son, a regency was set up, the heir presumptive Philip of Valois being the regent. After two months, the widow gave birth to yet another daughter, who according to the Salic Law was not eligible to succeed in the throne of France (similarly as her elder sister). The regent thus became the King and in May was consecrated and crowned. At this time, the Salic Law was further re-interpreted to forbid not only inheritance by a woman, but also inheritance through a female line (thus barring the male Edward III of England from the French throne).
In this way, after a brief hiatus of regency, Charles's first cousin Philippe VI of France, a member of the Valois branch of Capetians, succeeded Charles IV on the throne.
Home | Paris Facts | Paris Transportation | Paris Customs | Self Guided Walks | Guided Walks | Paris Hotels | Paris Monuments | Paris Museums | Paris Gardens | Paris Churches | Paris History | Contact Us | French Art | Paris Web Resources | Travel Directory | Paris Tours | Hostels | Travel Insurance | Site Build It! Library
|
||||||
