Louis IX of France

Reign: 1226 – 1270
Life: 1214–1270

He was known as Saint Louis. During his formative years, Blanche successfully confronted rebellious vassals and championed the Capetian cause in the Albigensian Crusade, which had been ongoing for the past two decades. Concurrently, England's Henry III sought to reclaim the Angevin continental holdings, only to be decisively defeated at the Battle of Taillebourg. Louis expanded his territory by annexing several provinces, including parts of Aquitaine, Maine, and Provence.

During Louis IX of France's reign, James I of Aragon ruled Spain, Afonso III of Portugal ruled Portugal, and Henry III of England ruled England.

Want to learn more? Further reading

Saint Louis by Jacques Le Goff

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Saint Louis

Jacques Le Goff

Le Goff's landmark study of the crusader-saint who embodied medieval French kingship.

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