Louis IX (Saint Louis)
King of France · 1226-1270 · born on 25 April 1214, died on 25 August 1270
Coming to the throne at twelve, Louis IX reigned for forty-four years, one of the longest reigns of the Middle Ages. Deeply Christian, he embodied the ideal of the just and pious king, arbiter of Europe, and was canonized in 1297.
He led a great crusade (1248-1254), was taken prisoner in Egypt then ransomed, and set off on crusade again to die at Tunis in 1270. He had the Sainte-Chapelle built to house the relics of Christ and strengthened the mechanisms of royal justice: Parlement, enquêteurs, controlled coinage.
His legend, forged in his lifetime and amplified after his death (Joinville, chroniclers), made him the model of the sacred sovereign. Justice and peace, more than conquests, underpin his memory.
Key dates
- 1248: Consecration of the Sainte-Chapelle
In the tree of power
- Era: Capetians
- Predecessor: Louis VIII le Lion (1223-1226)
- Successor: Philippe III le Hardi (1270-1285)