Louis IX Flashcards
When had the nucleus of royal administration in France taken shape?
The “nucleus” of a royal administration had already been constructed by the time Louis IX took the throne in 1226, under the direction of his grandfather Philip Augustus
What was a constant military threat in the state?
Even as Louis IX succeeded to the throne, his kingdom was immersed in the Albigensian crusade, and violent unrest continued in the south throughout the 1240s.
What was remarkable about Louis IX?
Very typical medieval king, but in the way he pushed the attributes of Kingship, became very unusual and extraordinary. Kings do not usually become Saints, but Louis was singled out for such a status even before death.
List the Capetian kings
* Philip II Augustus (1180-1223) - important to St Louis * Louis VIII (1223-1226) - came to throne at advanced age and died quickly * Louis IX, Saint Louis (1226-1270) * Philip III the Bold (1270-1285) * Philip IV the Fair (1285-1314)
What defined Louis’ rulership?
Piety - deeply religious individual - defined his kingship
What made people uncomfortable about Louis?
His helping of the poor -washing their feet - was seen as too pious. This was followed up by wearing poor clothes - he was seen by some to be pushing it too far
Name some key life events for Louis IX
- Born in 1214
- Became king at 12
- Reign: 1226-1270
- Until 1234: official regency of Blanche of Castile, his mother
- 1242: end of troubles with aristocracy, end of Blanche’s reign
- 1248, departure to crusade - goes to Egypt for 6 years - secure in own power, as he left for a long time - left power to mother, when she died, he returned in 1253
What was the economic status of the 13th century?
13th Century in Europe was a time of growth - people felt they were living well - retrospectively seen as golden days - lot of disposable income
What threat did the Plantagenet dynasty present at this moment in time?
60 years prior, the Plantagenet threat (late 1150s) - just before Philip - the ruler of the West was the King of England - actual france was a smaller region. The threat of the Plantagenet dynasty was serious. Rolled back by Philip. By this point, the King only maintained the Duche De Guyenne
How were Louis’ first few years in office?
Louis had a bumpy first few years as a child king - there were boughts of rebellion - but this was tackled by Blanche
What made the perfect king?
Perfect King:
- Kingdom at peace
- (war was also important)
- economy was going well
- population growing
- good looking and handsome - God wished him well indication - meant to do great things
- Loving relationship with wife - atypical
- Good father - written teachings for his sons
What was important to display as a king?
Display of devotion to religion great - self confession, mortifying himself, supporting the poor
In 1256-7, how much of Louis’ income was given to the poor?
In 1256-1257 - Louis gave away 10% of his household income to the poor
What was an additional method of demonstrating piety during the period, poor aside?
Another symbol of piety was the acquisition of relics - especially those to do with Christ - anything to do with things from the Passion of Christ - a lot of this relics were in Constantinople (modern day Istanbul)
What relic did Louis secure?
Louis bought the holiest relic of all - the Crown of Thorns - bought in 1239, alongside the largest available piece of the Cross - these were kept in the ‘Holy Chapel’ - shaped like a box - the Magi reliquary - a church-sized box - hardly any walls - mostly stained glass - complete masterpiece - this is what was expected of a King
What was the downside of Louis’ religious fervour?
The downside of his piety was the fact he was ruthless with nonconformists - heretics (Cathors - Southern France and Northern Italy) - Louis VIII crusaded against these. Louis IX was the most harsh against these - largest during ever in Montsegurl 1242
How did Louis deal with Jewish populations?
Additionally, the Jews - rising anti-Semitism (Jews expelled from England in 1290 too though mind you) - were barred from money lending (staple in business), demanded that the Jews wore a symbol denoting their religion
What was to be put on trial under Louis?
The Talmud
Were crusades popular in the 13th century?
No, not as much as they had been two centuries prior
What were Louis’ ambitions in his campaign to Eygpt?
The Egyptian King owned Jerusalem - take the King, take Jerusalem
When did the Seventh Crusade begin, and how long did it last?
Started in 1248, and continued for six years.
What does the longevity of Louis’ departure from France indicate
The strength and relative stability of the Capetian monarchy - particularly under the continued rule of Blanche
How successful was the campaign?
Initially successful, capturing a port in 1249, however with the battle of Al Mansurah, Louis lost the ground he had gained, and was imprisioned.
When did Blanche die?
1253
When did Louis go on the Eighth Crusade?
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 Prince Edward of England, landed at Carthage 17 July 1270, but disease broke out in the camp. Many died of dysentery, and on 25 August, Louis himself died
What art style did Louis invigorate, and how did it spread across Europe?
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 daughters and female relatives to foreign husbands and their subsequent introduction of Parisian models elsewhere.
(Archetypal example: The Sainte-chappelle)
What compounded Louis prestige, on an international level?
During the so-called “golden century of Saint Louis”, the kingdom of France was at its height in Europe, both politically and economically. Saint Louis was regarded as “primus inter pares”, first among equals, among the kings and rulers of the continent. He commanded the largest army and ruled the largest and wealthiest kingdom, the European centre of arts and intellectual thought at the time. The foundations for the famous college of theology later known as the Sorbonne were laid in Paris about the year 1257
What was considered more significant, the military or personal dimensions of Louis?
The prestige and respect felt in Europe for King Louis IX were 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 and embodied the whole of Christendom in his person
When was the practice of usury banned?
1230
Name some of the houses Louis formed to support the sick and needy of society
- the House of the Filles-Dieu for reformed prostitutes;
- the Quinze-Vingt for 300 blind men (1254),
- hospitals at Pontoise, Vernon, Compiégne
What did Louis say to his son?
“My dearest son, you should permit yourself to be tormented by every kind of martyrdom before you would allow yourself to commit a mortal sin.”
What, domestically, did Louis do?
He launched a wide-ranigng enquiry of the people; to determine what they thought of the baliffs - officials of the king. The results showed that many found the baliffs to be corrupt, and ulitmately, this led to a restructuring of the baliffs and reform of a central administration to address this
What did Louis pioneer at this time?
First administrant of legislation for the whole country:
- Money lending
- Prostitution
- Gambling
- Private Halls
- Monopoly of Violence
What, in 1259, won Louis prestige?
The Treaty of Paris, 1259
- The King would still call himself the count of regions which he had lost - like Anjou, Normandie etc.
- Tried to find compromise
- Louis recognized the right of Henry to Guyenne
- Requested Henry stop claiming a title to regions Henry did not control
- This won Louis immense prestige
When did Phiip IV rule, what type of monarchy did he inspire?
Philip IV (1285-1314) – controversial figure – incarnation of the strong monarchy “The reign of Philip the fair marks the culmination of the French monarchy” (Strayer, 1980)
What was improved under PIV?
During reign, centralisation and organisation improved, departments more efficient
What was Phillip not so good at?
Spending within his means - obsessed with money, and spending it. This resulted in high taxation which went down poorly with the people - especially passive taxes.
What restarted in 1294?
Hostility with England - 10 years of warfare ensued
How else did Philip IV attempt to raise funds?
P.IV tried to find money without creating a rebellion, so he manipulated two groups – the Jews and Templars
What did Philip IV do the Jews?
- Jews – hostility towards them since 12th Century increased. Myths circulated of Christian children murdered by Jews. 1290 all Jews expelled from England.
- July 1306 – P.IV decided to expel all Jews from Kingdom – make them leave all their property behind
What happened to the Templars?
- Templars – military order, another group manipulated by P.IV. They were archetypical 12th Century ideals – Chivalry, monastreiermet (??) – a lot of money was given to them
- Their image started fading in 13th Century – Jerusalem was lost and since that they were useless and rumours of homosexuality emerged
- P.IV played on this, had document put together with witness accounts (false) of sacrilege of Templars in their houses. Widespread arrest of all Templars by 1312. Templars burned – seen as a step too far by many esp. as leaders supposedly cursed P.IV as burnt – Phil has no male heirs
How did Philip push too far?
- Debased lives, sous and deniers by 2/3rds in 1306 (led to rioting in Paris)
- Forced loans
What followed the death of Philip IV?
Immediately after death, widespread riots. Suppressed discontent exploded.
When were there baronial rebellions in France?
1241-1243 baronial rebellions had disturbed France.
What was the relationship between the Angevins and the Capetians?
More directly relevant to the events of the 1240s was the legacy of distrust inherited from the long rivalry between the Angevins and the Capetians that had reached its political zenith in 1204
What had caused a fundamental transformation of meridional politics?
The royal presence in the south coupled with the eventuality of Capetian succession in the heartland of Occitania heralded a fundamental transformation in meridional politics, a transformation that was deeply resented
How did Louis address the rebellions in 1240s?
Louis personally commanded in the decisive battles at Taillebourg and Saintes on 31 July 1242. Throughout 1243 and into 1244, pacts of submission and promises of obedience were exacted with meticulous care from the defeated rebels.
Hallam: Who moderated the conflict between Louis and Raymond?
Blanche
What brought about displeasure among the lords who had sided with Raymond?
The King’s bringing of them under the law - shown in the trial of Enguerrand de Couey, 1259. When Enguerrand executed three Flemish boys, Saint Nicholas des Bois complained to Louis IX. Enguerrand was to be brought before the court to answer for his crime. He did not, and was thrown into prison
What, does Hallam argue happened under Louis IX in terms of the administration of the land?
Matured.
During Louis IX’s reign, however, royal administration and royal justice penetrated deeply into the principalities held directly by the king, and gradually into the others. In the wake of a growing administration in the royal principality and the capture of Normandy and Languedoc the term royal domain
What land did Louis have to take from lords in 1245?
Poitou, from Hugh de Lusignan
What had Louis IX permitted his brothers to do?
Louis IX allowed his brothers to take over their apanages as they came of age: Artois went to Robert, Poitou and Auvergne to Alfonso and Anjou and Maine not to John, who had died, but to Louis VIII’s seventh son Charles, in 1246
Why is it relatively less important to worry about the loss of the appanages, according to Fawtier?
No modern ideas of territorial unification lay behind their enrichment of the crown of France.
They never sought to become the owners of all of France, to remove the great fiefs, to dismantle the feudal structure of the kingdom.
What does Reynolds argue about the nature of the bind between king and noble?
- It cannot be maintained that the great nobles of the kingdom were tied to the Capetian kings through an interpersonal bond of vassalic feudalism. The case of Joinville, was seeming to run contra to this, was more the exception rather than the rule.
What permitted the extension of French monarchical power?
The maturation of a professional government and professional law
What was a signfiicant threat in 1245 domestically?
Raymond of Provence was to allow his daughter to marry Raymond of Toulouse - this would have allied two major southern families
What does Hallam assert regarding Louis’ commitment to crusading?
His obsession with the crusade proved fruitless and cost his kingdom dear; his asceticism in later life lessened his popularity with his people. He was brutal to Jews and blasphemers, as were so many others in his age. But in his character and achievements he still outstripped his contemporaries by a very long way.
What does Hallam concede to Louis?
- Royal administration, both central and local, royal finance and royal justice all made great strides during his reign, and although they had their defects, still they were strongly influenced by the king’s own ideals of fair and honest government. This was an authoritarian regime, as the French church found, but to resist such a pious Christian and firm ruler as Louis IX was difficult. As a result the French king became pre-eminent not only in France but also in western Europe.
Where had a certain degree of autonomy from the king?
Despite Louis’s residence in the city, Paris in some respects had a certain independence or autonomy which it was proper for him to respect.
How had crime levels fluctuated with the death of Blanche?
- While Louis was on crusade and after Blanche of Castile’s death, public order had degenerated in Paris.228 This pattern of violence— not anarchy but petty crime during royal absences—appears to have been typical for Western Europe.
How had Philip Augustus begun the transformation of royal administration?
the institution of the first baillis, and the division of the kingdom into bailliages had become sufficiently stable for only minor changes to be necessary during the reign of St Louis
How could barons be controlled?
The bailliages had thus become the essential mechanism of royal administration as well as the institution through which the activities of the great barons could be controlled.
What was a striking illustration of the extension of what matters to the king?
The Ordinances of 1254
Who were reintroduced as a permanent fixture on the royal administrative landscape?
Even when, after the crusade, the enqueteurs were reintroduced as a permanent feature of royal administration, and their courts became slightly more formal,Louis’s belief that the enqueteurs should have a “mendicant” cast of mind, a deep compassion, never faltered.
What has famous historian on Franco-Jewish relations stated about the relationship of Louis to the Jews?
“pour Ies Juifs, Louis IX n’est pas Saint Louis.” - Blumenkranz
How did Louis finance the crusades?
The king, too, had to find a great deal of money. In addition to his annual receipts, which were clearly in excess of £200,000, he borrowed substantial sums from Italian bankers. Ships were hired from Genoa and Marseilles and vast supplies purchased in advance.
What happened to the monetary system between 1202-3 and 1286-7?
A recent estimate suggests that the crown’s regional and exceptional revenues tripled between 1202-3 and 1286-7. Louis’ reign saw a stabilisation and centralisation of the monetary system
What was the total cost of the Eygptian campaign?
expenses at l,537,540 I.
Where else, other than with Spain and England, did Louis have international ties?
He tried to lobby the king of Norway, Haakon, to support his campaign in 1248.
What happened to relations with Britain in the 1240s?
After the defeat of the Poitevins, Henry III of England and Raymond VII of Toulouse, relations between these lords and the king stabilised. The English king became markedly less hostile, and in Poitou Alfonso of Poitiers began to centralise and to build up an administration, developing skills he was later to use in the Languedoc
What does Hallam suggest about the King after the crusade?
For the rest of his reign Louis was clearly out of alignment with many of his subjects, both in his lifestyle and in his preoccupations; although these were traits that were to gain him his canonisation in the end and to assure him a permanent place in the affections of the French people.
What does Strayer argue were the missed opportunities of Louis?
- He did not expand his kingdom substantially
- His domestic agenda was mainly defensive.
When did Philip IV’s son engage in expensive posturing against the British?
In between wars, the kingdom needed to demonstrate its vigour with constant diplomatic posturing, such as the very expensive trip undertaken by Philip IV’s son Louis to Navarre in 1307.
What change occurred to the currency in 1263?
In 1263, Louis IX ordered that royal coins were to become legal tender everywhere in the kingdom and the sole currency of the royal domain and those provinces lacking a customary currency, while seigneurial coins, while permitted to continue (for fear of baronial outrage if not), were valid only in their own province.
How was currency further controlled into 1264?
In 1264, the remaining universal coins were rationalised, and the status of legal tender was restricted to the royal currency and four popular alternatives, nantois, angevins, gros pennies, and English sterling, whose exchange rate with the royal currency was to be fixed, along with baronial coins in their own domain.
How did Philip IV continue the trend of currency rationalisation?
Philip IV made further progress with the currency, ordering the destruction of obsolete coins and fixing the price of precious metals. In 1313, he temporarily prohibited all non-royal minting of coins pending royal authorisation. Standardisation of the currency simplified taxation and so enhanced revenues, and also made the payment of military salaries easier and less prone to elicit contention.
What difference between Philip IV and Louis IX existed with regards to the utility of the Conseil in the passage of law?
Under Louis, law had to win approval of the nobility - at least it must be made by the Conseil and “be not made against God or good customs.” At first Louis IX employed the Conseil as a surrogate for the wider body of the nobility for consultation when he made legislation. Not until Philip IV did the monarchy feel sufficiently stable to dispense even with this formality and expound its right to make legislation by virtue of office.
What was the relationship between France and Germany at this time?
The Holy Roman Empire could not afford to wage war with France and the two sides generally treated each other with a wary respect, ensuring that the French king never had to recognise the emperor as his superior.
What had begun with Philip Augustus, that was continued by his successors?
The principle that the king was to pay homage to no other lord. Philip Augustus started this when he waived a right to a gîte in order to avoid paying homage to the Bishop of Amiens.
Louis did a similar thing with the Archbishop of Narbonne 1228
Philip issued an ordinance in 1303 exempting him from duty of homage when a fief came to him by compensation.
This was concluded in 1314, when Parlement declared the king would pay no homage to anyone
Evidence of Philip wielding his tax powers
Thus in 1305, 60,000 livres tournais were demanded of Carcassonne for a rebellion against the king, and Foix 2000 livres tournais for resisting a royal tax;
What could be said about the more mature state financially?
The expansion of sovereignty did not only enhance royal prestige, therefore; it was highly lucrative for a frequently cash-strapped monarchy
What were reversion clauses?
. The Parlement made provision in the 1280s for lands automatically to revert to the monarchy following the death of their lords, so-called ‘reversion clauses’.
Name an example of the reversion clause being enacted?
When Poitou was left without a clear heir in 1271, Philip’s lawyers claimed that by custom, “any county, barony, or fief whatsoever” would revert to the king if there were no legitimate children to inherit
How did Louis respond to the rebellions of 1242?
When barons in eastern Languedoc incited a rebellion in 1242, Louis leapt on the opportunity to confiscate their lands, in particular mineral-rich Hierle and coin-minting Sommières.
What caused a great dispute between King Philip and the Pope?
The great dispute between pope and king came about in 1296 due to Philip IV’s decision to tax the French clergy, which he regarded as his right as ‘emperor within his own kingdom’
How did Pope Boniface VIII respond to Philip regarding the taxation of the clergy?
Pope Boniface VIII’s 1301 attempt to reassert his authority in the form of Ausculta, fili, reprimanded Philip directly, and its succeeding bull Unam Sanctam was filled with provocative language. This came to a head when Boniface stated he had the right to depose the French king, however it ultimately was reversed by the next Pope.
Contrastingly, what was Louis’ relationship with the Pope?
Much better - on account of his piety and dedication to the cause - expressed in the crusades. Louis expanded the scope of the inquisition and at the command of the Pope, ordered the burning of the Talmud in Paris, 1243 - 12,000 manuscirpts were burnt.
Philip IV’s international record
The most notable conflicts of Philip’s reign include a dispute with Edward I of England, who was also his vassal as the Duke of Aquitaine, and a war with the County of Flanders, which gained temporary autonomy following Philip’s defeat at the Battle of the Golden Spurs (1302). To further strengthen the monarchy, he tried to control the French clergy and entered in conflict with Pope Boniface VIII. This conflict led to the transfer of the papal court to the enclave of Avignon in 1309.
What aided the transition to a centralised state?
Philip relied on skillful civil servants, such as Guillaume de Nogaret and Enguerrand de Marigny, to govern the kingdom rather than on his barons. Philip and his advisors were instrumental in the transformation of France from a feudal country to a centralized state.
Who else suffered, like the Jews, under Philip IV?
His financial victims also included rich abbots and the Lombard merchants who had earlier made him extensive loans on the pledge of repayment from future taxation. Like the Jews, the Lombard bankers were expelled from France and their property expropriated.
What was the Tour de Nesle affair?
Tour de Nesle Affair, during which the three daughters-in-law of Philip were accused of adultery.
Philip’s clash with Pope Boniface VIII
Philip claimed the right to tax the French clergy - was able to draw the support of the French clergy, who supported him in an indictment of Boniface for heresy.
William Chester Jordan
Louis IX on crusades
Louis’ domestic policy was defined by his love of crusade - initially by his will to make 1248-54 a success, and latterly through his emotional response to losing the first crusade.
Reform after the crusade was driven by the guilt of failing the crusade.
Challenged by M.G.A. Vale - seeing such as too monolithic
What supports Louis’ commitment to crusading?
- Taking the cross in 1244 against the wishes of Blanche
- Reduction of domestic challenges achieved before Crusade
- English attempts to reclaim territory from 1204 and 1214 was crushed when battle with English alongside Languedoc against Louis was destroyed in 1243
- Rebellious barons forced to crusade - rebels from 1237, Narbonne, were compelled to crusade
- Won the support of barons - such as the defence of the barons in 1247
Who were compelled to crusade?
Raymond Trencavel and Peter Mauclerc
How did Louis defend his barons?
When a league of 19 nobles attacked the privileges of the French church, Louis sought compromise with Pope, castigated when he would not make vital concessions.
Cost of crusade
- 500,000 livres tournais/ year
- King’s ransom = 800,000 bezants
How did the enquêteurs aid those in society?
- 90% of petitions that came to them were settled in favour of the petitioner
What big change was made to taxation of land under barons with Philip IV?
- Imposition of taxes without the consent of Barons
How did the Capetians temper dissent among the ruling elite?
Recruited from the middling ranks - knights, lesser nobility, burgesses -those who were made by, or were reliant on, royal favour.
Margaret Wade Labarge
What was considered an asset of the early capetian kings?
Weakness - blinded the barons to the actual full extent of the power controlled by the King. Philip Augustus was the first to begin translating theoretical into actual powers
Enhanced further under Louis by Roman law authority - suggestion of untrammeled power.
Margaret Wade Labarge
What had PA secured by 1214?
Anjou, Normandie, Maine - not recognised until 1259
Margaret Wade Labarge
How did Blanche work quickly to suppress any form of dissent to the new king?
Rewards for fidelity
- Philip Hurepel - given castles in Mortaine and Lillebonne
- Ferrand - Construction of moats in 1229
This created security in the north, but left challenges in the south and south-west
Margaret Wade Labarge
What conspirators were there in Toulouse?
the lords of La Marche and Brittany - who did not attend the coronation, and were notable for their autonomy. Feuding comes to a halt with a truce in 1234
Margaret Wade Labarge
Evidence church disputes
Blanche
- Uneasy truce with Rouen, who rejected Blanche’s curtailment of his liberties
- Beauvais
Louis
- With Milon of Nanteuil
- Rheims (leading to Papal intervention)
Why did the King, despite reservations about both parties, agree to arbitrate between Pope and Emperor?
Hope of European conciliation - better for purposes of crusading
Why did the King attempt to gain the support of Haakon?
No need to open up channels to Norway, however potential of fleet support would have been very useful to crusade - as Strayer demonstrates, the King had already expended a lot of capital in requisitioning ships from Marseilles and Genoa (20 and 16 respectively)
What could be said about the nature of Philip’s treatment of policy?
He was aloof in public, leaving specific policies, and mostly negative ones, ot his ministers. This marked a transition from charismatic monarchy to a bureaucratic kingdom.
Philip IV’s foreign record
- Edward I - vassal to Philip - however relationship soured post 1291. Settlement in 1293 was to grant England back some territory - resulted in conflict in 1294, via secret Franco-Scottish pact
- Conflict through 1294-1298, 1300-03.
- Marriage of Isabella to the Prince of Wales in 1308 to secure peace, but actually would make claimant to French throne for 100 years war
- Flanders - lost the Battle of the Spurs in 1302 - led to decisive retailiatory battle in 1304.
What did Pope Boniface VIII issue to prevent transfer of church property to the French crown?
What followed this in 1297?
Clericis Laicos 1296
followed by:
Etsi de statu**, which allowed lay taxation of clergy without papal consent in cases of emergency. (1297**)
Outcome of conflict with Pope?
Unam Sanctam inefffective - Phil victorious - resulted in the pursuit of Boniface VIII for heresy. Boniface died after escaping French agents, and so Clement V was elected in Avignon - beginning the Avignon Papacy.
When considering French control and power, what is critical?
- The application of Roman Law to confirm that the Capetians were legally instilled with the auctoritas and potestas to rule.
- This added to the claim to feudal lordship and to sacred lordship.
How did Roman Law disseminate its way into Louis’ mindset?
Surrounded by lawyers in his court confirming the nature of rulership through Roman and Civil Law - study had become dominant in the 12th century in Montpellier, alongside the teachings of Lombard on the Decretum.
The domain of France did not expand, what did?
The size of the royal principality. In the 1170s, the King of England was feudal lord of a substantial portion of France - this presented an Angevin threat to the King of France, who could not claim full claimance to the land of France.
What did the expansion of the royal domain add to the King’s control?
- Greater tax base
- More knights
- From Normandy, a sophisticated exchequer and tax system (also very rich)
What did Philip IV establish?
The États Généraux - not democratic at all, filled with appointed representatives of the kingdom - this was done to recognise that he was pushing the limits of what he could do in terms of tax expansion.
This also aided in the conflict against Boniface VIII.
Established in 1302.
What is more important in the discussion of the conflict between Boniface VIII and Philip IV?
Competing notions of authority and control - Unam Sanctam was the most radical doctrine of papal power since the Gregorian reforms, topping Plentitudo Potestatis from Innocent III - much more than a debate on the taxation of the clergy.
French church notably more Gallican in nature crisis.
What did Philip IV attempt to do which was essentially alien?
Tried to call for regular taxation - this was considered improper, as the King was expected to be able to live off of his estate (which, remember, was greatly expanded by the time of Philip IV).
Hallam - Capetian France
How does Hallam compare the power of Philip IV to Robert the Pious?
- Robert the Pious had difficulty in defending the Royal Principalities, whereas Philip could reliably call on his vassals for military service
- Philip’s feudal and sovereign powers were rarely denied - Robert found it difficult to assert.
What did the Bishop of Pamiers describe Philip IV as?
“The king id like an owl, the most beautiful of birds, but worth nothing. He is the most handsome of men but he stares fixedly in silence…. He is neither man nor beast, he is a statue”
- Commenting on the aloofness of the King towards policy - the general success of Guillaume of Nogaret and Enguerrand de Marigny.
What could be said of Philip IV’s piety?
Far more generous to the church and the poor than Louis IX
What, overall, do the archives on Philip IV suggest?
Ultimately, Philip bore the ulitmate responsiblity for the policies carried out in his name, nad that overall he controlled and directed his counsellors
Who was forced into the dissolution of the Templar order in 1312?
The Pope - demonstrating the degree of royal power after the conflict over the taxation of the clergy
What proved an unassailable issue for Philip IV?
The unrest in Flanders - sporadic conflict came to a climax in 1314 with the acceptance of Flemish led concessions in Paris. Philip cancelled the Flemish subsidy before his death, and Louis settled most of the protests by issuing charters of liberty in 1315.
What was Louis X persuaded to do?
Trial and execute Enguerrand de Marigny for treason - despite being a leading figure of Philip IV’s court. This was driven by parlement.
Also suffering were:
- Raoul de Presles - tortured
- Peter de Latilly - imprisoned
What are the bailliages and senechausees?
- Bailliages - jurisidctional control of a defined territory
- Senechausees - Southern French variant of the bailliage
What are the findings from Strayer’s investigation into the nature of Capetian royal administration and justice?
There was strong continuity from reign to reign, since the leading officials, both centrally and locally, served the king for about 20 years
What else did Philip enforce within his rule?
The prohibition of private wars - no weapons to be carried during peacetime.
When were heavy tallages on the Jew levied?
1284, 1292, 1303, 1306 - expelled from the kingdom, goods seized
When were ther clergy taxed without Papal consent?
Tenths (the tax), were levied in: 1297, 1299, 1301, 1303, 1304-6, 1310 and 1312.
What tax was introduced in France, 1291?
a penny in the pound was levied on all sales and purchases, repeated in 1296 and 1314.
What was the tax of 1295 known as?
The maltôte - the ‘bad’ tax
After abandoning the emergency tax used to levy funds during the 1290s, what did the King introduce instead?
Nobles forced to pay an annual tax of a fifth of their income, whilst a non-noble hearth tax existed for the remainder of the population. Attempted to gain consent through the etats generaux
How did Philip respond to the issue of debasement?
Attempted to revalue the currency - proved unsuccessful - did cause prices to fall, was abandoned.
Evidence debasement in the French coinage
The Mark
- 54 shillings tournois in 1290
- 68 shillings by 1296
- 104 shillings in 1303
Ruined several merchants.
What does Hallam conclude about the fiscal state of the Capetian system by the end of its life?
Certainly more inventive and efficient, but was ineffective at meeting the needs of normal matters of state and ambitions on a European stage.
Wh had considerable influence on the nature of monetary policy in the 1290s?
Florentine bankers - the Albizzi and Musciatto
What land was purchased by Philip III and IV?
- Chartres - 1286
- Beaugency - 1921
- Lomagne and Auvillars - 1302
Which provinces opposed Royal rule by 1314-15?
- Languedoc
- Normandy
What was the crisis of 1314-15?
- King’s demands for taxation were openly opposed - hostile leagues, composed mainly of nobles, fomed not just in all the areas directly under royal domination but also in some principalities most closely under royal influence.
What, aside from the taxation principle, was controversial in France during the early 1300s?
The role of the Dominican inquisition - King lobbied successfully to suupport the Franciscan cause.
What was considered a conciliatory motion to Philip IV during the first phase of the crisis with the Pope?
Canonisation of Louis IX - this was well received by Philip - who was considered to have a “strong personal attachment to his grandfather’s memory”
Philip went further in praising the cult of Louis - he reconfigured the royal tombs of Saint-Denis, so that his own could lie next to the saint.
Describe the first round of hostilities between Pope Boniface VIII and Philip IV
Round One
- Royal taxation of the church - alongside Edward I - who levied taxes without Papal permission to fight wars with eachother. Response: Clericus Laicos - no taxes to be levied, on pain of excommunication
- Clericus Laicos encouraged the priests of Narbonne not to pay the King
- Philip responded by preventing the export of all bullion from France. This was extremely damaging - not only did the Pope depend on the French income, but it interrupted a complex international financing system.
- The Pope issued Ineffabilis amor - condemning the King’s advisors
What was the general reaction to ineffabilis amor?
- Colonna cardinals, and Jacopone da Todi, issued manifestos accusing the Pope of heresy, simony, trickery and the murder of the previous pope
- The pope stepped down by issuing Etsi de statu - permitting royal taxation of the church
How were papal relations between 1297 and 1301?
Strong - period of rapproachment - political and military alliance.
How did the second round of papal-monarchical tensions play out?
In 1301, Philip demanded the pope to degrade from holy orders Bernard Saisset - the bishop of Pamiers - who stood accused of attempting to stir up the Languedocians
The Pope rejected this, summoned Saisset to Rome, and called for the restoration of his temporal possessions taken by the king. Responsively, he also issued ausculta, fili, which marked a return to the position of clericus laicos.
Quote a line from Ausculta fili
“Let no-one persuade you that you have no superior or that you are not subject to the head of the ecclesiastical hierarchy, for he is the fool who so thinks”
How did Philip IV respond to the ausculta fili?
“Philip by the grace of God, king of the French, to Boniface who acts as though he were pope, little or no greeting. Let oyur great fatiity know that in temporalities we are subject to no-one; that the collation of vacant churches and prebends belongs to us by royal right… All those who think otherwise we hold for fools and madmen”
How did the Pope respond to the rejection of Asculta, fili?
Issues Unam Sanctam
What did Unam Sanctam echo?
Giles of Rome’s defence of the Pope in De ecclesiastica potestate
how did the French respond to unam sanctam?
Boniface retreated to Anagni. An armed French party pursued, and took the Pope prisoner. He was freed by the Anagnians, but ultimately died soon after. The English saw this as a martyrdom. The following popes were compliant, with Clement V even going so far as to try Boniface posthumously.
What is Denton’s contribution to the narrative?
Focuses on the crisis between Philip IV and Boniface VIII:
- One potential intent behind Clericos Laicos was to starve the French and English kings of resources, thus preventing future warfare.
- The backtracking of Etsi de statu was taken seriously - compelling, for instance, the archbishop of Rouen to pay subsidies - Pope probably wanted support in the recovery of Sicily.
- Etsi de statu was mostly to blame for the overreach of Philip in later years - essentially validated such moves.
- The French clergy were not unanimously in support of the King.
