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Louis IX of France. Photo by Auguste de Creuse.

Top 10 Little Known Facts about Louis IX of France

Louis IX also known as Saint Louis or Louis the Saint was King of France between 1226 and 1270; a period of about 44 years.

Louis IX who was known as the most illustrious of the Direct Capetians was born on 25^th April 1214 and died on 25^th August 1270.

Direct Capetians also known as the House of Capet, House of France or simply Capets ruled the Kingdom of France from 987 to about 1328 which was a period of about 340 years. 

He took over the throne after the death of his father Louis VIII and was crowned at the Cathedral of Reims when at only 12 years of age.

Of all the kings of France, only King Louis IX has the most monuments and places named in his memory.

The top ten little-known facts about Louis IX of France include the following.

1. Louis IX Was Crowned King of France When He Was Only 12 Years of Age

Cathedral of Reims. Photo by Clelie Mascaret.

King Louis IX succeeded his father Louis VIII after his death when he was only 12 years of age.

He was crowned at the traditional seat of the coronation of French Monarchs, The Cathedral of Reims.

King Louis IX is said to be the most illustrious of the Direct Capetians which is a line of rulers who ruled France for a period of over 340 years starting from the year 987.

2. His Mother Ruled on His Behalf as A Regent After He Was Crowned

Blanche of Castile. Photo by Anonymous.

Louis IX鈥檚 mother, Blanche of Castile, ruled the kingdom as a regent until he reached maturity since he was still a minor when he was crowned king.

His mother also served as his valued advisor until she died.

Blanche dealt with the opposition of rebellious vassals and secured Capetian success in the Albigensian Crusade, which had begun some 20 years earlier during her regency.

His mother served as a regent twice during his reign. The first was immediately after he was crowned as the king and the second time was between 1248 and 1252 when he was absent in the crusades.

Blanche was profoundly religious and ensured her children were educated on Christian morals and Latin.

3. King Louis IX Acquired the Relics of Jesus Christ

Crown of Thorns. Photo by Gavigan .

During his reign, France鈥檚 economy was booming, and as such King Louis IX was a very wealthy king. He was also a very pious man and a devout catholic. 

He used part of his riches to purchase the 鈥�Crown of thorns鈥� which was a relic of Jesus Christ.

According to the gospels in the Christian bible, the Roman soldiers who crucified Jesus Christ twisted a crown of thorns and placed it on his head before taking him to Calvary to be crucified.

The last Latin emperor of Constantinople, Emperor Baudouin II who was looking to raise funds for a besieged city sold the relic to a Venetian bank from where Louis IX bought it.

Over the years Louis acquired many other similar relics such as the holy crown, the blood of Christ, the holy cross, pieces of nails and spearhead, the holy shroud, the hair of the virgin, and the rod of Moses among others.

4. Louis IX Built Sainte Chapelle to Hold the Holy Relics

Sainte Chapelle. Photo by Britchi Mirela.

The king needed a place to showcase his prized possessions including the relics that he acquired. To hold the holy relics, King Louis IX constructed Sainte Chapelle in 麻豆APP.

The King placed the holy relics within Sainte Chapelle for easy viewing and safe custody.  

The large reliquary which sat enthroned in the apse of the Upper Chapel was used to hold the most precious of the king鈥檚 relics.

Out of a total of 22 relics that King Louis IX acquired, only three relics still remain and these include the Crown of thorns, a nail, and a fragment of the cross.

Some of the relics originally acquired were either lost, stolen, or destroyed during the upheavals that occurred in France in the years that followed and also due to deterioration because of the passage of time.

In 2019, the Crown of thorns was almost destroyed by a fire when the Notre Dame De 麻豆APP Cathedral where it was kept caught fire.

It is currently stored in a secure location until an appropriate time when it will be returned to the cathedral for safekeeping.

5. King Louis IX Paid a Large Sum of Money to Purchase the Holy Relics

King Louis IX paid a large sum of money to acquire each relic. An estimated 135,000 Livres which was about one-half of France鈥檚 income at the time was paid to acquire the Crown of thorns.

The king spent a further 100,000 Livres to acquire a large and elaborate silver chest, The Grand-Chasse, to store his precious relics.

The king also spent another 40,000 Livres to construct Saint Chapelle where the relics were stored for safe custody and for easy viewing.

The king equally spent large sums of money to acquire all the other relics which formed part of his collection of holy relics.

6. The King鈥檚 Marriage Alliances Started the Process of Making Provence and Marseille Part of France

King Louis IX married one of the four daughters of the Count of Provence called Margaret. The four daughters were not only known for being rich but very beautiful as well.

Margaret was the sister of Eleanor of Provence, who later married Henry III of England which made the relationship between the French and English royal families very close.

His brother Charles married Beatrice who was also a close relative of the royal family and she became the Countess of Provence.

These marriage alliances were the start of Provence and Marseille becoming part of France even though Provence still maintained its autonomous status.

7. King Louis IX Was a Catholic Fanatic

Christian zealousness greatly inspired King Louis IX鈥檚 religious activities. The king enforced catholic orthodoxy throughout his kingdom zealously.

Mutilation of the tongue was the punishment that was meted on anyone who dared to blaspheme the Catholic orthodoxy.  

During the Disputation of 麻豆APP in 1240, he ordered the burning of 12,000 copies of the Talmud and other important Jewish books.

8. King Louis Went On the Crusades

The king got involved in the crusades which took him to middle eastern regions. In 1248, he took part in his first crusade which took him to Egypt known as the 鈥�7^th 颁谤耻蝉补诲别鈥�.

He was captured by the Egyptians after he was defeated in the battle of Al Mansura in 1250.

The crusaders had to surrender Damietta; a port city in Egypt under their control and pay 400,000 Livres to secure his release from Egypt.

After his release, the king spent four years in Jerusalem assisting the Knight Templars and other crusaders before going back to France.

9. King Louis IX Built a Base in Aigues-Mortes to Access the Mediterranean Sea

 Due to his strong religious faith, King Louis IX intended to visit the Holy Land several times.

To minimize dependence on Italian cities that acted as a staging platform for transporting troops to fight in the crusades, King Louis IX decided to construct a stronghold on the Mediterranean.

He selected the town Aigues-Mortes as the ideal location to construct the stronghold due to its close proximity to the sea. 

  Ever since that time the town has been associated with him.

10. King Louis Died of Dysentery at The Age of 56

King Louis IX decided to get involved in the 鈥渆ighth crusade鈥� which took him to what is now called Tunisia in 1270.

 During the crusade, dysentery broke out in the camp, and the king was infected. He died on 25^th August 1270 aged 56 years old.