Editing Louis IX of France (section)

=== Religion ===
{{Integralism |expanded=people}}
The perception of Louis IX by his contemporaries as the exemplary Christian prince was reinforced by his religious zeal. Louis was an extremely devout Catholic, and he built the ''[[Sainte-Chapelle]]'' ("Holy Chapel"),<ref name="goyau" /> located within the royal palace complex (now the [[Paris Hall of Justice]]), on the ''[[Île de la Cité]]'' in the centre of Paris. The ''Sainte Chapelle'', a prime 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 [[relic]]s of the [[Passion (Christianity)|Passion]] of Christ. He acquired these in 1239–41 from Emperor [[Baldwin II, Latin Emperor|Baldwin II]] of the [[Latin Empire]] of [[Constantinople]] by agreeing to pay off Baldwin's debt to the Venetian merchant Niccolo Quirino, for which Baldwin had pledged the Crown of Thorns as collateral.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Guerry|first1=Emily|date=18 April 2019|title=Dr|url=http://theconversation.com/notre-dame-how-christs-crown-of-thorns-has-survived-crusades-political-upheaval-and-a-fire-but-only-just-115731|access-date=1 July 2019|website=The Conversation}}</ref> Louis IX paid the exorbitant sum of 135,000 [[French livre|livres]] to clear the debt.

[[File:San Domenico47.jpg|thumb|left|[[Reliquary]] of Saint Louis (end of the 13th century) [[Basilica of Saint Dominic]], [[Bologna]], Italy]]

In 1230, the king forbade all forms of [[usury]], defined at the time as any taking of interest and therefore covering most banking activities. Louis used these anti-usury laws to extract funds from Jewish and Lombard moneylenders, with the hopes that it would help pay for a future crusade.<ref name="crawley" /> Louis also oversaw the [[Disputation of Paris]] in 1240, in which Paris's Jewish leaders were imprisoned and forced to admit to anti-Christian passages in the Talmud, the major source of Jewish commentaries on the Bible and religious law. As a result of the disputation, Pope [[Gregory IX]] declared that all copies of the Talmud should be seized and destroyed. In 1242, Louis ordered the burning of 12,000 copies of the Talmud, along with other important Jewish books and scripture.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Burning of the Talmud|url=https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/burning-of-the-talmud|access-date=29 June 2022|website=jewishvirtuallibrary.org}}</ref> The edict against the Talmud was eventually overturned by Gregory IX's successor, [[Innocent IV]].<ref name="The Pope Who Saved the Talmud" />

Louis also expanded the scope of the [[Inquisition]] in France. He set the punishment for [[blasphemy]] to [[mutilation]] of the tongue and lips.<ref name="Bobineau" /> The area most affected by this expansion was southern France, where the [[Cathar]] sect had been strongest. The rate of confiscation of property from the Cathars and others reached its highest levels in the years before his first crusade and slowed upon his return to France in 1254.

In 1250, Louis headed a crusade to Egypt and was taken prisoner. During his captivity, he recited the [[Canonical hours|Divine Office]] every day. After his release against ransom, he visited the Holy Land before returning to France.<ref name="SHMI" /> In these deeds, Louis IX tried to fulfill what he considered the duty of France as "the eldest daughter of the Church" (''la fille aînée de l'Église''), a tradition of protector of the Church going back to the [[Franks]] and [[Charlemagne]], who had been crowned by [[Pope Leo III]] in Rome in 800. The kings of France were known in the Church by the title "most Christian king" (''Rex Christianissimus'').

Louis founded many hospitals and houses: the House of the [[Filles-Dieu]] for reformed prostitutes; the [[Quinze-Vingts National Eye Hospital|Quinze-Vingt]] for 300 blind men (1254), and hospitals at Pontoise, Vernon, and Compiègne.<ref>{{cite CE1913|wstitle= St. Louis IX |volume= 9 |last= Goyau |first= Pierre-Louis-Théophile-Georges |short=1}}</ref>

St. Louis installed a house of the [[Trinitarian Order]] at [[Palace of Fontainebleau|Fontainebleau]], his chateau and estate near Paris. He chose Trinitarians as his chaplains and was accompanied by them on his crusades. In his spiritual testament he wrote, "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."<ref name="SHMI" />
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Louis authored and sent the ''Enseignements'', or teachings, to his son [[Philip III of France|Philip III]]. The letter outlined how Philip should follow the example of Jesus Christ in order to be a moral leader.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Greer Fein|first1=Susanna|title=Art. 94, Enseignements de saint Lewis a Philip soun fitz: Introduction {{!}} Robbins Library Digital Projects|url=https://d.lib.rochester.edu/teams/text/fein-harley2253-volume-3-article-94-introduction|access-date=21 December 2020|website=d.lib.rochester.edu}}</ref> The letter is estimated to have been written in 1267, three years before Louis's death.<ref>{{cite book|last1=O'Connell|first1=David|url=https://archive.org/details/teachingsofsaint00ocon|title=The teachings of Saint Louis; a critical text|publisher=Chapel Hill, University of North Carolina Press|year=1972|pages=46–49}}</ref>