Editing Louis IX of France

{{short description|King of France from 1226 to 1270; Catholic saint}}
{{Redirect|Louis IX}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox royalty
| name         = Louis IX
| succession   = [[King of France]]
| moretext     = ([[Style of the French Sovereign#List of changes to the royal style|more...]])
| image        = Saintlouis (cropped).jpg
| caption      = Contemporary depiction from the [[Bible of St Louis]], {{circa}} 1230
| reign        = 8 November 1226 – 25 August 1270
| coronation   = 29 November 1226
| cor-type     = france
| predecessor  = [[Louis VIII]]
| successor    = [[Philip III of France|Philip III]]
| regent       = {{Collapsible list|title=''See list''|1={{plainlist|
* [[Blanche of Castile]] (1226–1234, 1248–1252)
* [[Alphonse, Count of Poitiers]] (1252–1254)
* [[Charles I, Count of Anjou]] (1252–1254) 
* [[Matthew of Vendôme (abbot)|Matthew, Abbot of Saint-Denis]] (1270)
* [[Simon II, Lord of Clermont]] (1270)}}}}
| reg-type     = [[List of regents#France|Regents]]
| spouse       = {{marriage|[[Margaret of Provence]]|1234}}
| issue        = {{plainlist|
*[[Isabella of France, Queen of Navarre|Isabella, Queen of Navarre]]
*[[Louis of France (1244–1260)|Louis of France]]
*[[Philip III, King of France]]
*[[John Tristan, Count of Valois]]
*[[Peter I, Count of Alençon]]
*[[Blanche of France (1253–1323)|Blanche, Infanta of Castile]]
*[[Margaret of France, Duchess of Brabant|Margaret, Duchess of Brabant]]
*[[Robert, Count of Clermont]]
*[[Agnes of France, Duchess of Burgundy|Agnes, Duchess of Burgundy]]}}
| issue-link   = #Children
| issue-pipe   = among others...
| house        = [[Capet]]
| father       = [[Louis VIII of France]]
| mother       = [[Blanche of Castile]]
| birth_date   = 25 April 1214
| birth_place  = [[Poissy]], [[Kingdom of France|France]]
| death_date   = 25 August 1270 (aged 56)
| death_place  = [[Tunis]], [[Hafsid dynasty]]
| burial_date  = 
| burial_place = [[Basilica of St Denis]] and [[Monreale Cathedral]]
| religion     = [[Catholic Church in France|Catholicism]]
}}
[[File:Emile Signol - Louis IX, dit Saint Louis, Roi de France (1215-1270).jpg|thumb|Painting of Louis IX by [[Émile Signol|Emile Signol]]]]
'''Louis IX''' (25 April 1214 – 25 August 1270), also known as '''Saint Louis''', was [[King of France]] from 1226 until his death in 1270. He is widely recognized as the most distinguished of the [[Direct Capetians]]. Following the death of his father, [[Louis VIII]], he was [[Coronation of the French monarch|crowned in Reims]] at the age of 12. His mother, [[Blanche of Castile]], effectively ruled the kingdom as [[regent]] until he came of age, and continued to serve as his trusted adviser until her death. 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.

As an adult, Louis IX grappled with persistent conflicts involving some of the most influential nobles in his kingdom, including [[Hugh X of Lusignan]] and [[Peter I of Brittany]]. Concurrently, England's [[Henry III of England|Henry III]] sought to reclaim the [[Angevin Empire|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 (province)|Maine]], and [[Provence]]. Keeping a promise he made while praying for recovery from a grave illness, Louis led the ill-fated [[Seventh Crusade|Seventh]] and [[Eighth Crusade]]s against the [[Muslim dynasties]] that controlled North Africa, [[Egypt]], and [[the Holy Land]]. He was captured and ransomed during the Seventh Crusade, and later succumbed to [[dysentery]] during the Eighth Crusade. His son, [[Philip III of France|Philip III]], succeeded him.

Louis instigated significant reforms in the [[French legal system]], creating a [[royal justice]] mechanism that allowed petitioners to appeal judgments directly to the monarch. He abolished [[trials by ordeal]], endeavored to terminate private wars, and incorporated the [[presumption of innocence]] into [[criminal proceedings]]. To implement his new legal framework, he established the offices of [[Provost (military police)|provosts]] and [[Bailiff (France)|bailiffs]]. Louis IX's reign is often marked as an economic and political zenith for [[medieval France]], and he held immense respect throughout [[Christendom]]. His reputation as a fair and judicious ruler led to his being solicited to mediate disputes beyond his own kingdom.<ref name="goyau" /><ref name="Louis IX {{!}} king of France">{{Cite web|title=Louis IX, king of France|url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Louis-IX|access-date=25 February 2021|website=Encyclopædia Britannica}}</ref> Louis IX expanded upon the work of his predecessors, especially his grandfather [[Philip II of France]] and reformed the administrative institutions of the French crown.<ref name="arks1">http://arks.princeton.edu/ark:/88435/dsp013197xp817/</ref> He re-introduced, and expanded the scope of, the ''enquêtes'' commissioned to investigate governmental abuses and provide monetary restitutions for the crown.

Louis's admirers through the centuries have celebrated him as the quintessential Christian monarch. His skill as a knight and engaging manner with the public contributed to his popularity. Saint Louis was extremely pious, earning the moniker of a "[[monk]] king".<ref name="Louis IX {{!}} king of France" /><ref>{{Cite book|author-link=Martin Bouquet|last=Bouquet|first=Martin|url=https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k50141v|title=Recueil des historiens des Gaules et de la France. Tome 23 / &#91;éd. par Dom Martin Bouquet,...&#93; ; nouv. éd. publ. sous la dir. de M. Léopold Delisle,...|date=1840–1904|language=fr}}</ref> Louis was a staunch Christian and rigorously enforced [[Catholic orthodoxy]]. He enacted harsh laws against [[blasphemy]],<ref name="Bobineau">{{cite news|last=Bobineau|first=Olivier|date=8 December 2011|title=Retour de l'ordre religieux ou signe de bonne santé de notre pluralisme laïc ?|language=fr|newspaper=Le Monde.fr|url=https://www.lemonde.fr/idees/article/2011/12/08/retour-de-l-ordre-religieux-ou-signe-de-bonne-sante-de-notre-pluralisme-laique_1615091_3232.html|access-date=27 October 2015}}</ref> and he also launched actions against [[France's Jewish population]], including ordering them to wear a yellow badge of shame, as well as the notorious burning of the [[Talmud]] following the [[Disputation of Paris]]. Louis IX holds the distinction of being the sole [[canonized]] king of France.<ref name="The Pope Who Saved the Talmud">{{cite web|date=15 June 2013|title=The Pope Who Saved the Talmud|url=http://5tjt.com/the-pope-who-saved-the-talmud/|access-date=29 September 2014|work=The 5 Towns Jewish Times}}</ref>

==Sources==
Much of what is known of Louis's life comes from [[Jean de Joinville]]'s famous ''[[Jean de Joinville#Life of Saint Louis|Life of Saint Louis]]''. Joinville was a close friend, confidant, and counselor to the king. He participated as a witness in the papal inquest into Louis's life that resulted in his canonization in 1297 by [[Pope Boniface VIII]]. Two other important biographies were written by the king's confessor, [[Geoffrey of Beaulieu]], and his chaplain, [[William of Chartres (Dominican)|William of Chartres]]. While several individuals wrote biographies in the decades following the king's death, only Jean of Joinville, Geoffrey of Beaulieu, and William of Chartres wrote from personal knowledge of the king and of the events they describe, and all three are biased favorably to the king. The fourth important source of information is William of Saint-Parthus's 19th-century biography,<ref>''Vie de St Louis'', ed. H.-F. Delaborde, Paris, 1899</ref> which he wrote using material from the papal inquest mentioned above.

==Early life==
Louis was born on 25 April 1214 at [[Poissy]], near Paris, the son of [[Louis the Lion]] and [[Blanche of Castile]],{{sfn|Richard|1983|p=xxiv}} and was baptized there in ''La Collégiale Notre-Dame'' church. His paternal grandfather was King [[Philip II of France]], and his maternal grandfather was King [[Alfonso VIII of Castile]]. [[Tutors]] of Blanche's choosing taught him [[Latin]], public speaking, writing, military arts, and government.<ref name=archstl>{{cite web|url=http://archstl.org/becomingcatholic/page/saint-louis-king-france|title=Saint Louis, King of France, Archdiocese of St. Louis, MO.|access-date=29 September 2014|archive-date=26 August 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140826175227/http://archstl.org/becomingcatholic/page/saint-louis-king-france|url-status=dead}}</ref> He was nine years old when his grandfather Philip II died and his father became King Louis VIII.<ref>Plaque in the church, Collégiale Notre-Dame, Poissy, France.</ref>

== Minority (1226–1234) ==
Louis was 12 years old when his father died on 8 November 1226. He was crowned king on 29 November 1226 at [[Reims Cathedral]], officiated by the [[bishop of Soissons]].{{sfn|Hanley|2016|pp=234–235}} His mother, Blanche, ruled France as [[regent]] during his minority.<ref name="Encarta-Louis">{{cite encyclopedia|title=Louis IX|encyclopedia=Encarta|publisher=Microsoft Corporation|year=2008}}</ref> Louis's mother instilled in him her devout Christianity. She is once recorded to have said:<ref name=SHMI>{{cite book|author=Fr. Paolo O. Pirlo, SHMI|title=My First Book of Saints|year=1997|publisher=Sons of Holy Mary Immaculate – Quality Catholic Publications|isbn=971-91595-4-5|pages=193–194|chapter=St. Louis}}</ref>

{{blockquote|I love you, my dear son, as much as a mother can love her child; but I would rather see you dead at my feet than that you should ever commit a mortal sin.}}

His younger brother [[Charles I of Sicily]] (1227–85) was created [[count of Anjou]], thus founding the [[Capetian Angevin]] dynasty.

In 1229, when Louis was 15, his mother ended the [[Albigensian Crusade]] by signing an agreement with [[Raymond VII of Toulouse]]. [[Raymond VI of Toulouse]] had been suspected of ordering the assassination of [[Pierre de Castelnau]], a Roman Catholic preacher who attempted to convert the [[Cathars]].{{sfn|Sumption|1978|p=15}}

On 27 May 1234, Louis married [[Margaret of Provence]] (1221–1295); she was crowned in the cathedral of Sens the next day.{{sfn|Richard|1983|p=64}} Margaret was the sister of [[Eleanor of Provence]], who later married [[Henry III of England]]. The new queen's religious zeal made her a well-suited partner for the king, and they are attested to have gotten along well, enjoying riding together, reading, and listening to music. His closeness to Margaret aroused jealousy in his mother, who tried to keep the couple apart as much as she could.{{sfn|Richard|1983|p=65}}

While his contemporaries viewed his reign as co-rule between the king and his mother, historians generally believe Louis began ruling personally in 1234, with his mother assuming a more advisory role.<ref name=goyau>{{cite web|url=http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09368a.htm|title=Goyau, Georges. 'St. Louis IX.' ''The Catholic Encyclopedia.'' Vol. 9. New York: Robert Appleton Company|orig-year=1910|year=2013|access-date=29 September 2014}}</ref> She continued to have a strong influence on the king until her death in 1252.<ref name="Encarta-Louis" />{{sfn|Shadis|2010|pp=17–19}}

== Louis as king ==

=== Arts ===
[[File:Louis-innocentiv.jpg|thumb|[[Pope Innocent IV]] with Louis IX at [[Cluny]]]]

Louis's patronage of the arts inspired much innovation in [[Gothic art]] and [[Gothic architecture|architecture]]. The style of his court was influential throughout Europe, both because of artwork purchased from Parisian masters for export, and by the marriage of the king's daughters and other female relatives to foreigners. They became emissaries of Parisian models and styles elsewhere. Louis's personal chapel, the ''[[Sainte-Chapelle]]'' in Paris, which was known for its intricate stained-glass windows, was copied more than once by his descendants elsewhere. Louis is believed to have ordered the production of the [[Morgan Bible]] and the [[Arsenal Bible]], both deluxe [[illuminated manuscript]]s.

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 notable college of theology, later known as the [[University of Paris|Sorbonne]], were laid in Paris about the year 1257.<ref name="crawley">{{cite web|title=St. Louis IX of France {{!}} EWTN|url=https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/saints/louis-ix-of-france-672|website=[[EWTN|EWTN Global Catholic Television Network]]|access-date=31 December 2023}}</ref>

=== Arbitration ===
[[File:Premier sceau de majesté de Louis IX détouré.png|thumb|Seal of Louis IX, legend: {{Smallcaps|lvdovicvs di gra(tia) francorvm rex}}<br/>{{small|("''Louis, by the grace of God, king of the [[Franks]]''")}}]]

The prestige and respect felt by Europeans for King Louis IX were due more to the appeal of his personality 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. His reputation for fairness and even saintliness was already well established while he was alive, and on many occasions he was chosen as an arbiter in quarrels among the rulers of Europe.<ref name="goyau" />

Shortly before 1256, [[Enguerrand IV, Lord of Coucy]], arrested and without trial hanged three young squires of Laon, whom he accused of poaching in his forest. In 1256 Louis had the lord arrested and brought to the [[Palais du Louvre|Louvre]] by his sergeants. Enguerrand demanded judgment by his peers and trial by battle, which the king refused because he thought it obsolete. Enguerrand was tried, sentenced, and ordered to pay 12,000 livres. Part of the money was to pay for [[Mass (liturgy)|masses]] to be said in perpetuity for the souls of the men he had hanged.

In 1258, Louis and [[James I of Aragon]] signed the [[Treaty of Corbeil (1258)|Treaty of Corbeil]] to end areas of contention between them. By this treaty, Louis renounced his feudal overlordship over the [[County of Barcelona]] and [[Roussillon]], which was held by the King of Aragon. James in turn renounced his feudal overlordship over several counties in southern France, including [[Provence]] and [[Languedoc]]. In 1259 Louis signed the [[Treaty of Paris (1259)|Treaty of Paris]], by which [[Henry III of England]] was confirmed in his possession of territories in southwestern France, and Louis received the provinces of [[County of Anjou|Anjou]], Normandy (Normandie), [[Poitou]], Maine, and [[Touraine]].<ref name="Encarta-Louis" />

=== 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" />
{{clear left}}

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>

=== Legal reforms ===
[[File:Wexford_Friary_Window_Saint_Louis_IX_King_of_France_Detail_2010_09_29.jpg|thumb|Detail of stained glass window, depicting St. Louis, created by Leopold Lobin]]

Louis IX's most enduring domestic achievements came through his comprehensive reform of the French legal system. He created mechanisms that allowed subjects to appeal judicial decisions directly to the monarch, establishing a precedent for royal courts as the ultimate arbiters of justice in the kingdom. One of his most significant legal innovations was the abolition of trials by ordeal and combat, practices that had determined guilt or innocence through physical tests rather than evidence. Louis was the second European monarch after [[Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor]] to outlaw trial by ordeal, and in its place, Louis introduced the groundbreaking concept of presumption of innocence in criminal proceedings, fundamentally altering how justice was administered throughout the kingdom. These reforms collectively established a more rational and equitable legal framework that would influence French jurisprudence for centuries.

Prior to his departure on crusade in 1248, Louis had sent ''enquêteurs'' across the kingdom to receive complaints about royal injustice, investigate those claims, and provide restitutions to deserving petitioners. Based on the evidence of administrative corruption and malfeasance compiled in the enquêteurs' reports, as well as the disastrous failure of the crusade itself, in the last sixteen years of his reign Louis initiated a sweeping series of reforms.<ref name="arks1"/> This reform program was highlighted by the promulgation in December 1254 of what is known as the Great Reform Ordinance, a wide-ranging set of ethical principles and practical rules concerning the conduct and moral integrity of royal officers including ''baillis'' and ''enquêteurs''. To ensure that the ordinance's precepts were upheld and enforced, the crown simultaneously relied upon a broad array of preventive strategies, intensive supervision, and accountability procedures, chief among them the reintroduction of the "enquêtes".<ref>[[William Chester Jordan]], ''Louis IX and the Challenge of the Crusade: A Study in Rulership'' (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1979), pp. 35–64, 135–181; and Jean Richard, ''Saint Louis, roi d'une France féodale, soutien de la Terre sainte'' (Paris: Fayard, 1983), ed. and abridged by Simon Lloyd, trans. Jean Birrell as ''Saint Louis: Crusader King of France'' (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1992), pp. 156–183.</ref> A 1261 inquest into the conduct of Mathieu de Beaune, bailli of [[Vermandois]], illustrates Louis's commitment to accountability: testimonies from 247 witnesses were collected to investigate corruption allegations, showcasing the crown's rigorous oversight mechanisms and its mission to create a more transparent judiciary.<ref name="arks1"/> Such measures reduced localized abuses of power and standardized legal proceedings across the realm.

Perhaps most emblematic of Louis's commitment to justice was his personal involvement in judicial proceedings. According to many local legends and contemporary accounts, the king frequently sat under a great oak tree in the forest of Vincennes near Paris, where he would personally hear cases and render judgements.<ref name="life1">[[Jean de Joinville]], ''Life of Saint Louis''</ref>

=== Scholarship and learning ===
[[File:Tommaso_-_Summa_theologica,_1596_-_4593718.tif|thumb|A copy of Thomas Aquinas's "Summa theologica", widely regarded as the epitome of medieval, scholastic and Christian theology]]

The reign of Louis IX coincided with a remarkable intellectual flourishing in France, particularly in Paris, which emerged as Europe's pre-eminent center of learning during Louis's reign.
Scholars like [[William of Auvergne]] played a crucial role in shaping the intellectual landscape of Europe during his reign. William of Auvergne's monumental ''Magisterium divinale'' (1223–1240) attempted to reconcile [[Aristotelian philosophy]] with Christian doctrine, particularly challenges posed by Arabic commentaries on Aristotle. He was greatly favored by the crown and also served as a member of the regency council that ruled France in absence of the king during the seventh crusade.<ref>[[William of Auvergne]]</ref>

Perhaps greatest of all the intellectual minds active in France during Louis's reign was the theologian [[Thomas Aquinas]]. Aquinas's association with Paris represents one of the most fruitful collaborations between scholasticism and intellectual endeavor. Though Italian by birth, Aquinas conducted his most important work at the [[University of Paris]], where he held the Dominican chair in theology twice (1256–1259 and 1269–1272). His [[Summa Theologica]], widely considered to be the epitome of medieval scholastic theology, synthesized Aristotelian philosophy with Christian theology in an unprecedented systematic framework at a time when Aristotle was just getting popular in Europe again.<ref>Gilson, Etienne (1991). The Spirit of Medieval Philosophy (Gifford Lectures 1933–35). Notre Dame, IN: University of Notre Dame Press. p. 490. ISBN 978-0-268-01740-8.</ref> 

Another major scholastic figure,the German Dominican [[Albertus Magnus]], was also active at the University of Paris from 1245 to 1248. His experimental approach to natural sciences, exemplified by botanical studies and mineralogical investigations, prefigured later scientific methods while maintaining a theological framework.<ref>Harran, Marilyn J. "Albertus Magnus, Saint." World Book Student. World Book, 2013. Web. Feb. 27, 2013.</ref>Louis IX's support for Dominican institutions facilitated Albertus's work, which helped transform Paris into the primary center for Aristotelian studies.

== Personal reign (1235–1266) ==

===Construction of the Sainte-Chapelle===
[[File:Interior_of_Saint-Chapelle_in_Paris.jpg|thumb|Interior of the Saint-Chapelle, Paris]]

The construction of [[Sainte-Chapelle]] was inspired by earlier Carolingian royal chapels, most notably the Palatine Chapel of [[Charlemagne]] at Aix-la-Chapelle (modern-day [[Aachen]]). Before embarking on this ambitious project, Louis had already built a royal chapel at the [[Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye]] in 1238. This earlier, single-level chapel's plan would be adapted for Sainte-Chapelle, though on a much grander scale.<ref name="eb1">Alain Erlande-Brandenburg, the Ste Chapelle (Paris-Buildings) in ''Grove Encyclopedia of Art''</ref>

The primary motivation for building Sainte-Chapelle was to create a suitable sanctuary for Louis IX's collection of precious Christian relics including the [[crown of thorns]]. The foundation of the Chapelle was laid in 1241 and construction proceeded rapidly into the decade. On April 26, 1248 the Saint-Chapelle was consecrated as a private royal chapel for King Louis IX.<ref name="eb1"/>

The completed structure was remarkable in size, measuring 36 meters (118 ft) long, 17 meters (56 ft) wide, and 42.5 meters (139 ft) high-dimensions that rivaled contemporary Gothic cathedrals. The chapel featured two distinct levels of equal size but different purposes, the upper level housed the sacred relics and was reserved exclusively for the royal family and their guests, while the lower level served courtiers, servants, and palace 
 
===Seventh Crusade===
[[File:C croisade7 prisonnier1.jpg|thumb|upright|Louis IX was taken prisoner at the [[Battle of Fariskur (1250)|Battle of Fariskur]], during the Seventh Crusade ([[Gustave Doré]]).]]
{{main|Seventh Crusade}}

Louis and his followers landed in Egypt on 4 or 5 June 1249 and began their campaign with the capture of the port of [[Damietta]].<ref name="Encarta-Crusades">{{cite encyclopedia|title=Crusades: Crusades of the 13th century|encyclopedia=Encarta|publisher=Microsoft Corporation|year=2009|url=http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761561210_2/Crusades.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091028224256/http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761561210_2/Crusades.html#s6|archive-date=28 October 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref>{{sfn|Tyerman|2006|p=787}} This attack caused some disruption in the Muslim [[Ayyubid]] empire, especially as the current sultan, [[Al-Malik as-Salih Najm al-Din Ayyub]], was on his deathbed. However, the march of Europeans from Damietta toward [[Cairo]] through the [[Nile River Delta]] went slowly. The seasonal rising of the Nile and the summer heat made it impossible for them to advance.<ref name=crawley/> During this time, the Ayyubid sultan died, and the sultan's wife [[Shajar al-Durr]] set in motion a shift in power that would make her Queen and eventually result in the rule of the Egyptian army of the [[Mamluks]].

On 8 February 1250, Louis lost his army at the [[Battle of Fariskur (1250)|Battle of Fariskur]] and was captured by the Egyptians. His release was eventually negotiated in return for a ransom of 400,000 [[bezants]] or about 200,000 [[livres tournois]], a little less than the French crown's annual income,<ref>{{cite book |last1=Gaposchkin |first1=M. Cecilia |last2=Sean L. |first2=Field |title=The Sanctity of Louis IX: Early Lives of Saint Louis by Geoffrey of Beaulieu and William of Chartres |date=2013 |publisher=Cornell University Press |isbn=9780801469138 |page=17 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=59A6AgAAQBAJ&pg=PP17 |access-date=3 March 2025}}</ref> and the surrender of the city of Damietta.{{sfn|Tyerman|2006|p=796}}

===Four years in the Kingdom of Jerusalem===
Upon his liberation from captivity in Egypt, Louis IX devoted four years to fortifying the [[Kingdom of Jerusalem]], focusing his efforts in [[Acre, Israel|Acre]], [[Caesarea Maritima|Caesarea]], and [[Jaffa]]. He used his resources to aid the Crusaders in reconstructing their defenses<ref name="brehier">{{cite web|title=Bréhier, Louis. "Crusades." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 4. New York: Robert Appleton Company|orig-year=1908|year=2013|url=http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04543c.htm|access-date=29 September 2014}}</ref> and actively engaged in diplomatic endeavors with the [[Ayyubid dynasty]]. In the spring of 1254, Louis and his remaining forces made their return to France.<ref name="Encarta-Crusades" />

Louis maintained regular correspondence and envoy exchanges with the [[Mongol]] rulers of his era. During his first crusade in 1248, he received envoys from [[Eljigidei]], the Mongol military leader stationed in [[Armenia]] and [[Persia]].{{sfn|Jackson|1980|p=481-513}} Eljigidei proposed that Louis should launch an offensive in Egypt while he targeted [[Baghdad]] to prevent the unification of the Muslim forces in Egypt and Syria. In response, Louis sent [[André de Longjumeau]], a [[Dominican Order|Dominican]] priest, as a delegate to the [[Khagan]] [[Güyük Khan]] ({{Reign|1246|1248}}) in [[Mongolia]]. However, Güyük's death preceded the arrival of the emissary, and his widow and acting regent, [[Oghul Qaimish]], rejected the diplomatic proposition.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Grousset|first1=René|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CHzGvqRbV_IC&q=berke+khan+demanded+louis+IX&pg=PA273|title=The Empire of the Steppes: A History of Central Asia|publisher=[[Rutgers University Press]]|year=1970|isbn=978-0813513041|location=Durham, New Carolina|access-date=29 September 2014}}</ref>

Louis sent another representative, the [[Franciscan]] missionary and explorer [[William of Rubruck]], to the Mongol court. Rubruck visited the Khagan [[Möngke]] ({{Reign|1251|1259}}) in Mongolia and spent several years there. In 1259, [[Berke]], the leader of the [[Golden Horde]], demanded Louis's submission.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Sinor|first=Denis|date=1999|title=The Mongols in the West|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/41933117|journal=Journal of Asian History|volume=33|issue=1|pages=1–44|issn=0021-910X|jstor=41933117}}</ref> In contrast, Mongol emperors Möngke and [[Khubilai]]'s brother, the [[Ilkhan]] [[Hulegu]], sent a letter to the French king, soliciting his military aid; this letter, however, never reached France.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Aigle|first=Denise|date=2005|title=The Letters of Eljigidei, H¨uleg¨u and Abaqa: Mongol overtures or Christian Ventriloquism?|url=http://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/docs/00/38/19/67/PDF/InnerAsia.pdf|journal=Inner Asia|volume=7|issue=2|pages=143–162|doi=10.1163/146481705793646883|s2cid=161266055|access-date=26 February 2017}}</ref>

===Return to France===
[[File:Louis_IX_sailing_for_France,_from_Chroniques_de_France_ou_de_St_Denis,_14th_century_(22093703934).jpg|thumb|Louis IX sailing for France, from Chroniques de France, 14th century]]

Louis IX returned to France in 1254 after spending four years in the Holy Land following his release from captivity during the failed [[Seventh Crusade]]. He set out from Acre on April 24, 1254, and arrived back in France in July of that year. The kingdom had been ruled by a regency in his absence, headed by the king's mother [[Blanche of Castile]] until her death in November 1252.

Jean de Joinville's narrative of the king's return home from crusade in July 1254 is marked by two fateful meetings. Upon disembarking at [[Hyères]], forty miles east along the coast from [[Marseille]], Louis and his entourage were met almost immediately by the abbot of Cluny, who presented him and the queen with two palfreys that Joinville estimated to be worth, by the standards of the first decade of the 1300s, five hundred [[livre tournois]]. The next day, the abbot returned to tell the king of his troubles, to which the king patiently and attentively listened. After the abbot's departure, Joinville posed to Louis whether the gift of the palfreys had made the king more favorable to the abbot's petition, and, when Louis replied in the affirmative, advised him that those men entrusted with administering the king's justice should be forbidden from accepting gifts, lest they "listen more willingly and with greater attention to those who gave them."<ref>Jean de Joinville, ''Life of Saint Louis''. 324–327, cap. 652–656.</ref>

While still at Hyères, the king heard of a renowned Franciscan named Hugues de Digne active in the area and, ever the enthusiast for sermons, requested that the friar attend the court so that Louis might hear him preach.<ref>Jean de Joinville, ''Life of Saint Louis''. 324–327</ref>

===Diplomatic relations and treaties===
[[File:Châteaux_du_Pays_cathare_-_Château_de_Peyrepertuse_-_20.jpg|thumb|The now-ruined Peyrepertuse Castle, one of the strategic strongholds ceded by James I of Aragon in accordance with Treaty of Corbeil (1258)]]

After returning to France in 1254, Louis IX prioritized diplomatic settlements to resolve many longstanding territorial disputes and stabilize his kingdom's borders. In 1258, he concluded the [[Treaty of Corbeil (1258)|Treaty of Corbeil]] with [[James I of Aragon]]. According to the terms of this treaty, Louis IX renounced ancient French claims of feudal overlordship over Catalonia (the Hispanic March), while James had to renounce all claims to several territories in southern France, including [[Languedoc]], Provence, Toulouse, Quercy, and others, except for Montpellier and Carlat. Isabella, daughter of James I, was also betrothed to Philip, son of Louis IX securing peace with Aragon.

In 1259, Louis concluded the Treaty of Paris with [[Henry III of England]]. Henry III formally renounced all claims to Normandy, Anjou, Maine, Touraine, and Poitou-territories lost by his predecessors
In return, Louis IX recognized Henry III as Duke of Aquitaine and his vassal for [[Guyenne]] and Gascony, with Henry retaining control over these regions but under French suzerainty.<ref>https://www.britannica.com/biography/Louis-IX/Achievement-of-peace-and-administrative-reforms#ref10881</ref> The treaty of Paris had already positioned Louis as a respected mediator in European affairs and in January 1264, Henry III formally requested Louis IX to arbitrate the dispute between the crown and the barons.Louis convened the Mise of Amiens, a judgment that annulled the Provisions of Oxford and sided decisively with Henry, rejecting the baronial reforms.<ref>https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofEngland/King-Henry-III/</ref> This ruling emboldened Henry's position but also deepened the conflict, as the barons, led by [[Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester]], refused to accept the decision, leading to renewed warfare after 1264.

Louis IX's diplomatic reach extended across Western Europe and even into the Near East and Central Asia, earning him a reputation as one of the foremost arbitrators of his age. The king maintained diplomatic relations with the Mongols even after returning to France and in 1260, as the Mongols under [[Hulagu Khan]] sacked Baghdad and advanced into Syria, Louis maintained correspondence with [[Ilkhanate]] leaders, hoping to coordinate attacks against their mutual [[Mamluk]] adversaries.<ref name="life1"/>

King Louis IX also maintained diplomatic relations with Emperor [[Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor|Frederick II]] and frequently corresponded with him, but their relationship was far from cordial. The contemporary Arab historian [[Ibn Wasil]] mentions a letter that the emperor sent to Louis, after the latter's release from captivity, in order "to remind him of his (own) sound advice and the consequences of his obstinacy and recalcitrance, and to upbraid him for it". There is no other record of this letter, but Frederick did write to King [[Ferdinand III of Castile]] blaming the pope for a disaster that could have been avoided; in this letter, the emperor links "papal cunning" to "the fate of our beloved friend, the illustrious King of France".<ref>Translation from ''Seventh Crusade'', 47; [[Ibn Wasil]], Mufarrij al-kurūb, 173-5</ref> Frederick II also allegedly sent secret letters and envoys to Sultan [[As-Salih Ayyub]] of Egypt, warning him of Louis IX's impending crusade and offering to delay or disrupt the French king's campaign.<ref>[[Ibn al-Dawadari]], ''Kanz al-durar wa-jāmiʿ al-ghurar''</ref> 

King Louis IX enjoyed unparalleled prestige throughout [[Christendom]] and was respected even by his opponents as he was considered to be the 'Most Christian King' (rex ''Christianissimus''). This title adopted by the French kings was later confirmed by the pope, while further papal concessions cemented France as the "eldest daughter of the church".<ref>J. Weitzel, 'Zur Zuständigkeit des Reichskammergerichts als Appellations gericht', ZSRG GA,90 (1973), 213–45; K. Perels, 'Die Justizverweigerung I'm alten Reiche seit 1495', ZSRG GA, 25 (1904), 1–51</ref> The king's influence was rooted not in military dominance but in widespread respect for his fairness, personal integrity, and reputation as a Christian ruler. European monarchs and nobles frequently sought his judgment in disputes, viewing him as an impartial and principled mediator.

== Later reign (1267–1270) ==

===Eighth Crusade and death===
[[File:Mort de Louis IX le Saint.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|Death of Saint Louis: On 25 August 1270, Saint Louis dies in his tent, ornamented with royal symbols, near [[Tunis]]. Illuminated by [[Jean Fouquet]], ''[[Grandes Chroniques de France]]'' (1455–1460).]]

In a parliament held at Paris, 24 March 1267, Louis and his three sons "took the cross."<!-- Explain --> 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 the English prince [[Edward Longshanks]], landed at [[Carthage]] 17 July 1270, but disease broke out in the camp.<ref name=brehier/>

Louis died at [[Tunis]] on 25 August 1270, during an epidemic of dysentery that swept through his army.{{Sfn|Magill|Aves|1998|p=606}}{{Sfn|Cross|Livingstone|2005|p=1004}}{{Sfn|Lock|2013|p=183}} According to European custom, his body was subjected to the process known as ''[[mos Teutonicus]]'' prior to most of his remains being returned to France.{{sfn|Westerhof|2008|p=79}} Louis was succeeded as King of France by his son, [[Philip III of France|Philip III]].

Louis's younger brother, [[Charles I of Naples]], preserved his heart and intestines, and conveyed them for burial in the [[Cathedral of Monreale]] near [[Palermo]].{{Sfn|Gaposchkin|2008|p=28}}

[[File:Royal MS 19 D I, fol. 227r.png|thumb|upright=1.3|Louis's body returning, from a copy of the crusade treatise ''[[Directorium ad passagium]]'']]

Louis's bones were carried overland in a lengthy processional across Sicily, Italy, the Alps, and France, until they were interred in the royal necropolis at [[Saint Denis Basilica|Saint-Denis]] in May 1271.{{Sfn|Gaposchkin|2008|pp=28–29}} Charles and Philip III later dispersed a number of [[relic]]s to promote Louis's veneration.{{Sfn|Gaposchkin|2008|pp=28–30, 76}}

==Children==
#Blanche (12 July/4 December 1240 – 29 April 1244), died in infancy.{{sfn|Richard|1983|p=xxiv}}
#[[Isabella of France, Queen of Navarre|Isabella]] (2 March 1241 – 28 January 1271), married [[Theobald II of Navarre]].{{sfn|Jordan|2017|p=25}}
#[[Louis of France (1244–1260)|Louis]] (23 September 1243/24 February 1244 – 11 January/2 February 1260). Betrothed to [[Berengaria of Castile, Lady of Guadalajara|Berengaria of Castile]] in Paris on 20 August 1255.{{sfn|Jordan|2017|pp=25–26}}
#[[Philip III of France|Philip III]] (1 May 1245 – 5 October 1285), married firstly to [[Isabella of Aragon, Queen of France|Isabella of Aragon]] in 1262 and secondly to [[Marie of Brabant, Queen of France|Maria of Brabant]] in 1274.
#John (1246/1247 – 10 March 1248), died in infancy.{{sfn|Richard|1983|p=xxiv}}
#[[John Tristan]] (8 April 1250 – 3 August 1270), Count of Valois, married [[Yolande II, Countess of Nevers]].{{sfn|Richard|1983|p=xxiv}}
#[[Peter I, Count of Alençon|Peter]] (1251 – 6/7 April 1284),{{sfn|Richard|1983|p=xxiv}} Count of Perche and Alençon, married [[Joanne of Châtillon]].
#[[Blanche of France, Infanta of Castile|Blanche]] (early 1253 – 17 June 1320), married [[Ferdinand de la Cerda, Infante of Castile]].{{sfn|Richard|1983|p=xxiv}}
#[[Margaret of France, Duchess of Brabant|Margaret]] (early 1255 – July 1271), married [[John I, Duke of Brabant]].{{sfn|Richard|1983|p=xxiv}}
#[[Robert, Count of Clermont|Robert]] (1256 – 7 February 1317), Count of Clermont,{{sfn|Richard|1983|p=xxiv}} married [[Beatrice of Burgundy, Lady of Bourbon|Beatrice of Burgundy]]. The French crown devolved upon his male-line descendant, [[Henry IV of France|Henry IV]] (the first [[House of Bourbon|Bourbon]] king), when the legitimate male line of Philip III died out in 1589.
#[[Agnes of France, Duchess of Burgundy|Agnes]] (1260 – 19/20 December 1327), married [[Robert II, Duke of Burgundy]].{{sfn|Richard|1983|p=xxiv}}

Louis and Margaret's two children who died in infancy were first buried at the [[Cistercian]] [[abbey of Royaumont]]. In 1820 they were transferred and reinterred to [[Saint-Denis Basilica]].{{sfn|Brown|1990|p=810}}

==Ancestry==
{{Unreferenced section|date=January 2025}}

{{ahnentafel
|collapsed=yes |align=center
|boxstyle_1=background-color: #fcc;
|boxstyle_2=background-color: #fb9;
|boxstyle_3=background-color: #ffc;
|boxstyle_4=background-color: #bfc;
|1= 1. '''Louis IX of France'''
|2= 2. [[Louis VIII of France]]
|3= 3. [[Blanche of Castile]]
|4= 4. [[Philip II of France]]
|5= 5. [[Isabelle of Hainaut]]
|6= 6. [[Alfonso VIII of Castile]]
|7= 7. [[Eleanor of England]]
|8= 8. [[Louis VII of France]]
|9= 9. [[Adèle of Champagne]]
|10= 10. [[Baldwin V, Count of Hainaut]]
|11= 11. [[Margaret I, Countess of Flanders]]
|12= 12. [[Sancho III of Castile]]
|13= 13. [[Blanca Garcés of Navarre|Blanca of Navarre]]
|14= 14. [[Henry II of England]]
|15= 15. [[Eleanor of Aquitaine]]
}}

==Veneration as a saint==
{{Infobox saint
| honorific_prefix    = [[Saint]]
| name                = Louis
| honorific_suffix    =
| image               = San Luis, rey de Francia, de Francisco Pacheco (Museo de Bellas Artes de Sevilla).jpg
| imagesize           = 
| alt                 = 
| caption             = ''San Luis, Rey de Francia'' (English: Saint Louis, King of France) by [[Francisco Pacheco]]
| titles              = King of France <br> [[Confessor]]
| venerated_in        = [[Catholic Church]]<br>[[Anglican Communion]]
| beatified_date      = 
| beatified_place     = 
| beatified_by        = 
| canonized_date      = 11 July 1297
| canonized_place     = [[Rome]], [[Papal States]]
| canonized_by        = [[Pope Boniface VIII]]
| major_shrine        = 
| feast_day           = 25 August
| attributes          = The [[crown of thorns]], [[crown]], [[sceptre]], ''[[globus cruciger]]'', [[sword]], ''[[fleur-de-lis]]'', [[Mantle (royal garment)|mantle]], and the other parts of the [[French regalia]]
| patronage           = {{Hlist|France|[[Third Order of Saint Francis]]|The [[French Monarchy]]|[[Archdiocese of New Orleans]]|[[Diocese of Port-Louis]]|[[barber]]s|[[groom]]s}}
| issues              = 
| suppressed_date     = 
| suppressed_by       = 
| influences          = 
| influenced          = 
| tradition           = 
| major_works         = 
}}

[[Pope Boniface VIII]] proclaimed the canonization of Louis in 1297;<ref name=ODS>''Louis IX'', ''Oxford Dictionary of Saints'', (Oxford University Press, 2004), 326.</ref> he is the only French king to be declared a [[saint]].<ref>{{Cite encyclopedia|encyclopedia=The New Encyclopædia Britannica: Micropædia|title=Louis|edition=15th|year=1993|volume=7|isbn=978-0852295717|page=[https://archive.org/details/newencyclopaedia07ency/page/497 497]|url=https://archive.org/details/newencyclopaedia07ency/page/497 |last1=McHenry |first1=Robert }}</ref> Louis IX is often considered the model of the ideal Christian monarch.<ref name=ODS />

Named in his honour, the [[Sisters of Charity of St. Louis]] is a Roman Catholic [[religious order (Catholic)|religious order]] founded in [[Vannes]], France, in 1803.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.soeursdelacharitestlouis.org/en/content/who-we-are|title=Who We Are|date=2017|publisher=Sisters of Charity of St. Louis|access-date=26 February 2017}}</ref> A similar order, the Sisters of St Louis, was founded in [[Juilly, Seine-et-Marne|Juilly]] in 1842.<ref>"Our Father and Patron St. Louis / St. Louis, King of France, 1214–1270 AD" {{cite book|title=St. Louis Handbook for Schools|publisher=Sisters of St Louis|page=8}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://stlouissisters.org/about-us/our-history|title=Our history|date=2015|publisher=Sisters of St Louis|access-date=26 February 2017}}</ref>

He is honoured as co-patron of the [[Third Order of St. Francis]], which claims him as a member of the Order. When he became king, over a hundred poor people were served meals in his house on ordinary days. Often the king served these guests himself. His acts of charity, coupled with his devout religious practices, gave rise to the legend that he joined the Third Order of St. Francis, though it is unlikely that he ever actually joined the order.<ref name=archstl/>

The Catholic Church and [[Calendar of saints (Episcopal Church)|Episcopal Church]] honor him with a feast day on 25 August.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Optional Memorial of Saint Louis of France {{!}} USCCB|url=https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/0825-memorial-louis.cfm|access-date=10 October 2022|website=bible.usccb.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bEq7DwAAQBAJ|title=Lesser Feasts and Fasts 2018|date=2019|publisher=Church Publishing, Inc.|isbn=978-1-64065-235-4}}</ref>

==Things named after Saint Louis==

* The French royal [[Order of Saint Louis]] (1693–1790 and 1814–1830)<ref>{{Cite book|last=Mazas|first=Alexandre|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IltOlXtuXfIC&q=Ordre+Royal+et+Militaire+de+Saint-Louis+%2522louis+ix%2522&pg=PA28|title=Histoire de l'ordre royal et Militaire de Saint-Louis depuis son institution en 1693 jusqu'en 1830|date=1860|publisher=Firmin Didot frères, fils et Cie|page=28|language=fr}}</ref>

===Places===
Many countries in which French speakers and Catholicism were prevalent named places after King Louis:
*[[San Luis Province]] in Argentina<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/place/San-Luis-province-Argentina|title=San Luis|website=Encyclopædia Britannica|date=24 June 2013|access-date=26 August 2020}}</ref> 
*[[San Luis Potosí]] in Mexico<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://slp.gob.mx/sitionuevo/Paginas/ConoceSLP/HistoriaConoceSLP.aspx|title=Historia|website=City of San Luis Potosí|access-date=22 April 2020|language=es}}</ref> 
*Multiple locations in the United States
**[[St. Louis, Missouri]], named by French colonists<ref name="CDWPN">{{Cite book|last=Everett-Heath|first=John|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iVRuDwAAQBAJ&q=saint+louis+ix+senegal+king+france&pg=PT1436|title=The Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names|date=2018|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-256243-2|pages=1436}}</ref> 
**[[St. Louis County, Missouri]]
**[[St. Louis County, Minnesota]]
**[[San Luis Rey, Oceanside, California]], named by the Franciscans who built one of the California missions there.
**[[San Luis, Colorado]]
*Multiple locations in France<ref name="CDWPN"/>
**[[Île Saint-Louis]], an island in the river [[Seine]], Paris<ref>{{cite web|title=Ile Saint Louis – Paris|url=http://www.francemonthly.com/n/0911/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208054503/http://www.francemonthly.com/n/0911/|archive-date=8 December 2015|access-date=2 April 2015|work=francemonthly.com}}</ref>
**[[Saint-Louis, New Caledonia]]
*Multiple locations in Canada<ref name="CDWPN"/>
*[[Saint-Louis, Senegal]]<ref name="CDWPN"/>
*[[São Luís, Maranhão]] in Brazil<ref>{{Cite book|last=Everett-Heath|first=John|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qgJCDwAAQBAJ&dq=S%C3%A3o+Lu%C3%ADs,+Maranh%C3%A3o+king+france&pg=PT1369|title=The Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names|date=2018|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-256243-2|page=1369}}</ref>
*The Philippines
**[[San Luis, Aurora]]<ref>{{Cite web|title=Municipality of San Luis {{!}} Provincial Government of Aurora|url=https://aurora.gov.ph/municipalities/municipality-of-san-luis/|access-date=26 June 2022|archive-date=24 June 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220624045311/https://aurora.gov.ph/municipalities/municipality-of-san-luis/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
**[[San Luis, Batangas]]<ref>{{cite web|title=San Luis, Batangas: Historical Data|url=https://www.batangashistory.date/2020/01/san-luis-batangas-historical-data.html|website=Batangas History, Culture & Folklore|access-date=5 March 2023}}</ref>

=== Buildings ===

* France
** [[Hôpital Saint-Louis]], hospital in the 10th arrondissement of Paris<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ghparis10.aphp.fr/wp-content/blogs.dir/41/files/2019/07/Histoire-de-lhopital-Saint-Louis.pdf|title=Histoire de l'hôpital Saint-Louis|access-date=25 August 2021|archive-date=25 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210825131540/http://ghparis10.aphp.fr/wp-content/blogs.dir/41/files/2019/07/Histoire-de-lhopital-Saint-Louis.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>
** The [[Cathédrale Saint-Louis de Versailles]] in [[Versailles, Yvelines|Versailles]]<ref>{{Cite web|title=Versailles Saint-Louis Cathedral: guided tour|url=https://www.pariscityvision.com/en/versailles/saint-louis-cathedral|access-date=8 June 2023|website=ParisCityVision.com}}</ref>
* United States
** The [[Basilica of St. Louis, King of France]], completed in 1834 in St. Louis, Missouri<ref>{{cite web|title=History & the Story of St. Louis IX|url=https://oldcathedralstl.org/history|website=Basilica of Saint Louis, King of France|access-date=23 December 2021}}</ref>
** The [[Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis]], completed in 1914 in St. Louis, Missouri<ref>{{cite web|title=Brief History of the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis|url=https://cathedralstl.org/about-basilica/our-history|website=The Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis|access-date=23 December 2021}}</ref>
** The [[St. Louis Cathedral (New Orleans)|St. Louis Cathedral in New Orleans]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Our History|url=https://www.stlouiscathedral.org/about/our-history/|website=Cathedral-Basilica of Saint Louis King of France|access-date=23 December 2021}}</ref>
** The Saint Louis Roman Catholic Church and School in [[Clarksville, Maryland]], established in 1855 and 1923, respectively.
** The St. Louis King of France Catholic Church and School, in Metairie, Louisiana<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://slkfschool.com/|title=St. Louis King of France Catholic School|website=St. Louis King of France Catholic School}}</ref>
** Saint Louis Catholic High School, in Lake Charles, Louisiana
** St. Louis the King Catholic Church, in Marquette, Michigan
** Saint Louis King of France Catholic Church and School, in Austin, Texas
** Saint Louis Catholic Church, in Waco, Texas
**[[Mission San Luis Rey de Francia]], Oceanside, California, founded 12 June 1798
** San Luis Rey Mission, Chamberino, New Mexico
** [[St. Louis Roman Catholic Church]] in Buffalo, New York<ref>{{cite web|url=https://buffaloah.com/a/main/780/stlou/stloufront/hist.html|title=History – St. Louis RC Church}}</ref> (Mother Church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gpsmycity.com/attractions/saint-louis-roman-catholic-church-49054.html|title=Saint Louis Roman Catholic Church in Buffalo, US}}</ref>
* The [[San Luigi dei Francesi|national church of France]] in Rome: San Luigi dei Francesi in Italian, or Saint Louis of France in English<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Bassani Grampp|first1=Florian|title=On a Roman Polychoral Performance in August 1665|journal=Early Music|date=August 2008|volume=36|issue=3|pages=415–433|doi=10.1093/em/can095|jstor=27655211|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/27655211|access-date=23 December 2021}}</ref>
* The [[Cathedral of St Louis (Plovdiv)|Cathedral of St Louis]] in Plovdiv, Bulgaria<ref>{{Cite web|last=Plovdiv|first=Visit|title=Catholic Cathedral 'Saint Louis'|url=http://www.visitplovdiv.com/en/node/597|access-date=26 October 2022|website=visitplovdiv.com}}</ref>
* The [[Acropolium of Carthage|Cathedral of St Louis]] in Carthage, Tunisia, so named because Louis IX died at that approximate location in 1270<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Artaud de La Ferrière|first1=Alexis|title=Listen Articles The Catholic Church in Tunisia: a transliminal institution between religion and nation|journal=The Journal of North African Studies|date=May 2019|volume=25|issue=3|pages=415–446|doi=10.1080/13629387.2019.1611428|s2cid=164493102|url=https://researchportal.port.ac.uk/portal/en/publications/the-catholic-church-in-tunisia-a-transliminal-institution-between-religion-and-nation(5b5bfa74-e7c6-405d-bc90-db9cd56887bd).html}}</ref>
* The [[Church of St. Louis of the French (Moscow)|Church of St Louis]] in Moscow, Russia<ref>{{Cite web|title=Приход св. Людовика в Москве – Приход св. Людовика в Москве|url=https://ru.eglise.ru/|access-date=23 March 2021|website=ru.eglise.ru}}</ref>
* India
** Rue Saint Louis of [[Pondicherry]]<ref>{{Cite web|title=Stock Photo – Rue Saint Louis in Pondicherry India|url=https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-rue-saint-louis-in-pondicherry-india-25971797.html|access-date=23 March 2021|website=Alamy}}</ref>
** St. Louis Church, Dahisar West, Mumbai<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://stlouischurchdahisar.in/|title=St. Louis Church|website=stlouischurchdahisar.in|access-date=22 December 2023}}</ref>
* The Convent of Saint Louis and Catholic High School in Carrickmacross, Ireland.

== Notable portraits ==
France

* The Equestrian Statue of Louis IX, Paris, by Hippolyte Lefèbvre, which stands outside of the Basilica of the Sacred Heart at Montmartre.<ref>{{Cite web|date=6 April 2016|title=Equestrian statue of Louis IX in Paris France|url=https://equestrianstatue.org/louis-ix/|access-date=27 August 2024|website=Equestrian statues}}</ref>

United States
* A bas-relief of St. Louis is one of the carved portraits of historic lawmakers that adorn [[United States Capitol#House Chamber|the chamber]] of the [[United States House of Representatives]].
* Saint Louis is also portrayed on a [[frieze]] depicting a timeline of important lawgivers throughout world history, on the North Wall of the [[Courtroom]] at the [[Supreme Court of the United States]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.supremecourt.gov/about/northandsouthwalls.pdf|title=US Supreme Court Courtroom Friezes|access-date=19 February 2019}}</ref>
* A statue of St. Louis by the sculptor John Donoghue stands on the roofline of the [[New York State Appellate Division]] Court at 27 Madison Avenue in New York City.
* The [[Apotheosis of St. Louis]] is an equestrian statue of the saint, by [[Charles Henry Niehaus]], that stands in front of the [[Saint Louis Art Museum]] in Forest Park.
* A heroic portrait by [[Charles de Steuben|Baron Charles de Steuben]] hangs in the [[Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary]] in [[Baltimore]]. An 1821 gift of King [[Louis XVIII]] of France, it depicts St. Louis burying his plague-stricken troops before the siege of [[Tunis]] at the beginning of the [[Eighth Crusade]] in 1270.

==In fiction==

*''Louis IX'', play by [[Jacques-François Ancelot]], 1819
*Davis, William Stearns, ''"Falaise of the Blessed Voice"'' aka ''"The White Queen"''. New York: Macmillan, 1904
*[[Peter Berling]], ''[[The Children of the Grail]]''
*[[Jules Verne]], "To the Sun?/Off on a Comet!" A comet takes several bits of the Earth away when it grazes the Earth. Some people, taken up at the same time, find the Tomb of Saint Louis is one of the bits, as they explore the comet.
*[[Adam Gidwitz]], ''The Inquisitor's Tale''
*[[Dante Alighieri]], ''[[Divina Commedia]].'' It is likely that Dante hides the figure of the Saint King behind the Veltro, the Messo di Dio, the Veglio di Creta and the "515", which is a duplicate of the Messo. This is a trinitarian representation to oppose to the analogous representation of his grandson [[Philip IV the Fair]], as the [[The Beast (Revelation)|Beast from the Sea]]. The idea came to Dante from the transposition of the Revelation of St. John in the history, studied from the abbot and theologian [[Joachim of Fiore]].<ref>{{Cite book|last=Lombardi|first=Giancarlo|title=L'Estetica Dantesca del Dualismo|publisher=Giuliano Ladolfi Editore|year=2022|isbn=978-8866446620|location=Borgomanero, Novara, Italy|language=it}}</ref>
*Theodore de Bainville, poem, "La Ballade des Pendus (Le Verger du Roi Louis)"; musicalized by Georges Brassens.

==Music==

*[[Arnaud du Prat]], Paris canon; Rhymed, chanted office for St. Louis, 1290, Sens Bib. Mun. MS6, and elsewhere.
*[[Marc-Antoine Charpentier]], ''Motet for Saint Louis,'' H.320, for 1 voice, 2 treble instruments (?) and continuo 1675.
*Marc-Antoine Charpentier'','' Motet ''In honorem santi Ludovici Regis Galliae canticum tribus vocibus cum symphonia,'' H.323, for 3 voices, 2 treble instruments and continuo (1678 ?)
*Marc-Antoine Charpentier'','' Motet ''In honorem Sancti Ludovici regis Galliae,'' H.332, for 3 voices, 2 treble instruments and continuo 1683)
*Marc-Antoine Charpentier, Motet ''In honorem Sancti Ludovici regis Galliae canticum,'' H.365 & H.365 a, for soloists, chorus, woodwinds, strings and continuo (1690)
*Marc-Antoine Charpentier, Motet ''In honorem Sancti Ludovici regis Galliae,'' H.418, for soloists, chorus, 2 flutes, 2 violins and continuo (1692–93)

==See also==
* [[List of royal saints and martyrs]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

===Bibliography===
{{Refbegin|30em|indent=yes}}
* {{Cite journal|last=Brown|first=Elizabeth A. R.|date=Autumn 1990|title=Authority, the Family, and the Dead in Late Medieval France|journal=French Historical Studies|volume=16|issue=4|pages=803–832|doi=10.2307/286323|jstor=286323}}
* {{Cite book|title=The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2005|isbn=0-1928-0290-9|editor-last=Cross|editor-first=Frank Leslie|editor-link=Frank Leslie Cross|editor-last2=Livingstone|editor-first2=Elizabeth A.}}
* {{Cite journal|last=Davis|first=Jennifer R.|date=Autumn 2010|title=The Problem of King Louis IX of France: Biography, Sanctity, and Kingship|journal=Journal of Interdisciplinary History|volume=41|issue=2|pages=209–225|doi=10.1162/JINH_a_00050|s2cid=144928195}}
* {{Cite book|last=Dupuy|first=Trevor N.|ol=1715499M|title=The Harper Encyclopedia of Military History|publisher=HarperCollins|year=1993|isbn=978-0-062-70056-8}}
* {{Cite book|last=Gaposchkin|first=M. Cecilia|ol=16365443M|title=The Making of Saint Louis: Kingship, Sanctity, and Crusade in the Later Middle Ages|publisher=Cornell University Press|year=2008|isbn=978-0-801-47625-9}}
* {{cite book|last=Hanley|first=Catherine|title=Louis: The French Prince who invaded England|publisher=Yale University Press|year=2016}}
* {{Cite journal|last=Jackson|first=Peter|date=July 1980|title=The Crisis in the Holy Land in 1260|journal=The English Historical Review|volume=95|issue=376|pages=481–513|doi=10.1093/ehr/XCV.CCCLXXVI.481|issn=0013-8266|jstor=568054}}
* {{Cite book|last=Jordan|first=William Chester|ol=4433805M|title=Louis IX and the Challenge of the Crusade: A Study in Rulership|year=1979|isbn=978-0-691-05285-4|publisher=Princeton University Press}}
* {{Cite book|last=Jordan|first=William C.|author-mask=2|title=Authority and Spectacle in Medieval and Early Modern Europe: Essays in Honor of Teofilo F. Ruiz|publisher=Routledge|year=2017|editor-last=Liang|editor-first=Yuen-Gen|chapter=A Border Policy? Louis IX and the Spanish Connection|editor-last2=Rodriguez|editor-first2=Jarbel|ol=33569507M}}
* {{Cite book|last=Le Goff|first=Jacques|title=[[Saint Louis (biography)|Saint Louis]]|publisher=University of Notre Dame Press|year=2009|isbn=978-0-268-03381-1}}
* {{Cite book|last=Lock|first=Peter|title=The Routledge Companion to the Crusades|publisher=Routledge|year=2013|isbn=978-1-135-13137-1}}
* {{Cite book|title=Dictionary of World Biography: The Middle Ages|publisher=Routledge|year=1998|isbn=1-5795-8041-6|editor-last=Magill|editor-first=Frank Northen|editor-link=Frank Northen Magill|volume=2|editor-last2=Aves|editor-first2=Alison}}
* {{Cite book|last=Shadis|first=Miriam|title=Berenguela of Castile (1180–1246) and Political Women in the High Middle Ages|publisher=Palgrave Macmillan|year=2010|isbn=978-0-312-23473-7}}
* {{Cite book|last=Richard|first=Jean|title=Saint Louis: Crusader King of France|publisher=Cambridge University Press|year=1983|editor-last=Lloyd|editor-first=Simon|translator-last=Birrell|translator-first=Jean}}
* {{Cite book|last=Streyer|first=J.R.|title=A History of the Crusades|year=1962|editor-last=Setton|editor-first=K.M.|volume=II|pages=487–521|chapter=The Crusades of Louis IX}}
* {{Cite book|last=Sumption|first=Jonathan|ol=7857399M|title=The Albigensian Crusade|publisher=Faber and Faber|year=1978|isbn=978-0-571-20002-3}}
* {{Cite book|last=Tyerman|first=Christopher|title=God's War: A New History of the Crusades|publisher=The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press|year=2006}}
* {{Cite book|last=Westerhof|first=Danielle|title=Death and the Noble Body in Medieval England|date=16 October 2008|publisher=Boydell Press|isbn=978-1-843-83416-8}}
{{Refend}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|post-script=none}}
{{Wikiquote}}
*[http://www.medievalist.globalfolio.net/eng/j/joinville-memoirs-of-sent-lois/index.php John de Joinville. Memoirs of Louis IX, King of France. Chronicle, 1309].
*[http://www.lebrelblanco.com/anexos/a0162.htm Saint Louis in Medieval History of Navarre]
*[http://xenophongroup.com/montjoie/taillebr.htm Site about The Saintonge War between Louis IX of France and Henry III of England].
*[http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/makrisi.html Account of the first Crusade of Saint Louis from the perspective of the Arabs.].
*[http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/1249sixthcde-let.html A letter from Guy, a knight, concerning the capture of Damietta on the sixth Crusade with a speech delivered by Saint Louis to his men].
*[http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/toc/modeng/public/WedLord.html Etext full version of the Memoirs of the Lord of Joinville, a biography of Saint Louis written by one of his knights]
*[http://www.bartleby.com/210/8/251.html "St. Lewis, King of France"], ''Butler's Lives of the Saints''
*[http://archstl.org/becomingcatholic/page/saint-louis-king-france "Man of the Middle Ages, Saint Louis, King of France", Archdiocese of St. Louis, MO] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140826175227/http://archstl.org/becomingcatholic/page/saint-louis-king-france |date=26 August 2014 }}

{{S-start}}
{{S-hou|[[House of Capet]]|25 April|1214|25 August|1270}}
{{s-break}}
{{S-reg|}}
{{S-bef|before=[[Louis VIII]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[King of France]]|years=8 November 1226 – 25 August 1270}}
{{S-aft|after=[[Philip III of France|Philip III]]}}
{{S-end}}

{{Monarchs of France}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Portal bar|Saints|Biography}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Louis 09 of France}}
[[Category:Louis IX of France| ]]
[[Category:1214 births]]
[[Category:1270 deaths]]
[[Category:13th-century kings of France]]
[[Category:People from Poissy]]
[[Category:Burials at the Basilica of Saint-Denis]]
[[Category:French royal saints]]
[[Category:House of Capet]]
[[Category:People of the Albigensian Crusade]]
[[Category:Christians of the Seventh Crusade]]
[[Category:Christians of the Eighth Crusade]]
[[Category:Medieval child monarchs]]
[[Category:13th-century Christian saints]]
[[Category:Pre-Reformation Anglican saints]]
[[Category:Deaths from dysentery]]
[[Category:Patron saints of France]]
[[Category:Children of Louis VIII of France]]
[[Category:Monarchs taken prisoner in wartime]]
[[Category:Medieval French saints]]