| Louis VII the Young | |
| King of the Franks (more...) | |
 Louis VII the Young of France |
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| Reign | As co-King: 25 October 1131 – 1 August 1137 As senior King: 1 August 1137 – 18 September 1180 |
|---|---|
| Coronation | 25 October 1131, Cathedral of Reims |
| Titles | Jure uxoris Duke of Aquitaine (1137–52) |
| Born | 1120 |
| Died | September 18, 1180 |
| Place of death | Saint-Pont, Allier |
| Buried | Saint Denis Basilica |
| Predecessor | Louis VI |
| Successor | Philip II Augustus |
| Consort | Eleanor of Aquitaine (1122–1204) Constance of Castile (1141–1160) Adèle of Champagne (1140–1206) |
| Issue | Marie, Countess of Champagne (1145–98) Alix, Countess of Blois (1151–97/98) Marguerite, Queen of Hungary (1158–97) Alys, Countess of the Vexin (1160–1220) Philip Augustus (1165-1223) Agnes, Byzantine Empress (1171–1240) |
| Royal House | House of Capet |
| Father | Louis VI of France (1081–1137) |
| Mother | Adélaide of Maurienne (1092–1154) |
Louis VII, called the Younger or the Young (French: Louis le Jeune; 1120 – 18 September 1180), was King of France, the son and successor of Louis VI (hence his nickname). The precise style of French Sovereigns varied over the years Currently there is no French sovereign three distinct traditions (the Legitimist the Orleanist and the Events 1147 - The Portuguese, under Afonso I, and Crusaders from England and Flanders conquer Lisbon after a Events 30 BC - Octavian (later known as Augustus enters Alexandria, Egypt, bringing it under the control of the Roman Events 30 BC - Octavian (later known as Augustus enters Alexandria, Egypt, bringing it under the control of the Roman Events 96 - Nerva is proclaimed Roman Emperor after Domitian is assassinated Events 1147 - The Portuguese, under Afonso I, and Crusaders from England and Flanders conquer Lisbon after a Reims (alternative English spelling Rheims; riːmz in English and /ʁɛ̃s/ in French) is a city of the Champagne-Ardenne région of northern Jure uxoris is a Latin term that means "by right of the wife The Duke of Aquitaine ( French: Duc d'Aquitaine) ruled the historical region of Aquitaine under the supremacy of the Frankish and later the Events 96 - Nerva is proclaimed Roman Emperor after Domitian is assassinated Saint-Pont is a commune in the Allier department in central France. Allier ( Occitan: Alèir) is a department in south-central France named after the Allier River. The Basilica of Saint Denis ( French: Basilique de Saint-Denis, or simply Basilique Saint-Denis) is the burial site of almost all the French Louis VI ( 1 December 1081 – 1 August 1137) called the Fat (le Gros was King of France from 1108 until his death (1137 Philip II Augustus (Philippe Auguste ( 21 August[[ 165]] &ndash 14 July 1223) was the King of France from 1180 until his death For other Eleanors of England see Eleanor of England (disambiguation Eleanor Duchess of Aquitaine (1122&ndash1 April 1204 Adèle of Champagne (c 1140 &ndash June 4, 1206) also known as Adelaide and Alix, was the third wife of Louis VII of France Marie of France, or Marie Capet, Countess of Champagne (1145 &ndash March 11, 1198) was the elder daughter of Louis VII of France Alix of France (summer 1151 &ndash 1197/1198 was the second daughter born to Louis VII of France by his first wife Eleanor of Aquitaine. Marguerite of France (November 1157 – August/September 1197 was the eldest daughter of Louis VII of France by his second wife Constance of Castile. Alys Countess of the Vexin ( 4 October 1160 &ndash c 1220 was the daughter of King Louis VII of France and his second wife Constance of Castile Philip II Augustus (Philippe Auguste ( 21 August[[ 165]] &ndash 14 July 1223) was the King of France from 1180 until his death Agnes of France (1171 &ndash after 1204 was a daughter of Louis VII of France by his third wife Adèle of Champagne. For a full history of the Capetian family see Capetian dynasty. Louis VI ( 1 December 1081 – 1 August 1137) called the Fat (le Gros was King of France from 1108 until his death (1137 Adelaide of Savoy or Adelaide of Maurienne ( Italian: Adelaide di Savoia or Adelasia di Moriana, French: Adélaïde or French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people Events 96 - Nerva is proclaimed Roman Emperor after Domitian is assassinated List of Queens and Empresses of France Wikipedia_talkFeatured_lists#Proposed_change_to_all_featured_lists for an explanation of this and other inclusion tags below Louis VI ( 1 December 1081 – 1 August 1137) called the Fat (le Gros was King of France from 1108 until his death (1137 He ruled from 1137 until his death. He was a member of the House of Capet. For a full history of the Capetian family see Capetian dynasty. His reign was dominated by feudal struggles (in particular with the Angevin family), and saw the beginning of the long feud between France and England. Angevin (ˈændʒəvɪn ( French, from Old French, from Medieval Latin Andegavinus from Andegavia Anjou, France) is the name applied England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland It also saw the beginning of construction on Notre-Dame de Paris and the disastrous Second Crusade. NotreDameFlyingButtressjpg|right|thumb|250px|Notre Dame de Paris Flying Buttress]] Notre Dame de Paris is a Gothic Cathedral on the eastern half of the The Second Crusade (1147&ndash1149 was the second major Crusade launched from Europe, called in 1145 in response to the fall of the County of Edessa the
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Early life
Louis VII was born in 1120, the second son of Louis VI of France and Adelaide of Maurienne. Louis VI ( 1 December 1081 – 1 August 1137) called the Fat (le Gros was King of France from 1108 until his death (1137 Adelaide of Savoy or Adelaide of Maurienne ( Italian: Adelaide di Savoia or Adelasia di Moriana, French: Adélaïde or As a younger son, Louis VII had been raised to follow the ecclesiastical path. He unexpectedly became the heir to the throne of France after the accidental death of his older brother, Philip, in 1131. This article refers to Philip the co-King of France under Louis VI and the second King of France named Philip A well-learned and exceptionally devout man, Louis VII was better suited for life as a priest than as a monarch.
In his youth, he spent much time in Saint-Denis, where he built a friendship with the Abbot Suger which was to serve him well in his early years as king. Saint-Denis is a commune in the northern suburbs of Paris, France. Suger (c 1081 &ndash 13 January 1151) was one of the last French abbot-statesmen a historian and the influential first patron of Gothic architecture
Early reign
In the same year he was crowned King of France, Louis VII was married on 22 July 1137 to Eleanor of Aquitaine, heiress of William X of Aquitaine. List of Queens and Empresses of France Wikipedia_talkFeatured_lists#Proposed_change_to_all_featured_lists for an explanation of this and other inclusion tags below Events 1099 - First Crusade: Godfrey of Bouillon is elected the first Defender of the Holy Sepulchre of The Kingdom of For other Eleanors of England see Eleanor of England (disambiguation Eleanor Duchess of Aquitaine (1122&ndash1 April 1204 The pairing of the monkish Louis VII and the high-spirited Eleanor was doomed to failure; she once reportedly declared that she had thought to marry a King, only to find she'd married a monk. They had only two daughters, Marie and Alix. Marie of Champagne (c 1174 - 9 August, 1204) was the Empress consort of Baldwin I of Constantinople. Alix of France (summer 1151 &ndash 1197/1198 was the second daughter born to Louis VII of France by his first wife Eleanor of Aquitaine.
In the first part of Louis VII's reign he was vigorous and jealous of his prerogatives, but after his Crusade his piety limited his ability to become an effective statesman. His accession was marked by no disturbances, save the uprisings of the burgesses of Orléans and of Poitiers, who wished to organize communes. This article is about the French city of Orléans for other meanings see Orleans (disambiguation. Poitiers is a town on the Clain River in west central France. But soon he came into violent conflict with Pope Innocent II. The archbishopric of Bourges became vacant, and the King supported as candidate the chancellor Cadurc, against the Pope's nominee Pierre de la Chatre, swearing upon relics that so long as he lived Pierre should never enter Bourges. This brought the interdict upon the King's lands.
Louis VII then became involved in a war with Theobald II of Champagne, by permitting Raoul I of Vermandois and seneschal of France, to repudiate his wife, Theobald II's niece, and to marry Petronilla of Aquitaine, sister of the queen of France. Theobald the Great (1090&ndash1151 was Count of Blois and of Chartres as Theobald IV from 1102 and was Count of Champagne and of Brie Raoul I of Vermandois ( French: Raoul Ier "le Vaillant" English Ralph of Vermandois) ( 1085 &ndash 14 October 1152 A seneschal was an officer in the houses of important nobles in the Middle Ages. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Petronilla of Aquitaine (c 1125 &ndash 1193 was the daughter of William X of Aquitaine and Aenor of Châtellerault. Champagne also sided with the Pope in the dispute over Bourges. The war lasted two years (1142–44) and ended with the occupation of Champagne by the royal army. Champagne is a historic province in the northeast of France, best known for the production of the sparkling white wine that bears the region's name Louis VII was personally involved in the assault and burning of the town of Vitry. More than a thousand people who had sought refuge in the church died in the flames. Overcome with guilt, and humiliated by ecclesiastical contempt, Louis admitted defeat, removing his armies from Champagne and returning them to Theobald, accepting Pierre de la Chatre, and shunning Ralph and Petronilla. Desiring to atone for his sins, he then declared on Christmas Day 1145 at Bourges his intention of going on a crusade. Bernard of Clairvaux assured its popularity by his preaching at Vezelay (Easter 1146). Bernard of Clairvaux, OCist ( 1090 - August 20, 1153) was a French abbot and the primary builder of the reforming Cistercian monastic order Vézelay is a commune in the Yonne département in the Bourgogne région of France.
Meanwhile in 1144, Geoffrey the Handsome, Count of Anjou, completed his conquest of Normandy. Normandy (Normandie Norman: Normaundie) is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. In exchange for being recognised as Duke of Normandy by Louis, Geoffrey surrendered half of the Vexin — a region considered vital to Norman security — to Louis. Considered a clever move by Louis at the time, it would later prove yet another step towards Angevin power.
In June 1147 Louis VII and his queen, Eleanor, set out from Metz, Lorraine, on the overland route to Syria. Metz (mɛs in French) is a city in the northeast of France, capital of the Lorraine région and Préfecture Lorraine (Lorraine Lothringen is a historical area in present-day northeast France. Syria ( سوريّة or) officially the Syrian Arab Republic (Arabic ar الجمهورية العربية السورية Just beyond Laodicea the French army was ambushed by Turks. Latakia or Latakiyah (اللاذقية Al-Ladhiqiyah, Λαοδικεία transliterated as Laodicea, Laodikeia or Laodiceia, The French were bombarded by arrows and heavy stones, the Turks swarmed down from the mountains and the massacre began. The historian Odo of Deuil reported:
- During the fighting the King [Louis] lost his small and famous royal guard, but he remained in good heart and nimbly and courageously scaled the side of the mountain by gripping the tree roots … The enemy climbed after him, hoping to capture him, and the enemy in the distance continued to fire arrows at him. Odo, Odon, or Eudes of Deuil ( 1110 - April 18, 1162) was an historian and participant of the Second Crusade (1147-1149 But God willed that his cuirass should protect him from the arrows, and to prevent himself from being captured he defended the crag with his bloody sword, cutting off many heads and hands.
Louis VII and his army finally reached the Holy Land in 1148. His queen Eleanor supported her uncle, Raymond of Antioch, and prevailed upon Louis to help Antioch against Aleppo. Raymond of Poitiers (c 1115 &ndash June 29, 1149) was Prince of Antioch 1136&ndash1149 But Louis VII's interest lay in Jerusalem, and so he slipped out of Antioch in secret. He united with Conrad III of Germany and King Baldwin III of Jerusalem to lay siege to Damascus; this ended in disaster and the project was abandoned. Conrad III (1093 &ndash 15 February 1152) was the first King of Germany of the Hohenstaufen dynasty Baldwin III of Jerusalem (1130 &ndash February 10, 1162) was king of Jerusalem from 1143&ndash1162 The Siege of Damascus took place over four days in July 1148 during the Second Crusade. Louis VII decided to leave the Holy Land, despite the protests of Eleanor, who still wanted to help her doomed uncle Raymond of Antioch. Raymond of Poitiers (c 1115 &ndash June 29, 1149) was Prince of Antioch 1136&ndash1149 Louis VII and the French army returned home in 1149.
| French Monarchy |
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| Direct Capetians |
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| Louis VII |
| Mary, Countess of Champagne |
| Alix, Countess of Blois |
| Marguerite, Queen of Hungary |
| Alys, Countess of the Vexin |
| Philip II |
| Agnes, Empress of Constantinople |
A shift in the status quo
The expedition came to a great cost to the royal treasury and military. For a full history of the Capetian family see Capetian dynasty. Marie of France, or Marie Capet, Countess of Champagne (1145 &ndash March 11, 1198) was the elder daughter of Louis VII of France Alix of France (summer 1151 &ndash 1197/1198 was the second daughter born to Louis VII of France by his first wife Eleanor of Aquitaine. Marguerite of France (November 1157 – August/September 1197 was the eldest daughter of Louis VII of France by his second wife Constance of Castile. Alys Countess of the Vexin ( 4 October 1160 &ndash c 1220 was the daughter of King Louis VII of France and his second wife Constance of Castile Philip II Augustus (Philippe Auguste ( 21 August[[ 165]] &ndash 14 July 1223) was the King of France from 1180 until his death Agnes of France (1171 &ndash after 1204 was a daughter of Louis VII of France by his third wife Adèle of Champagne. For the US government securities see Treasury security. Also see Treasury management. A military is an Organization authorized by its Nation to use force usually including use of Weapons in defending its Country (or by attacking It also precipitated a conflict with Eleanor, leading to the annulment of their marriage at the council of Beaugency (March 1152). The pretext of kinship was the basis for annulment; in fact, it owed more to the state of hostility between the two, and the decreasing odds that their marriage would produce a male heir to the throne of France. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Eleanor subsequently married Henry, Count of Anjou, the future Henry II of England, in the following May, giving him the duchy of Aquitaine, three daughters, and five sons. List of Counts of Anjou First creation 870&ndash1203 House of Ingelger Ingelger (870&ndash898 father Aquitaine (Aquitània Akitania archaic Guyenne / Guienne (Occitan Guiana) is one of the 26 Regions of France, in the south-western part of Louis VII led an ineffective war against Henry for having married without the authorization of his suzerain; the result was a humiliation for the enemies of Henry and Eleanor, who saw their troops routed, their lands ravaged, and their property stolen. Louis reacted by coming down with a fever, and returned to the Ile de France. Île-de-France ( pronounced /il d̪ə fʁɑ̃s/ literally "Island of France" is one of the twenty-six administrative regions of France.
In 1154 Louis VII married Constance of Castile, daughter of Alfonso VII of Castile. Alfonso VII ( 1 March 1105 &ndash 21 August 1157) called the Emperor, became the King of Galicia in 1111 and King She, too, failed to give him a son and heir, bearing only two daughters, Margaret and Alys.
Louis having produced no sons by 1157, Henry II of England began to believe that he might never do so, and that consequently the succession of France would be left in question. Determined to secure a claim for his family, he sent the Chancellor, Thomas Becket, to press for a marriage between Princess Marguerite and Henry's heir, also called Henry. Louis, surprisingly, agreed to this proposal, and by the Treaty of Gisors (1158) betrothed the young pair, giving as a dowry the Norman Vexin and Gisors. The Vexin is a former region in France, divided since the 10th century between the Norman Vexin ( Vexin normand) and the French Vexin ( Vexin français Gisors is a commune in the metropolitan area of Paris, France.
Constance died in childbirth on 4 October 1160, and five weeks later Louis VII married Adela of Champagne. Adèle of Champagne (c 1140 &ndash June 4, 1206) also known as Adelaide and Alix, was the third wife of Louis VII of France Henry II, to counterbalance the advantage this would give the King of France, had the marriage of their children (Henry "the Young King" and Marguerite) celebrated at once. Louis understood the danger of the growing Angevin power; however, through indecision and lack of fiscal and military resources compared to Henry II's, he failed to oppose Angevin hegemony effectively. Angevin (ˈændʒəvɪn ( French, from Old French, from Medieval Latin Andegavinus from Andegavia Anjou, France) is the name applied One of his few successes, in 1159, was his trip to Toulouse to aid Raymond V, the Count of the city who had been attacked by Henry II: after he entered into the city with a small escort, claiming to be visiting the Countess his sister, Henry declared that he could not attack the city whilst his liege lord was inside, and went home. Toulouse ( pronounced in standard French, and in the local accent ( Occitan: Tolosa, pronounced) is a city in southwest Raymond V (1134&ndash1194 was count of Toulouse from 1148 until his death in 1194
Diplomacy
At the same time the emperor Frederick I (1152–1190) in the east was making good the imperial claims on Arles. Frederick I Barbarossa (1122 &ndash 10 June 1190) was elected King of Germany at Frankfurt on 4 March 1152 and crowned Arles (aʁl̥ Provençal Occitan: Arles in both classical and Mistralian norms is a City in the south of France, When the schism broke out, Louis VII took the part of the Pope Alexander III, the enemy of Frederick I, and after two comical failures of Frederick I to meet Louis VII at Saint Jean de Losne (on 29 August and 22 September 1162), Louis VII definitely gave himself up to the cause of Alexander III, who lived at Sens from 1163 to 1165. Pope Alexander III (c 1100/1105 &ndash August 30, 1181) born Rolando (or Orlando) Bandinelli, was Pope from 1159 Alexander III gave the King, in return for his loyal support, the golden rose.
More importantly for French — and English — history would be his support for Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, whom he tried to reconcile with Henry II. St Thomas Becket (c 1118 &ndash December 29, 1170) was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1162 to 1170 The Archbishop of Canterbury is the chief bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the Louis sided with Becket as much to damage Henry as out of piousness — yet even he grew irritated with the stubbornness of the archbishop, asking when Becket refused Henry's conciliations, "Do you wish to be more than a Saint?"
He also supported Henry's rebellious sons, and encouraged Plantagenet disunity by making Henry's sons, rather than Henry himself, the feudal overlords of the Angevin territories in France; but the rivalry amongst Henry's sons and Louis's own indecisiveness broke up the coalition (1173–1174) between them. Finally, in 1177, the Pope intervened to bring the two Kings to terms at Vitry.
Finally, nearing the end of his life, Louis' third wife bore him a son and heir, Philip II Augustus. Philip II Augustus (Philippe Auguste ( 21 August[[ 165]] &ndash 14 July 1223) was the King of France from 1180 until his death Louis had him crowned at Reims in 1179, in the Capetian tradition (Philip would in fact be the last King so crowned). Reims (alternative English spelling Rheims; riːmz in English and /ʁɛ̃s/ in French) is a city of the Champagne-Ardenne région of northern Already stricken with paralysis, King Louis VII himself was not able to be present at the ceremony. He died on September 18, 1180 at the Abbey at Saint-Pont, Allier and is interred in Saint Denis Basilica. The Basilica of Saint Denis ( French: Basilique de Saint-Denis, or simply Basilique Saint-Denis) is the burial site of almost all the French
Ancestors
| Louis VII of France | Father: Louis VI of France |
Paternal Grandfather: Philip I of France |
Paternal Great-grandfather: Henry I of France |
| Paternal Great-grandmother: Anne of Kiev |
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| Paternal Grandmother: Bertha of Holland |
Paternal Great-grandfather: Floris I, Count of Holland |
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| Paternal Great-grandmother: Gertrude of Saxony |
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| Mother: Adelaide of Maurienne |
Maternal Grandfather: Humbert II of Savoy |
Maternal Great-grandfather: Amadeus II of Savoy |
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| Maternal Great-grandmother: Joan of Geneva |
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| Maternal Grandmother: Gisela of Burgundy |
Maternal Great-grandfather: William I, Count of Burgundy |
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| Maternal Great-grandmother: Stephanie |
Marriages and Children
Louis married three times. Louis VI ( 1 December 1081 – 1 August 1137) called the Fat (le Gros was King of France from 1108 until his death (1137 Philip I ( 23 May 1052 &ndash 29 July 1108) called the Amorous or the Fat, was King of France from 1060 Henry I ( 4 May 1008 &ndash 4 August 1060) was King of France from 1031 to his death Anne of Kiev or Anna Yaroslavna (between 1024 and 1032 &ndash 1075 daughter of Yaroslav I of Kiev and his wife Ingegerd Olofsdotter, was the Queen Bertha of Holland (c 1055&ndash1094 was the first wife and queen of Philip I of France, King of France Floris I of Holland (born ca 1020/1030 in Vlaardingen - killed June 28, 1061 in Gelderland Netherlands was Count of Holland (which was called Gertrude of Saxony (also known as Gertrude Billung (c 1030 – August 4, 1113) was the daughter of Bernard II Duke of Saxony and Eilika of Schweinfurt Adelaide of Savoy or Adelaide of Maurienne ( Italian: Adelaide di Savoia or Adelasia di Moriana, French: Adélaïde or ---- Humbert II, surnamed the Fat, was Count of Savoy from 1080 until his death in 1103 Amadeus II (c 1046 &ndash January 26, 1080) was Count of Savoy from 1060 to 1080 ruling jointly with Peter until 1078 Gisela of Burgundy was the wife of Humbert II Count of Savoy and later of Rainier I of Montferrat whom she married in 1105 William I (1020 &ndash 1087 called the Great ( le Grand or Tête Hardie, "the Rash" was Count of Burgundy and Mâcon By Eleanor of Aquitaine, he had:
- Marie, married Henry I of Champagne
- Alix, married Theobald V of Blois
By Constance of Castile:
- Marguerite of France (1158–97), married (1) Henry the Young King; (2) King Béla III of Hungary (1172–96)
- Alys (4 October 1160 – c. Marie of France, or Marie Capet, Countess of Champagne (1145 &ndash March 11, 1198) was the elder daughter of Louis VII of France Henry I of Champagne (died March 17, 1181) known as "the Liberal" was Count of Champagne from 1152 to 1181 Alix of France (summer 1151 &ndash 1197/1198 was the second daughter born to Louis VII of France by his first wife Eleanor of Aquitaine. Theobald V of Blois (died 20 January 1191) also known as Theobald the Good (French Thibaut le Bon) was Count of Blois from 1151 Marguerite of France (November 1157 – August/September 1197 was the eldest daughter of Louis VII of France by his second wife Constance of Castile. Henry the Young King ( 28 February 1155 – 11 June 1183) was the second of five sons of Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine Béla III ( Hungarian: III Béla, Croatian: Bela II, Slovak: Belo III) (c Alys Countess of the Vexin ( 4 October 1160 &ndash c 1220 was the daughter of King Louis VII of France and his second wife Constance of Castile Events 610 - Heraclius arrives by ship from Africa at Constantinople, overthrows Byzantine Emperor Phocas 1220), engaged to Richard I of England; she married William III Talvas, Count of Ponthieu
By Adele of Champagne:
- Philip II Augustus (August 22, 1165 – 1223)
- Agnes of France (1171–1240), who was betrothed to Alexius II Comnenus (1180–83) but married (1) Andronicus I Comnenus (1183–85); (2) Theodore Branas (1204)
Legacy
The reign of Louis VII was, from the point of view of royal territory and military power a difficult and unfortunate one. Richard I (8 September 1157 &ndash 6 April 1199 was King of England from 6 July 1189 until his death William III of Ponthieu (c 1095&ndash 20 June 1172) son of Robert II of Bellême and Agnes of Ponthieu. Philip II Augustus (Philippe Auguste ( 21 August[[ 165]] &ndash 14 July 1223) was the King of France from 1180 until his death Events 392 - Arbogast has Eugenius elected Western Roman Emperor. Agnes of France (1171 &ndash after 1204 was a daughter of Louis VII of France by his third wife Adèle of Champagne. Alexios II Komnenos or Alexius II Comnenus ( Greek: Αλέξιος Β’ Κομνηνός Alexios II Komnēnos) ( 14 September 1169 Andronikos I Komnenos or Andronicus I Comnenus ( Greek: Ανδρόνικος Α’ Κομνηνός Andronikos I Komninos; c Theodore Branas or Vranas ( Greek: Θεόδωρος Βρανάς Theodōros Branas) was a general under the Byzantine Empire and afterwards under Yet the royal authority made progress in the parts of France distant from the royal domains: more direct and more frequent connection was made with distant vassals, a result largely due to the alliance of the clergy with the crown. Louis VII thus reaped the reward for services rendered the church during the least successful portion of his reign. His greater accomplishments lie in the development of agriculture, population, commerce, the building of stone fortresses, as well as an intellectual renaissance. Considering the significant disparity of political leverage and financial resources between Louis VII and his Angevin rival, not to mention Henry II's superior military skills, Louis VII should be credited with preserving the Capetian dynasty.
Sources
- Meade, Marion. Eleanor of Aquitaine: A Biography. 1977.
References
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Louis VII of France
Born: 1120 Died: 18 September 1180 |
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| Preceded by Philip (II) |
co-King of France Under Louis VI 25 October 1131 – 1 August 1137 |
Succeeded by Philip II |
| Preceded by Louis VI |
King of France With Philip II as co-King (1 November 1179 – 18 September 1180) 1 August 1137–18 September 1180 |
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| Preceded by Aenor de Châtellerault |
Duke of Aquitaine and Count of Poitou by marriage With Eleanor of Aquitaine 22 July 1137 – 21 March 1152 |
Succeeded by Henry II of England |
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