General Notes

REFN: 3107AN
Alias:<ALIA> /Le Juene/
REFN: P3108
A member of the Capetian Dynasty, Louis VII was born in 1120, the second s
on of Louis VI of France and Adélaide of Maurienne (c. 1100–1154). Constru
ction began on Notre-Dame de Paris in Paris during his reign.
As a younger son, Louis VII had been raised to follow the ecclesiastical p
ath. He unexpectedly became the heir to the throne of France after the acc
idental death of his older brother, Philip, in 1131. A well-learned and ex
ceptionally devout man, Louis VII was better suited for life as a priest t
han that of a monarch.
In the same year he was crowned King of France, Louis VII was married on J
uly 22, 1137 to Eleanor of Aquitaine (1122 – March 31, 1204), heiress of W
illiam X of Aquitaine (1126–37). The pairing of the monkish Louis VII a
nd the high-spirited Eleanor was doomed to failure; she once reportedly de
clared that she had thought to marry a King, only to find she'd marri
ed a monk. Their daughters were:
Marie of Champagne (1145 – March 11, 1198), married Henry I of Champagne
Alix of France (1151–1197/1198), married Theobald V of Blois (1151–91).
In the first part of Louis VII's reign he was vigorous and jealous of h
is prerogatives, but after his crusade his piety limited his ability to be
come an effective statesman. His accession was marked by no disturbance
s, save the uprisings of the burgesses of Orléans and of Poitiers, who wis
hed to organize communes. But soon he came into violent conflict with Po
pe Innocent II (1130–43). The archbishopric of Bourges became vacant, a
nd 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 li
ved Pierre should never enter Bourges. This brought the interdict upon t
he King's lands.
Louis VII became involved in a war with Theobald II of Champagne, by permi
tting Raoul I of Vermandois and seneschal of France, to repudiate his wif
e, Theobald II's niece, and to marry Petronilla of Aquitaine, sister of t
he queen of France. Champagne also sided with the Pope in the dispute ov
er Bourges. The war lasted two years (1142–44) and ended with the occupati
on of Champagne by the royal army. Louis VII was personally involved in t
he assault and burning of the town of Vitry. More than a thousand people w
ho had sought refuge in the church died in the flames. Overcome with guil
t, Louis VII declared on Christmas Day 1145 at Bourges his intention of go
ing on a crusade. Bernard of Clairvaux assured its popularity by his preac
hing at Vezelay (Easter 1146).
Meanwhile in 1144, Geoffrey the Handsome, Count of Anjou, completed his co
nquest of Normandy, threatening the royal domains. Louis VII by a clever m
anoeuvre threw his army on the Norman frontier and gained Gisors, one of t
he keys of Normandy.
In June 1147 Louis VII and his queen, Eleanor, set out from Metz, Lorrain
e, on the overland route to Syria. Just beyond Laodicea the French army w
as ambushed by Turks. The French were bombarded by arrows and heavy stone
s, the Turks swarmed down from the mountains and the massacre began. The h
istorian Odo of Deuil reported:
"During the fighting the King [Louis] lost his small and famous royal guar
d, but he remained in good heart and nimbly and courageously scaled the si
de of the mountain by gripping the tree roots ... The enemy climbed aft
er him, hoping to capture him, and the enemy in the distance continu
ed to fire arrows at him. But God willed that his cuirass should protect h
im from the arrows, and to prevent himself from being captured he defend
ed 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 El
eanor supported her uncle, Raymond of Antioch, and prevailed upon Lou
is to help Antioch against Aleppo. But Louis VII's interest lay in Jerusal
em, and so he slipped out of Antioch in secret. He un