Albigensian Crusade

After the murder of the papal legate Peter of Castelnau, the pope had the Cistercians preach a crusade against the Albigensians in southern France. In 1209 Béziers and Carcassonne were taken. Politically the war ended in 1229 with the Treaty of Paris; the Britannica speaks of massacres of heretics on a large scale during the war.

Period

1209-1229 (20 years)

Country

France

Institutions

Holy See
Cistercian Order

Category

Violence, Crusade, Persecution

Level of evidence

B two independent scholarly sources · what does this mean?

Persons

Innocent III (Pope)
Peter of Castelnau (Cistercian, papal legate, murdered)

Background

Course of events

1. After the murder of Peter of Castelnau, the pope had the Cistercians preach a crusade against the Albigensians.
   Evidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911), Absatz zur Geschichte

   „As soon as he heard of the murder of Peter of Castelnau, the pope ordered the Cistercians to preach the crusade against the Albigenses“

2. From 1198 the pope was Innocent III, who in 1207 called on the King of France to use force.
   Evidence: The Catholic Encyclopedia, Bd. 1 (1907), Abschnitt zur Geschichte

   „With the accession of Innocent III (1198) the work of conversion and repression was taken up vigorously“

   Evidence: The Catholic Encyclopedia, Bd. 1 (1907), Abschnitt zur Geschichte

   „called (1207) upon the King of France, as Suzerain of the County of Toulouse, to use force“

3. In 1209 Béziers and Carcassonne were taken.
   Evidence: The Catholic Encyclopedia, Bd. 1 (1907), Abschnitt zur Geschichte

   „his principal fortresses, Béziers and Carcassonne, were taken (1209)“

4. Politically the war ended in 1229 with the Treaty of Paris.
   Evidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911), Absatz zur Geschichte

   „ended, politically, in the treaty of Paris (1229)“

Why? Justification and motives (according to the sources)

1. The war pitted the entire nobility of northern France against that of the south. In its article on the Crusades, the Britannica writes that the Albigensian Crusade showed that the land hunger of the northern French barons could exploit a crusade.
   Evidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911), Artikel Albigenses

   „This implacable war, which threw the whole of the nobility of the north of France against that of the south“

   Evidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911), Abschnitt „The Fourth Crusade“

   „the Albigensian Crusade against the heretics of southern France was soon afterwards to show that the example could be followed, and that the land-hunger of the north French baronage could exploit a Crusade“

Who received the assets, who profited?

1. As early as 1163 the Council of Tours decided to imprison the Albigensians and confiscate their property. In the Treaty of Paris of 1229 the King of France dispossessed the House of Toulouse of most of its fiefs and the House of Béziers of all of them. According to the Britannica, the townspeople were embittered by confiscations and religious persecution.
   Evidence: The Catholic Encyclopedia, Bd. 1 (1907), Artikel Albigenses

   „That of Tours (1163) decreed that the Albigenses should be imprisoned and their property confiscated.“

   Evidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911), Artikel Albigenses

   „by which the king of France dispossessed the house of Toulouse of the greater part of its fiefs, and that of Béziers of the whole of its fiefs“

   Evidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911), Artikel Albigenses

   „who were embittered by confiscations and religious persecutions“

See also

• 1184-1699 · 515 years

  Persecution of the Waldensians

  • France
  • Italy
  • Spain
  • Heresy trials
  • Crusade
  • Persecution
• 1231-1542 · 311 years

  The Inquisition: origins, procedure, punishments

  • Germany
  • France
  • Italy
  • Spain
  • Vatican City
  • Expropriation
  • Torture
  • Heresy trials
  • Persecution

Scholarly literature and reference works

1. Reference work
   The Catholic Encyclopedia, Bd. 1 (1907): Albigenses, 1 January 1907. Original (retrieved 11 Oct 2026)
2. Reference work
   Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911): Albigenses, 1 January 1911. Original · Archive copy (retrieved 11 Oct 2026)
3. Reference work
   Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911): Crusades, 1 January 1911. Original · Archive copy (retrieved 11 Oct 2026)

Last changed on 22 October 2026. Is something missing or wrong? Suggest an addition or correction.