6 February 1286
Philip the Fair is crowned king of France.
Philip IV of France, "le Bel" because he was so groovy-looking, was crowned at Reims today. His 28-year reign was momentous in French history, as Philip strove to centralize the crown and accrue power to the throne. He succeeded at a cost. He is remembered for two things: in 1307 he pressured the Papacy to move its seat to Avignon, starting what is known as the Babylonian Captivity, when the Pope was basically a puppet of the French king and indirectly leading to the Protestant Reformation. Philip also suppressed the Templar military order, that famous group of knights that are the originators of the modern banking system. Philip was in debt to the Templars and didn't want to pay. He also did not like their virtual independence, especially on French soil. So he arrested all their leaders and had them executed over the years 1307-1314. When the last Templar, the Grand Master Jacques de Molay, was burned at the stake, he cursed the king and the pope. Within a year Philip, Pope Clement V, and Philip's Prime Minister all died. Philip's three sons died within the next 14 years, and the Capetian dynasty came to an end after 341 years on the throne.
Philip IV of France, "le Bel" because he was so groovy-looking, was crowned at Reims today. His 28-year reign was momentous in French history, as Philip strove to centralize the crown and accrue power to the throne. He succeeded at a cost. He is remembered for two things: in 1307 he pressured the Papacy to move its seat to Avignon, starting what is known as the Babylonian Captivity, when the Pope was basically a puppet of the French king and indirectly leading to the Protestant Reformation. Philip also suppressed the Templar military order, that famous group of knights that are the originators of the modern banking system. Philip was in debt to the Templars and didn't want to pay. He also did not like their virtual independence, especially on French soil. So he arrested all their leaders and had them executed over the years 1307-1314. When the last Templar, the Grand Master Jacques de Molay, was burned at the stake, he cursed the king and the pope. Within a year Philip, Pope Clement V, and Philip's Prime Minister all died. Philip's three sons died within the next 14 years, and the Capetian dynasty came to an end after 341 years on the throne.
posted by Greg | 2:14 PM
2 Comments:
Hey Greg,
Have you ever travelled in Europe? I've a feeling you'd love it.
Mr. Clone - I lived in Germany when I was a wee lad back in the 1970s, and my mom dragged us all over Europe. I appreciate it a lot more now than I did then, although I enjoyed it enough back then (I was eight when I moved back here, so I couldn't have appreciated it too much). We went to France in 1985 and toured, which was fantastic. I haven't been back since, but I'd love to. Europe is cool.
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