History of the Crusades

the Crusades Episode 112, the Crusade against the Cathars, the heresy takes root.

Hello again.

Last week we examined the origins of the Cathars.

We also left the Papal Legate, Peter of Castelno, patiently waiting for his violent death on his way

from southern France to Rome in January of 1208. Well, Peter is going to have to wait a bit longer for his demise, as this

week's episode starts 45 years before Peter's death in 1163. I'm sure he won't mind.

Okay, well, why 1163?

Well, not only was 1163, the year in which the first Cathars were burnt alive as heretics in Cologne, it was also the year that the

spotlight of heresy turned to illuminate to loose. You might recall from last week's episode that in the year 1163 Pope

Alexander the third held a council at Tours under the patronage of King Henry II of England.

The council then, of all the places in Christendom singled out Toulouse as the place infected with heresy.

Now for Raymond the fifth who was the Count of Toulouse at this time, this wasn't something

he could ignore, and in fact he was going to try and use and to his advantage.

Count Raymond the fifth was an energetic capable and charming man.

He was married, not particularly happily, but married nonetheless, to the sister of the

King of France, a lady named Constance. He was the first count of Toulouse in 50 or so years not to depart to the

Holy Land, deciding instead to concentrate on affairs back home.

To say that he had his hands full in this regard is an understatement.

Firstly, he didn't really have control over many of his subjects.

Even in his key city to loose, things were getting out of hand. While the Count resided in the citadel at Toulouse,

the city itself had its own independent form of government,

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