History of the Crusades

the Crusades Episode 126, the Crusade, the Crusade against the Cathars, to Tam.

Hello again.

Last week we saw Simon de Monfor score a victory in the form of the

surrender of the stronghold of Manerve which occurred following a prolonged

siege.

After the intervention of the papal legate Arnold armory,

the terms of the surrender involved the burning alive of 140 Cathar Perfect, all of whom refused to renounce

their faith.

The execution of the heretics occurred on the 22nd of July 1210 on the feast day of St Mary Magdalen.

Earlier in July, Count Raymond of Toulouse had been summoned to appear before a church

council. Count Raymond had been attempting to appease the two papal legates Arnold Armory and Thadysius following his

successful expedition to Rome. However, things weren't going as smoothly as he had hoped. Back in May he had met with

Arnold Armery in Toulouse and had presented him with the fortified palace at the southern gate of the city, a grand gesture which

Raimond hoped would see the two men firmly reconciled. But Count Raimond was about to be disappointed.

Instead of welcoming the Count of Toulouse back into the fold of the church with open arms,

the two legates met in secret and tried to find a loophole in

Pope innocence instructions, a loophole which they could use against the count.

They found which they found one.

Pope Innocent had decreed that Count Raymond should obey the instructions of the legates until his formal reconciliation with the church.

Aha, thought the legates.

Count Raymond's lands were still full of Cathars. He had been instructed many times to

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