History of the Crusades

the Crusades Episode 100 and Episode 138, the Crusade, the Crusade against the Cathars, the Siege of Moisak.

Hello again.

Last week we saw Simon de Monfor turn the crusader armies to the north and invade the

Aijon region.

The Aijon was part of Count Raymond the 6th of Toulouse's domain but contained few heretics.

Its overlord was King John of England.

By the end of last week's episode, only two significant towns remained to be conquered

in the region, Moisac and Montabond.

Both these towns were located on river crossings,

where major roadways conjoined.

If Simon was to have any hope of keeping the Arginay under his

control he would need to take and hold both these towns. Simon decided to tackle Moisac first and he arrived at the town

with his army on the 14th of August 1212. Now Moisek was located in a picturesque and fertile valley on the river Tarn.

It was a traditional resting place for pilgrims traveling on their way to Santiago de Compostela,

and the town was dominated by a large monastery, the monastery of St Peter.

The Abbot of the monastery was currently at odds with the townsfolk and with the towns

overlord, Count Raymond the 6th of Toulouse, and it's not difficult to see why.

Count Raymond was at this point an enemy of the church and yet he was the Abbot and avowed and

a dedicated servant of the church having to suffer Count Raymond as his

overlord.

Unsurprisingly, the relationship between the Abbot and Count Raymond was tense, and only a few days

...