History of the Crusades

the Crusades Episode 160, the Crusade against the Cathars, the Rebel Invasion.

Hello again. Last week we saw Simon de Monfort make some uncharacteristically rash decisions.

Seemingly rattled by his defeat at Boker, Simon first took his rage and frustration out on the city of Toulouse,

ordering 400 of its citizens to be taken as hostages, burning the southeastern quarter of the city,

and ordering the town to pay 30,000 silver marks in compensation. He then invented more of his rage over in the

county of Beagore in the kingdom of Aragon invading the county shortly after attending the wedding, joining one of his sons to the

ruler of the county, Countess Petranilla.

Next in Simon's crosshairs was the Count of Foire.

Now, ever since the Ecumenical Council, the Count of

doing his best to stay out of trouble.

Why? Well, because he was being investigated for war crimes by the church and the count of wah was determined to show

not only his innocence of the charges but that he was no enemy of the church.

Back in April 1214, after swearing an oath of loyalty to Peter Benavinto in N

Narbon, the Count of Waugh had handed the castle of Waugh to the church

as a sign of his good faith. Perhaps wanting to ensure that he could adequately defend his county, despite the fact that its main castle was under papal control, in late 1216, the Count of Foire ordered work to begin on the construction of a new

stronghold at Mongrenia in the mountains, less than five kilometers from his castle at Foix.

According to Jonathan Sumption in his book the Albergencian Crusade,

throughout the later months of 1216, when the church was Throughout the and harassed castles within the county of Foire, hoping to go to the count into retaliating

and incurring the wrath of the church. But the Count of Foire didn't rise to the bait. He remained well behaved in Waughar, while his son prepared to lead the

garrison in the fortress being constructed at Mongrenier.

In December 1216, the decision of the new Pope on Orius III concerning the Count of

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