ABSTRACT
King of France (r. 1226–1270) who was much beloved during his life and known for his piety, or religious devotion. Louis greatly increased royal authority over France, which had largely been controlled by dukes and counts who ruled its provinces. Louis’s reign brought increasing political stability, economic prosperity, and royal support for learning and the arts, particularly Gothic architecture. Louis championed the Catholic Church, most notably through his leadership of a crusade between 1248 and 1250 to reestablish Christian rule in the Holy Land. During his lifetime and long after, he was considered a model Christian ruler: just, devout, and a fine soldier. He was the only French king to be sainted by the Catholic Church.
