The battle of Muret It was a confrontation that took place on September 12, 1213 between the forces of King Pedro II of Aragon and Simon IV of Montfort in the plain of Muret, a town in southern France. The military confrontation took place within a longer war campaign known as the Albigensian crusade or crusade against the Cathars..
The area where the conflict occurred belongs to the French region known as Occitania, located in the extreme south of French territory bordering Andorra (Spanish territory). By the time the Battle of Muret took place, the entire area of Occitania was the center of religious and political disputes that began in 1209..
The sides were made up, on the one hand, by Cathar groups facing Pope Innocent III who were occupying the area and threatening to extend their influence. On the other side, there were the kings of France, who in support of the Pope unleashed the Albigensian crusade that had the battle of Muret as a denouement.
On the side of the Cathars, alliances were made with counties and viscounts of the Spanish territory that were led by Pedro el Católico. On the side of the kings of France, groups of crusaders formed by counts, barons and French feudal lords allied themselves, who went to war under the promise of privileges offered by the church..
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The region in the south of France in which Muret is located, was made up of both Hispanic and French peoples who shared cultural and historical roots. Such was the case, for example, of Catalans and Occitan, who shared a common past and spoke variants of the same language.
The region was a center of political interest. All the feudal lords of the counties and viscounts in the area declared themselves vassals of the kingdom of Aragon, despite the fact that the region was French. With this accession, they tried to have access to the same privileges that other French lords located further north of their territory had.
On the other hand, Pedro II of Aragon, also known as Pedro el Católico, sought to increase the power of the House of Aragon over the lands of Occitania. For this reason, he was very permissive in the activities of the region, despite the fact that they could annoy the French crown.
When declaring the war of the kings of France against the dissident part of Occitania, their county lords turned to Aragon for help. The king, despite being a Christian recognized by the Pope, had no choice but to support the dissident movement and march against the crusader forces..
In the religious aspect, the battle of Muret was the outcome of a phenomenon that began to spread in southern France from the eleventh century, Catharism. This religious movement was the answer to an accumulation of new needs of the population of the territory, especially of the city population..
The Christians of that time lived a process of reform of the Catholic Church initiated by its hierarchs. These reforms tried to keep their structures updated in order to have a purer Christianity, more attached to the principles of the gospel and with less control of the clergy..
However, this clamor could not be satisfied with the reforms undertaken by the ecclesiastical structure. As a result, two dissident currents emerged from Catholicism, Valdism and Catharism..
These currents, while accepting the message of the gospel, advocated for the change of certain dogmas of faith and the diminution of the power of the popes in the political affairs of the regions..
Then, Catharism emerged as a movement to demand a different Christianity. The rise of this religious movement in the Occitan region precipitated, in the first instance, its excommunication and declaration of heresy. Secondly, it caused Pope Innocent III to launch the Albigensian or Cathar Crusade against him in the year 1209..
The Battle of Muret was caused by Pope Innocent III's fear of a fracture of the religious unity of Christendom. This would carry the danger of not being able to save Christian souls and the disappearance of the most important dogmas of faith in Christianity. It would also endanger the social and economic privileges of the ecclesiastical class..
As in the rest of medieval societies, Occitania was characterized by strong political influence from Catholic prelates. These enjoyed great prestige for their pastoral mission, for their aristocratic origin, their personal heritage, and the wealth of their dioceses..
In themselves, the prelates made up a wealthy social class with wealth and privileges. This was in opposition to what they preached about the humility of Jesus Christ.
On the other hand, the political landscape in the south of France lacked cohesion. Unlike other regions such as northern France and England, which were trying to unify, in this area there were constant political confrontations.
His feudal lords were constantly embroiled in territorial skirmishes. Thus, the Pope's declaration of war generated an immediate and unified military response from the nobles who did not want to lose their territories..
At the Battle of Muret there was the loss of life of a large human contingent. The fighting forces on the side of Peter the Catholic, despite being more numerous, lost the battle and suffered the most casualties..
On the side of the Crusader army, its commander, Simon IV de Montfort, was awarded the titles of Count of Tolosa, Duke of Narbonne and Viscount of Carcassonne and Beziers.
King Pedro II of Aragon, who died in combat, was piously raised from the field and buried without honors in the county of Tolosa. Years later, in 1217, through a bull (decree of religious content) issued by Pope Honorius II, it was authorized to transfer his remains to the Royal Monastery of Santa María de Sigena (Aragon).
The son of Peter the Catholic, who would be about 5 years old, was held under the tutelage of the victor Simon IV de Montfort. Years later, and through another papal bull, its custody was ceded to the Knights Templar of the Crown of Aragon. Under his care, and over the years, he would become King Jaime I the conqueror.
The victory of the French crown at the Battle of Muret consolidated, for the first time, a true political frontier on the southern French limits. This battle marked the beginning of the French crown's domination over Occitania. Similarly, it represented the end of the expansion of the House of Aragon in that region..
As for the Cathars, they began to suffer persecution led by Jaime I, the son of whom he had died defending them. The inquisition led by the Dominican monks forced them to seek refuge in some Spanish provinces such as Morella, Lérida and Puigcerdá. The last of them was arrested in the province of Castellón and burned at the stake.
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