Marmande was a bastide founded about 1195 on the site of a more ancient town by King Richard I (Coeur de Lion or Lionheart). It had passed into the hands of the counts of Toulouse, and was besieged three times during the Cathar crusades.
In June 1219, the town had already been besieged for weeks by Amaury de Montfort when Louis, the king's son, Louis, arrived. Louis had been in England - and well on the way to winning the thone of England - largely at the invitation of the barons who had had enough of King John. But when John died suddenly in October 1216, the incomparable William Marshal stepped in as Regent for the infant King of England, Henry III. Not even kings relished the prospect of facing William Marshal and the whole purpose of Louis' presence in England was now gone. The young Louis was wise enough to make peace with and withdraw after a couple of quick but severe thumpings at the hands of Marshal.
Now Louis was in the Languedoc, a much better prospect for plunder having been exhaused by years of war waged by the French Catholic armies. He arrived with 20 bishops, 30 counts, 600 knights and 10,000 foot soldiers.
The city of some 7000 people fell after the first assault, and was sacked. The massacre that followed shocked even the crusaders' own allies. Here is a contemporary account from the Song of the Cathar Wars (laisse 212):
Back to: Toulouse
