Louis VII the Younger

Louis VII le Jeune (Known as "Louis the Younger")

King of the Franks (1137–1180), Second Crusade Leader, Patron of Gothic Cathedrals

Born Jan 01, 1120

Paris, France

Passed Away Sep 18, 1180 Melun, Kingdom of France

Lifespan 60 years old

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Notice / Correction

"We in France have only bread, wine, and joy, but we hold them in peace under God's altar."

Archival Overview

Capetian King of the Franks whose eventful reign included leading the Second Crusade, the annulment of his marriage to Eleanor of Aquitaine, and the laying of the foundation stone of Notre-Dame de Paris in 1163.

Biographical Record

Second son of Louis VI, Louis VII married Duchess Eleanor of Aquitaine in 1137, uniting southwestern France to the crown. Tormented by guilt over the burning of the church at Vitry-en-Perthois during war, he took the cross in 1147, marching with Eleanor on the Second Crusade to the Holy Land.

Following years of marital estrangement, the marriage was annulled at Beaugency in 1152; Eleanor's subsequent remarriage to Henry Plantagenet (Henry II of England) triggered centuries of Anglo-French conflict. Domestically, Louis patronized Gothic architecture, welcoming Pope Alexander III to lay Notre-Dame's cornerstone.

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Final Resting Place

Perpetual Memorial

Abbey of Saint-Sauveur (later reburied at Basilica of Saint-Denis)
Saint-Denis, France

                         GPS: 48.9356, 2.3597                    

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