Siege of Toulouse French history [1217-1218] Actions Cite verifiedCite While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Select Citation Style MLA APA Chicago Manual of Style Copy Citation Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/event/Siege-of-Toulouse Give Feedback Feedback Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Feedback Type Select a type (Required) Factual Correction Spelling/Grammar Correction Link Correction Additional Information Other Your Feedback Submit Feedback Thank you for your feedback Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

　　Print Cite verifiedCite While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Select Citation Style MLA APA Chicago Manual of Style Copy Citation Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/event/Siege-of-Toulouse Feedback Written by Charles Phillips Charles Phillips is the author of more than twenty books, including The Illustrated History of the First Crusades, The World of the Medieval Knight, and The Lost History of Aztec... Charles Phillips Fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Last Updated: Jul 17, 2024 • Article History Table of Contents Date: 1217 - 1218 (Show more) Location: France Toulouse Toulouse (Show more) Participants: Cathari Simon de Montfort Toulouse (Show more) Context: Albigensian Crusade Crusades (Show more) See all related content →

　　Simon de MontfortSimon IV de Montfort was the military leader of the Albigensian Crusade against the Cathars in southern France, and mounted a siege of Cathar sympathizer Raymond VI of Toulouse. © Culture Club/Getty Images(more)Simon IV de Montfort , military leader of the Albigensian Crusade against the Cathars in southern France, mounted a siege of Cathar sympathizer Count Raymond VI of Toulouse in 1217. Montfort’s death in 1218 effectively ended the siege and severely weakened the crusade leadership.

　　For two years after his victory at the Battle of Muret, Simon IV de Montfort led the troops of the Albigensian Crusade in victories over the Cathars: in 1216 he captured Toulouse, to which he had unsuccessfully laid siege in 1211, and proclaimed himself its ruler while the rightful count, Raymond VI of Toulouse, was in exile in England. Raymond returned that same year and retook Toulouse on November 7, 1217. Montfort besieged the city, but found its defenses robust and well manned. As well, his force too small to completely encircle the walls of the city. Food and other supplies were thus able to come into Toulouse, while de Montfort’s crusaders starved as they waited out the long winter in an ancient Roman citadel known as the Château de Narbonne.

　　Albigensian Crusade Events keyboard_arrow_left

　　Massacre at Béziers July 21, 1209 - July 22, 1209

　　Battle of Muret September 12, 1213

　　Siege of Toulouse 1217 - 1218 keyboard_arrow_right In spring 1218 the defenders of Toulouse built a trebuchet, or artillery engine, while the besiegers built a cat, a wooden tower used to scale city walls. On June 25, 1218, the defenders broke out to destroy the cat and, during the fighting, Simon de Montfort was fatally injured when he was hit on the head by a large stone, probably launched from the trebuchet. The siege was lifted soon afterward, after leadership of the crusade passed to one of Simon’s sons, Amaury VI de Montfort.

　　The French king, Louis VIII, led a fresh wave of the crusade in 1226, and Cathar resistance dwindled. Under Louis VIII’s successor, Louis IX, a 1229 peace treaty ended the crusade: Raymond VII of Toulouse (son of Raymond VI) was recognized as count of Toulouse but was forced to cede his castles to royal control and was ordered to suppress the Cathars. Cathar resistance continued until March 1244 when their castle, Montségur, was captured, and 220 Cathars were burned at the stake as heretics.

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