French ruler Louis IX was a Catholic
hero and a vicious anti-Semite, a patron
of exquisite art and a fervent burner
of books. Matthew Gabriele and
David M Perry consider the tangled
legacy of a man who embodies both the
horrors and beauty of medieval Europe
Saint and sinner?
Louis IX depicted in an illuminated
OCPWUETKRVHTQOVJGVJ|EGPVWT[
(The background image shows the
stained glass of Sainte-Chapelle, his
RTKXCVGEJCRGN 5QOGGKIJVEGPVWTKGU
after his birth, the French king’s
reputation is more contested than ever
ON THEALAMY/DREAMSTIME