Louis IX of France: A Wildly Successful Ruler, but a Disastrous Crusader

The Statue of King Louis IX, known as the Apotheosis of St. Louis, in St. Louis, Missouri, on July 7, 2017. The city is named after the legendary French king. STLJB/Shutterstock

Commentary

Louis IX was one of the most remarkable of French kings and the only one to be considered a saint. His medieval reputation was enormous, spreading even to the New World with French explorers who named a settlement on the banks of the Mississippi after him.