Simon de Montfort : baron ou homme politique ?

Simon de Montfort : A Baron or a Politician ? - Presented here is the biography of Simon de Montfort (1994) by John Maddicott. The career of this younger son of a noble French family unfolds in diverse settings (Holy Land, Gascony), though he established himself in England where he disposed of property and income. To make his fortune secure Simon strived without cease to consolidate and expand it. This obstinate pursuit of riches was in contrast with his commitment to the crusade and his piety which, imbibed with the Franciscan ideal, drew him close to Saint Louis. Owing probably to his exceptional military and religious stature, he became one of the leaders of the reforming movement in 1258. With the civil war, he appears as the indisputable head of a movement based on the defense of veritable political principles, supported by a large section of the elite. At the same time, he continued in frantic pursuit of land and riches. His military defeat seems logical, and it was finally Lord Edward who reaped the profits of this first « political » (in the modern sense) experience in a world which was still a feudal one.