13th Century Chronology

Here's a 13th century chronology, including:

1203 Toulouse (Languedoc, France) agreed to persecute the Cathars.

1207 Pope Innocent III encouraged the nobles of the north of France to enter into a crusade against those of the south who gave support to the Cathars. He offered the same indulgences as were given to crusaders going to the Holy Land. The northerners also wished to enrich themselves with the southern nobles’ lands.

1208 Albigensian crusade (directed against the Cathars of the south of France) began, led by Simon de Montfort and the papal legate, Arnald of Citeaux . (The crusade takes its name from the town of Albi, but the heretics were centered southwest of there, near Toulouse.)

1213 Albigensian Crusade -- Catholic crusaders defeated the Cathari at Muret. The Cathari, numerous in the Languedoc region of France, were dualists, believing that Yahweh (the ruler of spirit) and Lucifer (of matter) were co-equal. In their view, the incarnation was an illusion, since matter is evil. The Cathars had two levels of perfection: for the perfecti, eating of flesh (or eggs) was forbidden, as was sexual intercourse. For the credentes, sexual immorality was permitted (or so their Catholic opponents claimed).

1226 Albigensian Crusade -- King Louis VIII (1223-26) of France led an army of crusaders into the south of France to crush the southern nobles. He captured Avignon. The southern nobles submitted, signed the treaty of Meaux (April, 1227), and agreed to persecute the Cathars. The Inquisition was established in Toulouse, Narbonne, and Albi, and many heretics were burned.

1232 The Lord of Perelle gave the Cathars of southern France Montsegur as a stronghold.

1240 A large number of Cathars burned at the stake in Milan.

1242 Cathars from Montsegur (France, see 1232) and Avignonet slaughtered a troop of Inquisitors who were on their way to the latter town.

1243/44 The Inquisition in southern France burned a large number of Cathar heretics, including several noblemen and women. Many Cathari fled to the Pyrenees, Lombardy, or Bosnia. The leaders concentrated at Montsegur. In March 1244 Montsegur fell, and thereafter about 200 of the Cathari leaders, known as “Perfects,” perished in the inquisitorial flames without trial.

This chronology also notes that the population of Rome never exceeded 30,000 during the 13th century.