Monday morning. I'm too hung over for this, but I pop a couple Advil and trudge into class. Melody's there, but since I come in through the back door, it's only her back I see as I take my seat. After class. Yeah, I'll talk to her then.
Morengay looks profanely cheerful as he always does at the start of a week and launches right into his lecture without preamble.
"Last time, I told you that King Louis I of Italy had in mind the land he coveted, but before I get into that, I should mention that William the Bastard, the famous conqueror of England, finally died in 1096 and his son Robert came to the throne. Robert, recognizing that he needed a powerful ally to keep his realm in order, sent an envy to Louis, asking for an alliance. King Louis I replied back and I quote, "You are a worthless dog. Though the Church sanctified your birth, you are a sniveling fool, worth less than a single hair on your mighty and worthy father's head. We will never join hands with a pigdog like you."
The class laughs and my head throbs. Just shut up, will you? Fortunately, they soon do, and Morengay continues.
"That was not the only event of fall, for in October, a Muslim revolt broke out in Palermo. Louis ordered his then-Marshal, 64 year old Severo Toccelli, to slay the rebels and convert the rest of the province to Catholicism, by the sword if necessary. Severo readily complied and the citizenry, seeing the writing on the wall, became Catholic everafter. Severo was also appointed Italy's archbishop upon the death of longtime curate Robert of Chalons for his zealotry in carrying out this task.
In November, the whole kingdom breathed a sigh of relief as Louis recovered from his illness. Archbishop Toccelli was quick to proclaim that it was the king's just reward for saving so many souls in Palermo.
The new year in 1097 presented Louis with a golden opportunity. The Duke of Lombardia foolishly broke away from the Kingdom of Germany and the Kingdom of Italy swarmed in, declaring war and Louis's right to the title via that former vassal who was the cause of the Lombardia War I talked about a couple of class periods ago. The conflict proved a leisurely, easy one and by May, Louis was the Duke of Lombardia, with the Bishop of Cremona as his new vassal. The king did not hold the title long, but instead elevated his faithful direct vassal, the Bishop of Piombiono, to the position of Archbishop of Lombardia.
In May of 1098, the debt was finally paid off and the Count of Parvia, the former Duke of Lombardia, become Louis's vassal. The de Semur stranglehold over northern Italy was more or less complete. But the Italian king dreamed of still more wealth and so as a celebration of the new financial stability and vassal, he issued an edict saying that the county of Provence belonged to him and he gave orders for war.
In response, the recently promoted Archbishop of Lombardia, calling Louis, and I quote, "a godless heathen who will be the ruin of us all" declared independence. After Louis successfully annexed Provence in a short war, he turned his fury upon the rebel vassal and in an even shorter conflict, not only took both Piombino and the Duchy of Lombardia back, but forced the upstart to recognize him as the sole person with right to the Italian throne.
This last forced concession angered vassals throughout Europe who harbored throne ambitions of their own and Louis's reputation plummeted, rising only marginally when he restored the title of Duke of Lombardia to the infant Count whose father had originally held it. In truth, on the one hand this was actually quite the dangerous and stupid move on Louis's part, because the child's heir, should he die without issue, was none other than King Friedrich of Germany. But on the other hand, it brought the Count of Grisons into the Italian kingdom's fold, so it was a worthwhile calculated gamble. This gamble became immaterial in August of 1099 when Grisons fell back into German hands.
About this time in 1099, the Pope called for a Holy Crusade to Alexandria. Given Italy's closeness in proximity to Rome and the kingdom's military might, there was a certain expectation that the de Semurs should be active participants in the crusade, but Louis did not immediately answer the call. He was too busy using money gotten from the Estates General to improve his personal domains, including another castle, this time in Modena, as part of a planned series of castles in the core of his Italian possessions. Furthermore, having very recently allied with the King of France, Louis feared that his new royal friend would take advantage of any war against the heatens to gain territory, money, and prestige for his own pockets, particularly as France had already had significant holdings in the Holy Land.
But then 1100 arrived and with the new century, Louis was seized by a newfound conviction that to go to war against the Muslims would be to enhance his suffering standing, and so he marched in January for Alexandria itself.
This Holy Crusade was so enthusiastically supported by the Church that Louis became reknowned as a great crusader and 1800 armed men blazing with religious fervor came to Bologna to pledge their swords, bodies, and souls to the mission.
On December 1, 1100, eleven months to the day after Louis left Bologna, Alexandria was his. A wealthy city with strong defenses, it was on par with Palermo in its economic and military might and in strategic location, equal to Bologna. The Crusade was a success.
But it was not without its drawbacks. An old Muslim man came to the court and since Italy needed a marshal, Louis put him in charge of the military. This led to a Papal fury that was quite costly in the indulgence it demanded and word began to spread that Italy's king was a sceptic. This did not, however, prevent him from being considered universally pious after his conquest in North Africa. His old marshal, Raymond Bourbone, helped to spread word of the king's piety when he conquered Gabiyaha next door to Alexandria and took the province for himself.
This was, it should be noted, also not the end of war with the Egyptian shiekdom, nor in fact did Louis manage to hold on to Alexandria... but that.... shall wait for next time!"
I'm getting used to his cliffhangers now.
I walk as quietly and steadily as I can out the door. Luck's on my side for once because Melody's late getting out.
"Nice to see you back and healthy!" In spite of my pain, I can still grin at her.
"Thanks", she answers noncommitally before tilting her head at me, "Sorry I had to cancel, but to make it up to you, clear your schedule this weekend. Forget your fraternity brothers, forget the lame parties and all that."
"Oh?" I raise my eyebrows. Making it up to me. -Those- were famous last words.
"Yes. You're spending the weekend with me. I'll pick you up at 7."
And before I can answer, she's gone in a whirl of blonde hair and a perfume I can't name.
I'm left standing there wondering what the hell just happened. Must be the same feeling good old King Louis must have had when he lost Alexandria or whatever.
...I need a Bloody Mary.
Back to the house I go.
I have to admit, I never was much a fan of Texas, but that's just me.
