Richard the Lionheart's dagger

The story of a living legend
Richard the Lionheart, born in 1153, was the least English of the kings of England, where he resided for only six months, reigning over vast territories from Scotland to the Pyrenees, which he spent his life defending. The favorite son of his mother, Eleanor of Aquitaine, he was the most admired and feared sovereign of his time, embodying the values and excesses of medieval chivalry. Educated among the troubadours of Aquitaine, he was capable of verse, but it was in war that he forged his reputation. War against his father, Henry II Plantagenet, against his brother, John Lackland, against the King of France, Philip Augustus, against the barons of Poitou. Above all, he waged holy war against Saladin during the epic Third Crusade (1190-1194), during which he proved himself an outstanding strategist. The terror of the Muslims, whose respect he won, he was betrayed by the Christian sovereigns, who were jealous of his exploits. Held prisoner in Austria, then freed for ransom, he defeated Philippe Auguste and built Château-Gaillard (1196-1198) in two years, before being killed by a crossbow bolt at the siege of Châlus in Limousin in 1199. Buried at Fontevraud, this figurehead of the Middle Ages remains in the collective memory as the invincible paladin whom Walter Scott made into a romantic hero, even though he was so little of one.
Release date: February 16, 2017

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