Year1209 (MCCIX) was acommon year starting on Thursday of theJulian calendar. It was the 1209th year of the Common Era or the Anno Domini designation, the 209th year of the 2nd millennium, the 9th year of the 13th century, and the 10th and last year of the 1200s decade.
June –Treaty of Sapienza: TheRepublic of Venice recognizes the possession of thePeloponnese by Geoffrey I of Villehardouin and keeps only the fortresses ofModon andCoron. Venice also acquires an exemption of her merchants from all tariffs, and the right to establish "a church, a market and a court" in every city of Achaea.[2]
July 22 –Massacre at Béziers: The Crusader army, led bySimon de Monfort, arrives in theLanguedoc area, and makes camp atBéziers, to start a siege. The citizens, believing that their city walls are impregnable, harass the Crusaders, by sending a group of soldiers (supported by armed civilians) to launch a sortie against their camp. When they are forced to retreat, the Crusaders storm the walls (which are not properly manned) and enter the gate, sacking and killing some 20,000Cathars andCatholics alike.[3]
August 15 – Simon de Montfort takesCarcassonne, after negotiating the city's surrender withRaymond Roger Trencavel (or Raimond), viscount of Béziers andAlbi, who is imprisoned and dies in mysterious circumstances 3 months later in his own dungeon. The Cathars are allowed to leave and expelled with nothing more than their clothes.
November – Against the backdrop of the continuingPapal Interdict of 1208,John, King of England, is excommunicated byPope Innocent III. Despite the excommunication, John will continue to make amends to the Church – including giving alms to the poor whenever he defiles a holy day by hunting during it. He feeds 100 paupers to make up for when he "went into the woods on the feast of St.Mary Magdalen", and three years from now, he will feast 450 paupers "because the king went to take cranes, and he took nine, for each of which he feasted fifty paupers."[4]
Black Monday,Dublin: A group of 500 recently arrived settlers fromBristol are massacred by warriors of the IrishO'Byrne clan. The group (accompanied by women and children) leaves the safety of the walled city of Dublin to celebrateEaster Monday near a wood atRanelagh, and are attacked without warning. Although a relatively obscure event in history, it is commemorated by a mustering of theMayor,Sheriffs, and soldiers on the day, as a challenge to the native tribes for centuries afterwards.
London Bridge is completed by a stone-arched structure. On the bridge are houses built; this is for paying the maintenance, though it has to be supplemented by other rents and by tolls.
Spring – The Mongols led byGenghis Khan begin their first invasion against theWestern Xia state (or Xi Xia). They push up along theYellow River, capturing several garrisons and defeating an imperial army. The Mongols besiege the capitalZhongxing – which holds a well-fortified garrison of some 70,000 men (hastily reinforced with another 50,000). Genghis lacks the proper equipment and experience to take the city. In October, an attempt to flood the city by diverting the Yellow River is disastrous and floods the Mongol camp, forcing the Mongols to withdraw.[5]
KingPhilip II of France ("Augustus") grants a "conduit" to merchants, going to theChampagne fairs (atrade fair organized in different towns of theCounty of Champagne), guaranteeing the safety of their travel – as any attempt made against them – is now to be considered a crime oflèse-majesté (an offense against the king). The decision increases again the appeal of the fairs to merchants fromItaly and theLow Countries.[7]
InTuscany the banking firm known as theGran Tavola ("Great Table") is formed; most of the partners are members of theBonsignori family.[8]
February 24 – TheFranciscan Order is founded by the Italian priestFrancis of Assisi. He and 11 of his followers journey toRome where he receives approval of his rule fromPope Innocent III. Franciscan friars can not own any possessions of any kind. They wander and preach among the people, helping the poor and the sick. They support themselves by working and by begging for food, but they are forbidden to accept money either for work or as alms. The Franciscans work at first inUmbria and then in the rest of Italy. The impact of these street preachers and especially of their founder is immense, so that within 10 years they number some 5,000 followers.[9]
