Part 5/14:
The Capetian Dynasty and Medieval Developments
In 987, Hugh Capet's election as king marks the beginning of the Capetian dynasty, which would rule for centuries. Under their leadership, Paris emerged as the capital, and France gradually solidified its territorial boundaries.
The Middle Ages saw the growth of universities (notably the University of Paris established in 1200), religious influence intensify with the Crusades starting in 1095, and the creation of the Inquisition in 1233, a tribunal targeting heretics. Saint Louis (Louis IX) reigned from 1226 to 1270, commissioning the Sainte-Chapelle and promoting crusading efforts, but he died during the Eighth Crusade.