From lover to villain, from sinner to saint, the varied career of Folco, troubadour, monk, and bishop of Toulouse, c. 1150-1231

grantor: University of TorontoThis is the study of the life and career of one man, whose life touched on many of the important developments of his age. The subject, known variously as Folquet, Foulques, Fulk, and Folco (which I use) was born circa 1150 and died on Christmas, 1231. Coming from a Genoese merchant family, Folco rose to prominence as a troubadour in the last quarter of the twelfth century. He lived in Marseille, with his wife and children, until the 1190's when he decided to become a Cistercian monk. joining the monastery of Thoronet, he then became its abbot, and eventually attracted the attention of the Cistercian papal legates who had been sent to the Midi to reform the region. With their support, Folco was elected bishop of Toulouse in 1205. In this capacity he became deeply involved with the various efforts to combat heresy in the region. Folco worked with the legates and with Bishop Diego and Dominic, to convert heretics while he also supported orthodox outlets for catholic women religious. He was a fervent supporter of the Albigensian crusade from its inception, and one of the few participants who survived it. The problems he faced, however, were not confined to questions of dogma. Folco also had to cope with the financial difficulties his see faced, and the social tensions between the various political factions within Toulouse. The combination of these factors made him leave Toulouse several times, and he spent a large segment of his episcopacy outside of his see. During this time he was an active preacher, spending much time in the North of France and working alongside men such as Jacques de Vitry and Robert of Courson. This study aims to use Folco as a lens to examine some of the great changes that occurred in the Midi on a human, instead of an institutional, scale. Looking at society from Folco's perspective reveals it to us in a more sophisticated light. He allows us to consider why his society developed as it did, and the degree to which those developments were foreseen by those who initiated them.Ph.D