Guillaume de Nogaret facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Monsieur
Guillaume de Nogaret
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Bust by Marc Arcis.
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| Chancellor of France; Keeper of the Seals |
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| In office 1311–1313 |
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| Monarch | Philip IV |
| Preceded by | Gilles I Aycelin de Montaigu |
| Succeeded by | Pierre de Latilly |
| In office 1307–1310 |
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| Preceded by | Pierre de Belleperche |
| Succeeded by | Gilles I Aycelin de Montaigu |
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| Born | c. 1260 Saint-Félix-Lauragais, Languedoc, France |
| Died | 13 April 1313 (aged 52–53) Paris, Île-de-France, France |
| Children | 1 son |
| Alma mater | University of Montpellier |
| Profession | |
Guillaume de Nogaret (born around 1260, died April 1313) was an important French statesman and advisor to King Philip IV of France. He also held the title of Keeper of the Seals, which was like being a top government official. He is best known for his role in the conflict between King Philip IV and Pope Boniface VIII.
Contents
Guillaume's Early Life
Guillaume de Nogaret was born in a place called Saint-Félix-Lauragais in France around 1260. His family came from a small property named Nogaret. He became a professor of law at the University of Montpellier in 1291.
Later, in 1296, he joined the King's Council in Paris. This council was a group of important advisors to the king. From 1306, he also owned lands in places like Marsillargues and Calvisson.
Advisor to King Philip IV
Guillaume de Nogaret became very important to King Philip IV. He is mostly remembered for his part in a big disagreement between King Philip IV and Pope Boniface VIII. In 1300, he was sent to meet the Pope.
By February 1303, Nogaret had a lot of influence over the king. He convinced King Philip to try a bold plan. This plan was to capture Pope Boniface and bring him to France. The goal was to have a special meeting in France to remove the Pope from his position.
On March 12, a big meeting was held at the Louvre palace. Here, Guillaume de Nogaret read many accusations against Pope Boniface. He asked for a general council to be called to judge the Pope.
The Attack on the Pope
Soon after, Nogaret traveled to Italy. He found a group of adventurers and enemies of the Pope's family, the Caetani. A powerful family called the Colonna, who were also enemies of the Caetani, helped him. Sciarra Colonna went with Nogaret to Anagni, which was the Pope's hometown.
On September 7, Nogaret and Colonna, with about 1,600 men, surprised the town. They attacked Pope Boniface at his palace. The Pope responded by saying that King Philip and Nogaret were no longer part of the Church. This happened on September 8, 1303.
Pope Boniface was taken prisoner. Sciarra Colonna wanted to harm the Pope, but Nogaret wanted to take him to France. He hoped to force the Pope to call a general council. The French and the Colonna family demanded the Pope resign. Pope Boniface VIII famously said he would "sooner die."
In response, Sciarra Colonna reportedly slapped the Pope. This event is known as the schiaffo di Anagni (the "Anagni slap").
However, things quickly changed. On September 9, the people of Anagni rose up to support the Pope. Nogaret and his allies had to run away, and the Pope was freed. Pope Boniface VIII died in Rome on October 11, which helped Nogaret avoid further trouble.
The next Pope, Benedict XI, was more cautious. This was the start of a time when France had a lot of power over the Pope. This period is known as the Avignon captivity. In early 1304, Nogaret went back to King Philip IV and was rewarded with land and money.
Then, he was sent back to Pope Benedict XI. He asked for forgiveness for everyone involved in the fight with Pope Boniface VIII. Pope Benedict refused to meet Nogaret. He did not forgive Nogaret when he forgave others on May 12, 1304. On June 7, he issued a special order against Nogaret and his friends.
Nogaret tried to explain his actions. When Pope Benedict died on July 7, 1304, Nogaret said it showed that his cause was right.
Later Life and Work
French influence led to a Frenchman, Bertrand de Got (Clement V), becoming the next Pope. King Philip continued to threaten to put Pope Boniface's memory on trial. This was to make Pope Clement forgive Nogaret. Pope Clement eventually agreed.
Then, King Philip brought up the issue of the Knights Templar. This was a powerful group of knights. In October 1307, King Philip arrested them and took their property. Nogaret helped get former members of the Knights Templar to speak against their group. He was very involved in these actions.
Nogaret became the Keeper of the Seals in 1307. This was a very important job in the government. He also used his skills in the trial of Guichard, the bishop of Troyes. This trial lasted from 1308 to 1313.
Nogaret was forgiven by Pope Clement on April 27, 1311. He was supposed to go on a crusade and visit some holy places as a penance. However, he never did. Guillaume de Nogaret died in April 1313. He continued to work for the king until his death, even dealing with matters concerning Flanders.
In Literature
Nogaret is an important character in Les Rois maudits (The Accursed Kings). This is a series of historical novels by Maurice Druon. These books were made into television miniseries in 1972 and again in 2005.
See also
In Spanish: Guillermo de Nogaret para niños
