author
sire de Jean Joinville
A 13th-century French nobleman and chronicler, he is best remembered for the vivid account of King Louis IX and the Seventh Crusade in his Life of Saint Louis. His writing feels strikingly personal for the Middle Ages, mixing eyewitness detail with the voice of someone who knew the king firsthand.
1 Audiobook
La sesta crociata ovvero l'istoria della santa vita e delle grandi cavallerie di re Luigi IX di Francia
by sire de Jean Joinville
About the author
Born around 1224 in Champagne, Jean de Joinville was a French nobleman who served as seneschal of Champagne. He was raised in an aristocratic world and later joined King Louis IX on the Seventh Crusade, an experience that shaped the work he is known for today.
His most famous book, commonly called Life of Saint Louis or Histoire de Saint-Louis, is valued not just as history but as a lively firsthand portrait. Rather than sounding distant or formal, Joinville writes with warmth and immediacy, sharing scenes from crusading life as well as his memories of Louis IX.
That combination of court insider, crusader, and storyteller has made him one of the standout chroniclers of medieval France. His book remains an important window into the character of Saint Louis and the everyday texture of 13th-century noble life.