Jacques de Vitry
Jacques de Vitry was a prominent cleric and historian born around 1165 near Paris. He studied at the University of Paris and became a canon regular after encountering the mystic Marie d'Oignies, who significantly influenced his spiritual path. Between 1210 and 1213, he vigorously preached during the Albigensian Crusade and played a notable role at the siege of Toulouse. His efforts in the Crusade earned him a reputation that led to his appointment as Bishop of Acre in 1216 by Pope Honorius III. Vitry was also involved in the Fifth Crusade and fought against heretical movements in the Diocese of Liège. Notably, he contributed to the Beguine movement, facilitating communal living for women dedicated to Christian life. His scholarly contributions include approximately 450 sermons and significant historical works, with his most renowned being "Historia Orientalis seu Hierosolymitana," which provides valuable insights into the Holy Land during the thirteenth century. Vitry's writings blend factual accounts with imaginative descriptions, reflecting both the geography of the region and the mindset of the European Crusaders. He passed away in Rome in 1240, leaving a legacy of religious and historical significance.
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Jacques de Vitry
Writer
- Born: c. 1165
- Birthplace: Vitry-sur-Seine, near Paris, France
- Died: 1240
- Place of death: Rome, Italy
Biography
Jacques de Vitry was born near Paris at Vitry-sur-Seine around 1165. He studied at the University of Paris and was one of the students of Peter the Chanter. Attracted by the reputation of Marie d’Oignies as one of the holiest of mystics, he visited her and upon her advice became a canon regular at Oignies. In 1210, he returned to Paris and was ordained into the priesthood.
From 1210 to 1213, Vitry fervently preached the Albigensian Crusade and was present at the siege of Toulouse in 1214. His role in the Crusade brought him such renown that the Latin clergy of Saint John of Acre offered him the post of Bishop of Acre. With the approval of Honorius III, he accepted the office in 1216. From 1218 to 1220, he was involved in the Fifth Crusade and was present at the fall of Damietta. He returned to Rome in 1227, but was soon back in the Diocese of Liège waging a battle against the heretics in the region.
Vitry was also instrumental in development of the Beguine movement. He obtained permission from the Pope for groups of women in France and Germany to live in community and devote themselves totally to Christ. In 1229, with the permission of Pope Gregory IX, he resigned from his post as Bishop of Acre. Gregory then made him a cardinal and appointed him Bishop of Tusculum and a legate of France. In 1239, he was named Patriarch of Jerusalem; he refused the office. He died in Rome in 1240.
Vitry wrote many letters and several works of both religious and historical importance. The letters he wrote to Pope Honorius III during the Crusade in Egypt are one of the best sources of the history of this undertaking. He wrote approximately 450 sermons, including a collection of models for sermons. He wrote Liber de mulieribus Leodiensibus in which he recounted the visions of Marie d’Oignies, among others.
Vitry’s most important and best-known work is Historia Orientalis seu Hierosolymitana, which he began in 1219. The work was to be a history of the Holy land from the beginning of Islam to the Crusades of his time. He had planned the history as a tripartite work but he completed only two of the books: the Historia orientalis and the Historiaoccidentalis. In the work, he gives a firsthand account of what the Holy Land was like in the thirteenth century. The work is not simply a narrative of events, but contains physical description of the land, its inhabitants, and other geographical details. His descriptions are a mixture of fact and fantasy, thus giving insights not only into the Holy Land of the time but also into the mentality of the European Crusaders, both soldiers and priests, who went there. His writings have preserved a significant period of both religious and political history.