Reform and Custom: The Statutes of Pamiers in Early Thirteenth-Century Christendom

The Statutes of Pamiers, promulgated on 1 December 1212 as a ‘constitution’ for Simon of Montfort’s conquests through the Albigensian Crusade, are the most explicit formulation of Simon’s political programme. Most historiography, unfortunately, focusses exclusively on their military provisions and their introduction of French inheritance custom to the Midi. While these are crucial dimensions of the Statutes, to concentrate solely on them is to miss their much wider scope. Much of the document was also concerned with a vision of social order and justice, often associated with clerical, ‘neogregorian’ ideals. However, the Statutes, while remarkable, were not unique. This paper will compare Simon’s constitution with other contemporary examples of baronial legislation across Christendom: the Livre au roi in Outremer, Magna Carta in England, the Golden Bull in Hungary. Viewing all these documents in conversation with each other (whether they were directly linked or not) will provide a clearer insight into baronial attitudes toward government, while examining their respective relationships with the neogregorian project will help us draw wider conclusions about the extent of clerical influence on baronial political ideas. As a result, the political vision of Simon of Montfort can be properly placed in context, illuminating what is particular to the crusader and what he shared with his peers.