Who was Philip II of France and why is he called Philip Augustus?
Philip II of France was King of France from 1180 to 1223, the only son of Louis VII and Adela of Champagne. He was given the epithet Augustus by the chronicler Rigord for having extended the crown lands of France so remarkably.
What was the Battle of Bouvines and why did it matter?
The Battle of Bouvines took place on the 27th of July 1214, near the bridge at Bouvines close to Lille, where Philip's army of roughly 7,000 defeated an allied force of around 9,000 including Holy Roman Emperor Otto IV and the Count of Flanders. The victory ended the Angevin Empire and so weakened John of England that his barons compelled him to sign Magna Carta.
How many times did Philip II of France marry?
Philip II married three times: first to Isabella of Hainault in 1180, who died in childbirth in 1190; second to Ingeborg of Denmark in 1193, whom he immediately tried to discard but was legally bound to; and third to Agnes of Merania in June 1196, a union Pope Innocent III declared null and void. Philip eventually recognized Ingeborg as queen in 1213.
What did Philip II build in Paris?
Philip II paved the main thoroughfares of Paris, built the central market Les Halles, constructed the first incarnation of the Louvre as a fortress, continued the construction of Notre-Dame de Paris, and built the great wall around the city known as the Wall of Philip II Augustus. He also gave a charter to the University of Paris in 1200.
How did Philip II of France defeat the Angevin Empire?
Philip II spent decades undermining the Angevin kings of England, who also held vast French territories as Dukes of Normandy and Aquitaine. He exploited divisions within the Plantagenet family, allied with Henry II's rebellious sons, and after John of England lost political standing following the disappearance of Arthur of Brittany in 1203, Philip swept through Normandy and held most of the Angevin lands in France by the end of 1204.
When and where did Philip II of France die?
Philip II died on the 14th of July 1223 in Mantes-la-Jolie, at the age of 57, while traveling to Paris against his physician's advice. He was interred in the Basilica of St Denis, with his son and successor Louis VIII among those present.