Entrevue de Saint Louis et du pape Innocent IV à Lyon (1248)

This painting depicts the meeting between Louis IX of France and Pope Innocent IV in Lyon in 1248, shortly before the king’s departure for the Seventh Crusade. This encounter illustrates the close ties between the French monarchy and the papacy, as well as the central role of the King of France within Western Christendom. The scene emphasizes the religious dimension of royal power and Saint Louis’s personal commitment to the Crusades. It also symbolizes the cooperation between political authority and spiritual power in the Middle Ages.