Castel Goffredo
The Life of Godfrey of Bouillon: History of the Crusader King
Godfrey of Bouillon was the first ruler of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, but he always refused the title of King, as he believed that the true King of Jerusalem was Christ. He was also known as the Baron of the Holy Sepulchre and the Crusader King.
His Life in Europe
Godfrey was designated by his uncle to succeed him in Lower Lorraine, but Emperor Henry IV of Franconia only gave him the Margraviate of Antwerp and took back the fief of Lower Lorraine. However, his duchy extended from Brabant to Luxembourg, including the regions of Hainaut, Limburg, and Namur. Godfrey fought for Henry at both the Battle of Elster and the Siege of Rome, and in 1082 he was finally entrusted with the duchy of Lower Lorraine.
His Role in the First Crusade
Godfrey decided to liquidate most of his possessions and join the First Crusade, called by Pope Urban II at the Council of Clermont in 1095. He left at the head of an army of about 12,000 men with his brothers Eustace III of Boulogne and Baldwin of Boulogne (the future Baldwin I of Jerusalem). After some difficulties in Hungary, where his men pillaged fellow Christian believers, Godfrey arrived in Constantinople in November. He was the first of the Crusaders to arrive and had to swear allegiance to the Byzantine Empire of Alexios I Komnenos in January 1097.
The Conquest of Jerusalem
Godfrey distinguished himself in the conquest of Nicaea, Antioch, and Syria, and he led the assault on the walls of Jerusalem on June 6, 1099. It was thanks to his leadership that the Crusaders were able to conquer the city. After the conquest of Jerusalem, Godfrey accepted to become the first ruler of the new Crusader state, the Kingdom of Jerusalem.
His Death
Godfrey died on July 18, 1100, due to an infection contracted during surgery to remove an arrow from his arm. He left no direct heirs and was succeeded by his younger brother Baldwin I of Jerusalem.
The Legend of Godfrey
Legend has exalted the figure of Godfrey of Bouillon to such an extent that Dante Alighieri included him among the warrior spirits and the just of the heaven of Mars in the Divine Comedy - Canto 18 of Paradise, and Torquato Tasso made him the protagonist of his most famous work, Jerusalem Delivered.
Conclusions
Godfrey of Bouillon was a very important historical figure for the history of the Crusades and for the conquest of Jerusalem. His figure has been exalted by legend and continues to represent an icon of the Crusade and the Christian religion.
