1254 CE

(possible date) – The existence and name of purgatory is acknowledged by the Catholic Church. Louis IX and his family sail from Acre to France. His boat is nearly wrecked off the coast of Cyprus and later nearly destroyed by fire. In July, the royal party arrives at Hyères in Provence. German forces under Manfred start an anti-papal revolt against Innocent IV and seize Lucera in the Tavoliere Plains. He defeats the papal army at Foggia and gains the loyalty of Apulia, on December 2.

In the 1250s, the 13th century.

Geopolitics & Diplomacy

  • February 21 – King Louis IX of France ("the Saint") signs a multi-year truce with An-Nasir Yusuf, Ayyubid ruler of Damascus, who is well aware of a Mongol threat and has no wish for war with the Crusader States.source
  • King Afonso III of Portugal ("the Boulonnais") holds the first session of the Cortes (Portugal's general assembly composed of nobles, members of the middle class and representatives from all municipalities), in Leiria.source
  • King Henry III of England grants his eldest son the Lord Edward areas of land including crown lands in Wales, Ireland, the Channel Islands and Gascony. He is also given the cities of Bristol, Stamford and Grantham. The reason for these concessions is to give Edward experience of governing lands of his own before becoming a king. Edward is granted the Three Castles in Wales, Skenfrith Castle, White Castle and Grosmont Castle.source

Conflict & Security

  • June 12 – The Dutch city of Alkmaar obtains city rights from William II, anti-king of Germany.source
  • William II, anti-king of Germany, holds a diet (princely convention) at Worms, in which the German cities are represented for the first time. He gives orders to build strong castles in Heemskerk and Haarlem.source
  • Battle of Adrianople: Byzantine forces under Emperor Theodore II Laskaris defeat the invading Bulgarians near Edirne (Adrianople). The young and inexperienced Tsar Michael II Asen is caught by surprise and the Bulgarians suffer heavy losses. Michael is wounded during his hasty retreat through the forest.source

Exploration & Expansion

  • January 4 – William of Rubruck, Flemish missionary and explorer, is received courteously with an embassy at Karakorum. He is given an audience with Möngke Khan, who is loaded with gifts and letters from Louis IX.source
  • April 24 – Louis IX and his family sail from Acre to France. His boat is nearly wrecked off the coast of Cyprus and later nearly destroyed by fire. In July, the royal party arrives at Hyères in Provence.source

Religion & Belief

  • March (possible date) – The existence and name of purgatory is acknowledged by the Catholic Church.source
  • November 1 – Edward marries Eleanor of Castile in the Cistercian monastery of Las Huelgas at Burgos.source
  • November 2 – German forces under Manfred start an anti-papal revolt against Innocent IV and seize Lucera in the Tavoliere Plains. He defeats the papal army at Foggia and gains the loyalty of Apulia, on December 2.source
  • Summer – The Lord Edward travels from Portsmouth with his mother, Queen Eleanor of Provence, and Boniface of Savoy, archbishop of Canterbury, to marry the 13-year-old Eleanor of Castile, the half-sister of King Alfonso X of Castile. Henry III has demanded the marriage in exchange for ending the war with Alfonso. In August, the party arrives in Burgos, capital of Castile, where the marriage is due to take place.source
  • The Danish city of Copenhagen receives its city charter from Bishop Jacob Erlandsen.source
  • The construction of the Cathedral of Saint Martin is initiated by Henry I van Vianden, bishop of Utrecht.source

Economy & Finance

  • The Rhenish League, a confederation of trading cities, is established in the Rhineland, Western Germany. The league (or Städtebund) comprises 59 cities.source
  • As part of an offensive against usury in north-western Europe, Innocent IV relieves the city of Beauvais from its obligations to its creditors.source

Crime & Justice

  • Doge Reniero Zeno sends the Horses of Saint Mark, looted from Constantinople during the Fourth Crusade, to Venice, where they are installed on the terrace of the façade of St. Mark's Basilica.source

Culture & Society

  • The Japanese classic text Kokon Chomonjū is completed during the Kamakura Period under the reign of the 11-year-old Emperor Go-Fukakusa.source

Births

  • March 27 – Hkun Law, Burmese ruler of Martaban (died 1311)source
  • May 4 – Benvenuta Bojani, Italian nun and mystic (died 1292)source
  • May 13 – Marie of Brabant, queen consort of France (died 1322)source
  • June 24 – Floris V, count of Holland and Zeeland (died 1296)source
  • September 15 – Marco Polo, Venetian explorer (died 1324)source
  • 5 November or 6 December – Beatrice of Castile, marchioness of Montferrat (died 1286)source
  • Fujiwara no Tamekane, Japanese official and poet (died 1332)source
  • Bonacossa Borri (or Bonaca), Italian noblewoman (died 1321)source
  • Bengt Birgersson, Swedish duke and bishop (died 1291)source
  • Osman I, founding ruler of the Ottoman Empire (died 1324)source
  • Ren Renfa (or Ziming), Chinese artist and politician (died 1327)source
  • Gerhard II, Count of Holstein-Plön ("the Blind"), German nobleman and knight (died 1312)source
  • Charles II of Naples ("the Lame"), son of Charles I of Anjou (died 1309)source
  • Zhao Mengfu, Chinese scholar and calligrapher (died 1322)source

Deaths

  • March 28 – William de Ferrers, 5th Earl of Derby, English nobleman (born 1193)source
  • May 21 – King Conrad IV, son of the late Emperor Frederick II, dies of malaria at Lavello (southern Italy). With Conrad's death a interregnum begins, during which no ruler manages to gain undisputed control of Germany. The 22-year-old Manfred, half-brother of Conrad, refuses to surrender Sicily to Pope Innocent IV and accepts the regency on behalf of Conrad's 2-year-old son Conradin ("the Younger").source
  • May 21 – Conrad IV, king of Germany en Sicily (born 1228)source
  • June 3 – Andrea Caccioli, Italian friar and priest (born 1194)source
  • June 8 – Robert of Nantes, Latin patriarch of Jerusalemsource
  • June 17 – Ingeborg Eriksdotter, Swedish princess (born 1212)source
  • August 6 – Hugh of Northwold, English abbot and bishopsource
  • September 25 – William III de Cantilupe, English noblemansource
  • November 3 – John III Doukas Vatatzes, Byzantine emperorsource
  • November 3 – Manuel II, Byzantine patriarch of Constantinoplesource
  • November 11 – Gil Torres, Spanish archdeacon and cardinalsource
  • December 7 – Innocent IV dies after a pontificate of 11 years. He is succeeded by Alexander IV as the 181st pope of the Catholic Church.source
  • December 7 – Innocent IV, pope of the Catholic Churchsource
  • December – Peter Chaceporc, English archdeacon and ambassadorsource