Saint Louis, king of France (†1270). The son of Blanche of Castile, he fulfilled the ideal image of the Christian king in an extraordinary way. He had eleven children, whom he raised devoutly. He defended the faith, administered justice, loved the poor, and practiced virtue even in the worst adversities. He was a friend of Saint Thomas Aquinas. He had the famous Sainte Chapelle built to house our Redeemer's crown of thorns. He contracted the plague in Tunisia during a Crusade and died there.