The year 1215 was to be the least militarily active period between 1209 and 1218 as the people of Occitania waited to see if and how their world would change. From a political standpoint several important things happened during the year. Simon of Montfort spent most of it within a hair's breadth of gaining the church's sanction for his conquests. Though not quite as definitive as Montfort and many southern prelates hoped, the January 1215 Council of Montpellier made him the heir apparent to the Count of Toulouse's lands in the south. Final disposal of the lands, however, depended on the pope, who called what is widely regarded as one of the most important councils of the entire Middle Ages, commonly referred to as Fourth Lateran. Because a sizeable chunk of the council concerned events in Occitania, the main narrative sources of the crusade cover some aspects of the council in fair detail. The events of the Fourth Lateran Council brought out the quills of the Anonymous and William of Puylaurens, neither of whom left an account of what happened in 1214. Finally, during 1215 the chief crusader had to sit by as Prince Louis redeemed his vow and paraded in the south on his own crusade.

THE COUNCIL OF MONTPELLIER, JANUARY 1215

On 7 December 1214 one of the papal legates sent out letters announcing a council to be held at Montpellier, beginning on 8 January 1215.