The Fires of Faith

As medieval society, still haunted by the terrible spectre of the Apocalypse and the day of judgment, struggled to cope with the changes overtaking it, religious dissidents paid a terrible price fortheir non-conformism. Francis of Assisi's belief in a life of poverty led him into conflict with an often extravagant Church, although he was eventually reconciled and established a monastic order underthe auspices of Rome. But other dissidents were not so lucky. The Pope, alarmed at signs of disorder, called for a crackdown against heretics in the south of France. What followed proved to be one of the most brutal episodes in French history.