Year 1243 (Roman numerals, MCCXLIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.

Events

By place

Europe

* March – King Ferdinand III of Castile, Ferdinand III (the Saint) turns the independent Taifa of Murcia into a protectorate, and initiates the process of the colonization and Christianization of the region. He receives the submission of the Moors, under the terms of a peace agreement (the famous Treaty of Alcaraz). * April 27 – Treaty of Bordeaux (1243), Treaty of Bordeaux: King Louis IX of France, Louis IX (the Saint) and King Henry III of England, Henry III agree to a truce that ends the Saintonge War. The truce does not stop the on-going clashes (and further tensions) between France in the Middle Ages, France and Kingdom of England, England. * Siege of Viterbo: Emperor Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor, Frederick II besieges Viterbo on request of the rebel citizens. The defenders are able to set fire to the siege towers and after signing a peace treaty, Frederick is persuaded to withdraw his army. * Siege of Montségur: French forces (some 10,000 men) begin the siege of Château de Montségur to raze the stronghold held by the rebellious Catharism, Cathars. The castle is defended by some 100 troops and 500 refugees. * May 1 – The Kingdom of Castile, Castillan troops are garrisoned in Murcia, to support the Banu Hud, Hudid Dynasty.

England

* Spring – Henry III bestows the custody of Kenilworth Castle to Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester, Simon de Montfort. Simon's wife Eleanor of England, Countess of Leicester, Eleanor, Henry's sister, already owned Odiham Castle (or King John's Castle) so Simon has two of the strongest fortresses in England under his control.

Levant

* June 12 – A Crusader force under Balian of Beirut, Balian III, lord of Vassals of the Kingdom of Jerusalem#Lordship of Beirut, Beirut, captures Tyre, Lebanon, Tyre after a long siege. The barons seize the citadel on July 10, with the help of Alice of Champagne, Alice, queen of Kingdom of Cyprus, Cyprus, whose forces arrive on June 15. This ending the War of the Lombards.Steven Runciman (1952). ''A History of The Crusades. Vol III: The Kingdom of Acre'', p. 185. .

Mongol Empire

* June 26 – Battle of Köse Dağ: The Mongols under Baiju Noyan defeat the Seljuk Turks of the Sultanate of Rum and their Byzantine allies. The Seljuks and the Empire of Trebizond become vassals of the Mongols.

By topic

Religion

* June 25 – Pope Pope Innocent IV, Innocent IV succeeds Pope Celestine IV, Celestine IV as the 180th pope of the Catholic Church, after a ''sede vacante'' of 7 months.

Births

* May 31 – James II of Majorca, James II, Aragonese ruler of Kingdom of Majorca, Majorca (d. 1311) * June 6 – Alix of Brittany, Dame de Pontarcy, Alix of Brittany, Breton noblewoman (d. 1288) * June 28 – Emperor Go-Fukakusa, Go-Fukakusa, emperor of Japan (d. 1304) * September 2 ** Gilbert de Clare, 7th Earl of Gloucester, Gilbert de Clare, English Nobility, nobleman (d. 1295) ** Walter Langton, bishop of Diocese of Lichfield, Coventry (d. 1321) * Alfonso Fernández el Niño, Spanish nobleman (d. 1281) * An Hyang (or Ahn Yu), Korean Korean Confucianism, Confucian scholar (d. 1306) * Augustinus Triumphus, Italian hermit and writer (d. 1328) * Nichiken, Awaji Nichiken, Japanese Buddhism in Japan, Buddhist monk (d. 1338) * Giles of Rome, Italian friar and archbishop (d. 1316) * John I, Count of Auxerre, John I of Chalon-Auxerre, French nobleman (d. 1309) * Riccoldo da Monte di Croce, Italian missionary (d. 1320) * Roger-Bernard III, Count of Foix, Roger Bernard III, French nobleman and poet (d. 1302) * Zhenjin (or Chingkim), Mongolian prince (d. 1286)

Deaths

* January 17 – Herman V, Margrave of Baden-Baden, Herman V, German nobleman (b. 1180) * January 19 – Konoe Iezane, Japanese nobleman (b. 1179) * February 20 – Romano Bonaventura, Italian cardinal * March 10 – Pope Cyril III of Alexandria, Cyril III, patriarch of Alexandria (b. 1175) * April 25 – Boniface of Valperga, Italian monk and bishop * May 3 – Hawise of Chester, 1st Countess of Lincoln, Hawise of Chester, English noblewoman (b. 1180) * May 4 – Hubert de Burgh, 1st Earl of Kent, Hubert de Burgh, English Justiciar, Chief Justiciar (b. 1170) * May 7 – Hugh d'Aubigny, 5th Earl of Arundel, Hugh d'Aubigny, English nobleman and knight * June 4 – Constance of Austria, Margravine of Meissen, Constance, margravine of Margravate of Meissen, Meissen (b. 1212) * June 26 – Dardin Shervashidze, Georgian nobleman * August 16 – Stepan Tverdislavich, Russian posadnik * October 15 – Hedwig of Silesia, Polish duchess (b. 1174) * October 26 – Bernat Calbó (or Calvó), Catalan bishop * Ermengol IX, Count of Urgell, Ermengol IX, Catalan nobleman and child ruler (b. 1235) * Fujiwara no Reishi, Japanese empress consort (b. 1185) * Haymo of Faversham, English priest and philosopher * Indravarman II, Cambodian ruler of the Khmer Empire * Maol Eoin Ó Crechain, Irish priest and archdeacon * Margaret of Burgundy, Countess of Savoy, Margaret of Burgundy, countess of Savoy (b. 1192) * Umm Assa'd bint Isam al-Himyari, Arab female poet

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:1243 1243, 1243