The Social, Political, and Ecclesiastical Milieu of the Early Abbotsof La Chaise-Dieu, 1052-1184

286 Pages·2017·4.58 MB·French

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Dissertations Graduate College
8-2006
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Maureen M. O’Brien
Western Michigan University
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O’Brien, Maureen M., "Far From the Heart: The Social, Political, and Ecclesiastical Milieu of the Early
Abbotsof La Chaise-Dieu, 1052-1184" (2006). Dissertations. 973.
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Far From the Heart: The Social, Political, and Ecclesiastical Milieu of the Early Abbots
of La Chaise-Dieu, 1052-1184

by

Maureen M. O’Brien

A Dissertation
Submitted to the
Faculty of The Graduate College
in partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the
Degree of Doctor of Philosophy
Department of History

Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo, Michigan
August 2006
Far From the Heart: The Social, Political, and Ecclesiastical Milieu of the Early Abbots
of La Chaise-Dieu, 1052-1184

Maureen M. O’Brien, Ph.D.

Western Michigan University, 2006

This study examines the institutional development of the abbey of La Chaise-
Dieu, whose evolution depended upon its community of monks, its patrons, and its
response to the demands placed upon it by the society at large and the Church in general.
It examines these factors as they were managed by its first eight abbots by tracing the
development of their personal, social, political, and ecclesiastical networks in an effort to
identify how those interactions took place and why they took the forms they did. This
analysis rests on the examination of charters that were drawn up by the abbey and by its
secular and ecclesiastical advocates as well as on papal bulls generated in response to the
abbey’s needs and requests. This study follows three guiding principles that build on and
contrast with existing studies: 1) its focus on one particular foundation and its
dependents; 2) its focus on the era of eleventh and twelfth century monastic reform; and
3) its geographical focus on a monastic community in southern France. The examination
of external monastic relationships has until now been undertaken by scholars who
focused primarily on communities in northern France. By shifting the geographical focal
point south, to the Auvergne, this study provides an important point for comparative
analysis.
This study offers a new perspective from which to evaluate the history of
medieval monastic reform movements. La Chaise-Dieu, in contrast to northern monastic
communities, initially depended for its survival upon local support and local protection
primarily from strong episcopal advocates—themselves products of unique southern geo-
political conditions. As the community grew in size and influence, and established new
foundations in other locations, its relationships with its benefactors changed. La Chaise-
Dieu began to attract the attention of more diverse advocates, but the bishops in the
Massif Central, who had assumed comital powers in the absence of any secular rulers of
substance, remained its most important allies throughout this period.
UMI Number: 3235021
UMI Microform3235021
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Copyright by
Maureen M. O’Brien
2006
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

My most gracious thanks to all of those whom I am indebted can hardly be
expressed in a simple list of name. For all of those mentioned here, there are many more
who stand behind them. I wish to thank the staff at the Archives départementales de la
Haute-Loire in Le Puy, France. They were incredibly helpful in making documents
available to me. I thank the Department of History and the Graduate College at Western
Michigan University for funding my research while in France. I am indebted to Dr.
Marion Gray and Candy List both for their continued support and encouragement and for
their efforts to make departmental resources available to me.
I wish to thank my committee for their careful reading and thoughtful comments
on earlier drafts: thanks to Professors Larry Simon and George Beech, Brother Thomas
Sullivan, and most especially my chair, Professor E. Rozanne Elder. To Professor Elder
especially, thank you. She first introduced me to the Casadéens, offered encouragement,
criticism, and moral support throughout this project. I would never have made it this far
without her. Many other scholars have offered advice and assistance along the way,
including Father Hugh Feiss, and two gentlemen scholars to whom I am also indebted but
will never be able to thank, Professors Otto Gründler and Tom Amos.
My thanks too to my family, especially my parents Frank and Mary O’Brien, who
have supported me throughout this long process; thanks to my friends, especially Dr.
Michael Martin, Bridget Fountain, and Pat Hanavan who have encouraged me and
assisted me in innumerable ways. And finally, merci infiniment à mon mari, Michel
Tchang.

Maureen M. O’Brien
ii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDMENTS…………………………………………………………... ii
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS....………………………………………………….. vi
LIST OF MAPS AND TABLE……………………………....………………….... vii
INTRODUCTION..................................................................................................... 1
CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION................................................................. 2
The Question: Nobility and the Church................................................. 3
The Auvergne: A Geopolitical Overview.............................................. 8
The Casadéens: Auvergnat Expansion—Within and Beyond................ 17
The Sources: Unpublished and Published Documents, and Studies....... 23
PART ONE: THE FOUNDATION.......................................................................... 32
CHAPTER II: ROBERT OF TURLANDE (1052-1067)............................ 33
Robert’s Career....................................................................................... 37
La Chaise-Dieu’s Benefactors................................................................ 51
Conclusions............................................................................................. 62
PART TWO: EXPANSION BEYOND THE MASSIF CENTRAL....................... 66
CHAPTER III: DURAND (1067-1078)....................................................... 67
Durand’s Career....................................................................................... 72
La Chaise-Dieu’s Benefactor................................................................... 79
Conclusions............................................................................................. 86

iii
Table of Contents—Continued
PART THREE: FRANCE AND BEYOND INTO SPAIN AND ITALY.............. 90
CHAPTER IV: SEGUIN OF ESCOTAY (1078-1094)............................... 91
Seguin’s Career....................................................................................... 94
Marbod of Rennes’s Vita Roberti............................................................ 107
La Chaise-Dieu’s Benefactors................................................................. 112
Conclusions............................................................................................ 124
CHAPTER V: PONS OF TOURNON (1094-1102)..................................... 126
Pons’ Career............................................................................................. 129
La Chaise-Dieu’s Benefactors................................................................. 140
Conclusions............................................................................................. 142
PART FOUR: FRANCE AND BEYOND INTO SWITZERLAND...................... 144
CHAPTER VI: AIMERIC (1102-1111)...................................................... 145
Aimeric’s Career...................................................................................... 146
La Chaise-Dieu’s Benefactors................................................................. 159
Conclusions............................................................................................. 159
CHAPTER VII: STEPHEN OF MERCOEUR (1111-1146)........................ 162
Stephen’s Career...................................................................................... 164
Conclusions............................................................................................. 189
CHAPTER VIII: JORDAN OF MONTBOISSIER (1146-1157)................. 193
Jordan’s Career........................................................................................ 198
La Chaise-Dieu’s Benefactors................................................................. 206
iv
Table of Contents—Continued
PART FOUR
Conclusions............................................................................................. 207
CONCLUSION......................................................................................................... 209
CHAPTER IX: CONCLUSION.................................................................... 210
La Chaise-Dieu’s Geopolitical Landscape.............................................. 210
External Relationships............................................................................. 213
Final Analysis.......................................................................................... 222
Contributions........................................................................................... 229
BIBLIOGRAPHY...................................................................................................... 232

v