Abbo of Provence
Encyclopedia
Abbo was the Patrician of Provence in opposition to Maurontus
in the 730s. He was also rector
of Maurienne
and Susa
. Abbo came from the family of Waldelenus in the Besançon
. They controlled the Alpine
passes of Susa
, Embrun
, and Gap
.
Abbo assisted Charles Martel
and Childebrand
in campaigning against Maurontus in 736 and 739 in the lower Rhône Valley. After Maurontus was forced to hide in the Alps, Abbo was appointed patricius and showered with lands confiscated from the defeated. Though Abbo had not aligned with the Arnulfings until relatively late, his lack of heirs assured his quick rise to power. When he died, by his will, all of his possessions went to his monastic foundation (726, dedicated to Saint Peter
), Novalesa Abbey
in the Piedmont
.
Abbo's will is of immense historical interest for what it indicates about life in Provence in the early eighth century. It mentions, for example, that Abbo held lands by conquest, but very few fortresses, that he had Frankish and Gallo-Roman underlings in a variety of nonfeudal to semifeudal relationships, and that the legal system which the Franks used in that region was almost entirely Roman in character.
Maurontus
Maurontus or Maurontius was the Duke or Patrician of Provence in the early eighth century . He aspired to independence in the face of Charles Martel, Duke of the Franks, and the Provençal patrician Abbo....
in the 730s. He was also rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
of Maurienne
Maurienne
Maurienne is one of the provinces of Savoy, corresponding to the arrondissement of Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne in France. It is also the original name of the capital of the province, now Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne.-Location:...
and Susa
March of Turin
The county or march of Turin was founded in 941 by Hugh of Italy, who appointed Arduin Glaber as its governor. Arduin had captured Turin and the Susa Valley from the Saracens...
. Abbo came from the family of Waldelenus in the Besançon
Besançon
Besançon , is the capital and principal city of the Franche-Comté region in eastern France. It had a population of about 237,000 inhabitants in the metropolitan area in 2008...
. They controlled the Alpine
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
passes of Susa
Susa, Italy
Susa is a city and comune in Piedmont, Italy. It is situated on at the confluence of the Cenischia with the Dora Riparia, a tributary of the Po River, at the foot of the Cottian Alps, 51 km west of Turin.-History:...
, Embrun
Embrun, Hautes-Alpes
Embrun is a commune in the Hautes-Alpes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.-Description:...
, and Gap
Gap, Hautes-Alpes
Gap is a commune in southeastern France, the capital of the Hautes-Alpes department.-Geography:An Alpine crossroads at the intersection of D994 and Route nationale 85 the Route Napoléon, Gap lies above sea level along the right bank of the Luye River...
.
Abbo assisted Charles Martel
Charles Martel
Charles Martel , also known as Charles the Hammer, was a Frankish military and political leader, who served as Mayor of the Palace under the Merovingian kings and ruled de facto during an interregnum at the end of his life, using the title Duke and Prince of the Franks. In 739 he was offered the...
and Childebrand
Childebrand
Childebrand was a Frankish duke , son of Pepin of Heristal and Alpaida, brother of Charles Martel. He married Emma of Austrasia and was given Burgundy by his father...
in campaigning against Maurontus in 736 and 739 in the lower Rhône Valley. After Maurontus was forced to hide in the Alps, Abbo was appointed patricius and showered with lands confiscated from the defeated. Though Abbo had not aligned with the Arnulfings until relatively late, his lack of heirs assured his quick rise to power. When he died, by his will, all of his possessions went to his monastic foundation (726, dedicated to Saint Peter
Saint Peter
Saint Peter or Simon Peter was an early Christian leader, who is featured prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. The son of John or of Jonah and from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee, his brother Andrew was also an apostle...
), Novalesa Abbey
Novalesa Abbey
Novalesa Abbey is a Benedictine monastery in Piedmont, Italy. It was founded in 726, and dedicated to Saint Peter and Saint Andrew.Novalesa is in the Val di Susa, on the route to the Mont Cenis Pass. The founder, Abbo of Provence, was a local Frankish governor. The abbey stands on the former Via...
in the Piedmont
Piedmont
Piedmont is one of the 20 regions of Italy. It has an area of 25,402 square kilometres and a population of about 4.4 million. The capital of Piedmont is Turin. The main local language is Piedmontese. Occitan is also spoken by a minority in the Occitan Valleys situated in the Provinces of...
.
Abbo's will is of immense historical interest for what it indicates about life in Provence in the early eighth century. It mentions, for example, that Abbo held lands by conquest, but very few fortresses, that he had Frankish and Gallo-Roman underlings in a variety of nonfeudal to semifeudal relationships, and that the legal system which the Franks used in that region was almost entirely Roman in character.
Sources
- Lewis, Archibald R. "The Dukes in the Regnum Francorum, A.D. 550-751." Speculum, Vol. 51, No 3 (July 1976), pp 381–410.
- Lewis, Archibald R. The Development of Southern French and Catalan Society, 718–1050. University of Texas Press: Austin, 1965.
- Geary, Patrick J. Before France and Germany. Oxford University Press: 1988.
- Geary, Patrick J. Aristocracy in Provence: The Rhône Basin at the Dawn of the Carolingian Age. University of Pennsylvania Press: Philadelphia, 1985.
- http://prosopographie-id.de/ab%20(726)%20P.htm (French)