Benedict of Aniane
Encyclopedia
Saint Benedict of Aniane (c. 747 – 11 February 821), born Witiza and called the Second Benedict, was a Benedictine monk and monastic reformer, who left a large imprint on the religious practice of the Carolingian Empire
. His feast day is February 11.
According to Ardo
, Benedict's biographer, the saint was the son of a Visigoth
, Aigulf, Count of Maguelonne (Magalonensis comes) in 752. Originally given the Gothic
name Witiza, he was educated at the Frankish court of Pippin the Younger
, and entered the royal service. He served at the court of Charlemagne
, and took part in the Italian
campaign of Charlemagne
in 773 where he almost drowned in the Ticino
near Pavia
while trying to save his brother. He later left the court to become a monk
. He was received into the monastery of Saint Sequanus (Saint-Seine
).
Around 780, he founded a monastic community based on Eastern asceticism at Aniane
in Languedoc. This community did not develop as he had intended. In 782, he founded another monastery based on Benedictine Rule, at the same location. His success there gave him considerable influence, which he used to found and reform a number of other monasteries, and eventually becoming the effective abbot of all the monasteries of Charlemagne's empire.
He was the head of a council of abbots which in 817 at Aachen
created a code of regulations, or "Codex regularum", which would be binding on all their houses. Shortly thereafter, he compiled a "Concordia regularum". Although these new codes fell into disuse shortly after the deaths of Benedict and his patron
, Emperor Louis the Pious
, they did have lasting effects on Western monasticism.
Louis built Maursmünster Abbey as a model abbey for Benedict in Alsace. Benedict died at Kornelimünster Abbey
, a monastery Louis had built for him to serve as the base for Benedict's supervisory work.
Other treatises (loc. cit., 1381 sqq.) ascribed to him are probably not authentic.
Carolingian Empire
Carolingian Empire is a historiographical term which has been used to refer to the realm of the Franks under the Carolingian dynasty in the Early Middle Ages. This dynasty is seen as the founders of France and Germany, and its beginning date is based on the crowning of Charlemagne, or Charles the...
. His feast day is February 11.
According to Ardo
Ardo Smaragdus
Ardo Smaragdus was a hagiographer. He entered the monastery of Aniane, in Hérault, as a boy, and was brought up by Saint Benedict of Aniane. He was ordained a priest and made head of the monastery school....
, Benedict's biographer, the saint was the son of a Visigoth
Visigoth
The Visigoths were one of two main branches of the Goths, the Ostrogoths being the other. These tribes were among the Germans who spread through the late Roman Empire during the Migration Period...
, Aigulf, Count of Maguelonne (Magalonensis comes) in 752. Originally given the Gothic
Gothic language
Gothic is an extinct Germanic language that was spoken by the Goths. It is known primarily from the Codex Argenteus, a 6th-century copy of a 4th-century Bible translation, and is the only East Germanic language with a sizable Text corpus...
name Witiza, he was educated at the Frankish court of Pippin the Younger
Pippin the Younger
Pepin , called the Short or the Younger , rarely the Great , was the first King of the Franks of the Carolingian dynasty...
, and entered the royal service. He served at the court of Charlemagne
Charlemagne
Charlemagne was King of the Franks from 768 and Emperor of the Romans from 800 to his death in 814. He expanded the Frankish kingdom into an empire that incorporated much of Western and Central Europe. During his reign, he conquered Italy and was crowned by Pope Leo III on 25 December 800...
, and took part in the Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
campaign of Charlemagne
Charlemagne
Charlemagne was King of the Franks from 768 and Emperor of the Romans from 800 to his death in 814. He expanded the Frankish kingdom into an empire that incorporated much of Western and Central Europe. During his reign, he conquered Italy and was crowned by Pope Leo III on 25 December 800...
in 773 where he almost drowned in the Ticino
Ticino River
The river Ticino is a left-bank tributary of the Po River. It has given its name to the Swiss canton through which its upper portion flows.-The course:...
near Pavia
Pavia
Pavia , the ancient Ticinum, is a town and comune of south-western Lombardy, northern Italy, 35 km south of Milan on the lower Ticino river near its confluence with the Po. It is the capital of the province of Pavia. It has a population of c. 71,000...
while trying to save his brother. He later left the court to become a monk
Monk
A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
. He was received into the monastery of Saint Sequanus (Saint-Seine
Saint-Seine-l'Abbaye
Saint-Seine-l'Abbaye is a commune in the Côte-d'Or department in eastern France.It is also a place steeped in history with its archaeological sites, the goddess Sequana; nymph Sources close to the Seine and Alesia, the remnants of its ancient abbey, the abbey church, a jewel of Gothic art...
).
Around 780, he founded a monastic community based on Eastern asceticism at Aniane
Aniane
Aniane is a commune in the Hérault department in the Languedoc-Roussillon region in southern France.-Population:-See also:* Benedict of Aniane* Pont du Diable, Hérault* Mas de Daumas Gassac*Communes of the Hérault department...
in Languedoc. This community did not develop as he had intended. In 782, he founded another monastery based on Benedictine Rule, at the same location. His success there gave him considerable influence, which he used to found and reform a number of other monasteries, and eventually becoming the effective abbot of all the monasteries of Charlemagne's empire.
He was the head of a council of abbots which in 817 at Aachen
Aachen
Aachen has historically been a spa town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Aachen was a favoured residence of Charlemagne, and the place of coronation of the Kings of Germany. Geographically, Aachen is the westernmost town of Germany, located along its borders with Belgium and the Netherlands, ...
created a code of regulations, or "Codex regularum", which would be binding on all their houses. Shortly thereafter, he compiled a "Concordia regularum". Although these new codes fell into disuse shortly after the deaths of Benedict and his patron
Patrón
Patrón is a luxury brand of tequila produced in Mexico and sold in hand-blown, individually numbered bottles.Made entirely from Blue Agave "piñas" , Patrón comes in five varieties: Silver, Añejo, Reposado, Gran Patrón Platinum and Gran Patrón Burdeos. Patrón also sells a tequila-coffee blend known...
, Emperor Louis the Pious
Louis the Pious
Louis the Pious , also called the Fair, and the Debonaire, was the King of Aquitaine from 781. He was also King of the Franks and co-Emperor with his father, Charlemagne, from 813...
, they did have lasting effects on Western monasticism.
Louis built Maursmünster Abbey as a model abbey for Benedict in Alsace. Benedict died at Kornelimünster Abbey
Kornelimünster Abbey
Kornelimünster Abbey is a Benedictine monastery in Kornelimünster, since 1972 a part of Aachen , in North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany.- First foundation :...
, a monastery Louis had built for him to serve as the base for Benedict's supervisory work.
Works
- For Benedict's writings, see Codex regularum monasticarum et canonicarum in Patrologia LatinaPatrologia LatinaThe Patrologia Latina is an enormous collection of the writings of the Church Fathers and other ecclesiastical writers published by Jacques-Paul Migne between 1844 and 1855, with indices published between 1862 and 1865....
, CIII, 393-702; - Concordia regularum, loc. cit;
- Letters, loc. cit., 703-1380.
Other treatises (loc. cit., 1381 sqq.) ascribed to him are probably not authentic.
- Ardo SmaragdusArdo SmaragdusArdo Smaragdus was a hagiographer. He entered the monastery of Aniane, in Hérault, as a boy, and was brought up by Saint Benedict of Aniane. He was ordained a priest and made head of the monastery school....
, Life, op. cit., CIII, 353 sqq.; - Monumenta Germaniae HistoricaMonumenta Germaniae HistoricaThe Monumenta Germaniae Historica is a comprehensive series of carefully edited and published sources for the study of German history from the end of the Roman Empire to 1500.The society sponsoring the series was established by the Prussian reformer Heinrich Friedrich Karl Freiherr vom...
: Script., XV, I, 200-220; - Acta SanctorumActa SanctorumActa Sanctorum is an encyclopedic text in 68 folio volumes of documents examining the lives of Christian saints, in essence a critical hagiography, which is organised according to each saint's feast day. It begins with two January volumes, published in 1643, and ended with the Propylaeum to...
, Feb., II, 606 sqq.; - NICOLAI, Der hl. Benedict, Gründer von Aniane und Cornelimünster (Cologne, 1865);
- PAULINIER, S. Benoit d'Aniane et la fondation du monastere de ce nom (Montpellier, 1871);
- FOSS, Benedikt von Aniane (Berlin, 1884);
- PUCKERT, Aniane und Gellone (Leipzig, 1899);
- HAUCK, Kirchengesch. Deutschlands (2nd ed., Leipzig, 1900), II, 575 sqq.;
- BUTLER, Lives of the Saints, 12 Feb.