St. Medard's Abbey, Soissons
Encyclopedia
The Abbey of St. Medard, Soissons, was a Benedictine monastery, at one time held to be the greatest in France
.
on his manor of Crouy, near the villa of Syagrius
, just outside the then boundaries of Soissons
to house the remains of Saint Medard, the legend being that during the funeral procession the bier came to a standstill at Crouy and was impossible to move until the king had made a gift of the whole estate for the foundation of the abbey.
Besides Saint Medard, kings Clotaire I and Sigebert I
were also buried here. In 751 Childeric III
was deposed here, and Pippin the Short crowned. Richard Gerberding, the modern editor of Liber Historiae Francorum
places its anonymous author here, ca 727.
Hilduin
, abbot from 822 to 830, obtained in 826 from Pope Eugene II
relics of Saint Sebastian and Saint Gregory the Great, and also succeeded in obtaining the transfer to the abbey of the relics of Saint Godehard and Saint Remigius
. He rebuilt the church, which was consecrated on 27 August 841, in the presence of Charles the Bald
and seventy-two prelates; the king himself assisted in carrying the body of Saint Medard into the new church.
In 833 Louis the Pious
was imprisoned and underwent a public penance here.
In 1131 Pope Innocent II
reconsecrated the rebuilt church and granted those visiting it indulgence
s known as "Saint Medard's pardons".
The wealth of the abbey was immense. In the 12th century the community owned about two hundred and twenty fiefs. The abbey also minted coins.
Its wealth remained into the 16th century but the Wars of Religion
ruined it, and although it was restored in 1637, it never regained its former stature. The abbey was dissolved in the French Revolution
.
The buildings had disappeared by the beginning of the 20th century, except for the still extant but almost forgotten crypt of about 840.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
History
The abbey was founded in 557 by Clotaire IClotaire I
Chlothar I , called the Old , King of the Franks, was one of the four sons of Clovis. He was born circa 497, in Soissons .-Life:...
on his manor of Crouy, near the villa of Syagrius
Syagrius
Syagrius was the last Roman official in Gaul, whose defeat by king Clovis I of the Franks is considered the end of Roman rule outside of Italy. He came to this position through inheritance, for his father was Aegidius, the last Roman magister militum per Gallias...
, just outside the then boundaries of Soissons
Soissons
Soissons is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France, located on the Aisne River, about northeast of Paris. It is one of the most ancient towns of France, and is probably the ancient capital of the Suessiones...
to house the remains of Saint Medard, the legend being that during the funeral procession the bier came to a standstill at Crouy and was impossible to move until the king had made a gift of the whole estate for the foundation of the abbey.
Besides Saint Medard, kings Clotaire I and Sigebert I
Sigebert I
Sigebert I was the king of Austrasia from the death of his father in 561 to his own death. He was the third surviving son out of four of Clotaire I and Ingund...
were also buried here. In 751 Childeric III
Childeric III
Childeric III was the last King of the Franks in the Merovingian dynasty from 743 to his deposition by Pope Zachary in March 752...
was deposed here, and Pippin the Short crowned. Richard Gerberding, the modern editor of Liber Historiae Francorum
Liber Historiae Francorum
Liber historiae Francorum is a book that briefly starts as secondary source for early Franks in the time of Marcomer, and it gives a short breviarum of events until the time of the late Merovingians, where it becomes an important primary source of the contemporaneous history...
places its anonymous author here, ca 727.
Hilduin
Hilduin
Hilduin was Bishop of Paris, chaplain to Louis I, reforming Abbot of the Abbey of St. Denis and an author.-Background:...
, abbot from 822 to 830, obtained in 826 from Pope Eugene II
Pope Eugene II
Pope Eugene II, , pope was a native of Rome and was chosen to succeed Paschal I. Another candidate, Zinzinnus, was proposed by the plebeian faction, and the presence of Lothair I, son of the Frankish emperor Louis the Pious was necessary in order to maintain the authority of the new pope...
relics of Saint Sebastian and Saint Gregory the Great, and also succeeded in obtaining the transfer to the abbey of the relics of Saint Godehard and Saint Remigius
Saint Remigius
Saint Remigius, Remy or Remi, , was Bishop of Reims and Apostle of the Franks, . On 24 December 496 he baptised Clovis I, King of the Franks...
. He rebuilt the church, which was consecrated on 27 August 841, in the presence of Charles the Bald
Charles the Bald
Charles the Bald , Holy Roman Emperor and King of West Francia , was the youngest son of the Emperor Louis the Pious by his second wife Judith.-Struggle against his brothers:He was born on 13 June 823 in Frankfurt, when his elder...
and seventy-two prelates; the king himself assisted in carrying the body of Saint Medard into the new church.
In 833 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...
was imprisoned and underwent a public penance here.
In 1131 Pope Innocent II
Pope Innocent II
Pope Innocent II , born Gregorio Papareschi, was pope from 1130 to 1143, and was probably one of the clergy in personal attendance on the antipope Clement III .-Early years:...
reconsecrated the rebuilt church and granted those visiting it indulgence
Indulgence
In Catholic theology, an indulgence is the full or partial remission of temporal punishment due for sins which have already been forgiven. The indulgence is granted by the Catholic Church after the sinner has confessed and received absolution...
s known as "Saint Medard's pardons".
The wealth of the abbey was immense. In the 12th century the community owned about two hundred and twenty fiefs. The abbey also minted coins.
Its wealth remained into the 16th century but the Wars of Religion
French Wars of Religion
The French Wars of Religion is the name given to a period of civil infighting and military operations, primarily fought between French Catholics and Protestants . The conflict involved the factional disputes between the aristocratic houses of France, such as the House of Bourbon and House of Guise...
ruined it, and although it was restored in 1637, it never regained its former stature. The abbey was dissolved in the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
.
The buildings had disappeared by the beginning of the 20th century, except for the still extant but almost forgotten crypt of about 840.
Abbots
The abbots of St. Medard's included:- Saint Arnold of SoissonsArnold of SoissonsArnold of Soissons or Arnold or Arnulf of Oudenburg is a saint of the Roman Catholic Church, the patron saint of hop-pickers and Belgian brewers....
, who in 1081 became Bishop of Soissons; - Saint Gerald of Sauve-MajeureGerald of Sauve-MajeureSaint Gerald of Sauve-Majeure , also known, from his place of origin, as Gerald of Corbie, was a Benedictine abbot.-Life:...
, late 11th century; - Cardinal de Bernis, commendatory abbotCommendatory abbotA commendatory abbot is an ecclesiastic, or sometimes a layman, who holds an abbey in commendam, drawing its revenues but not exercising any authority over its inner monastic discipline...
from 1756