Ansoald (Bishop of Poitiers)

Ansoald is known from a number of medieval historical sources : for example, from contemporary legal documents and hagiographic literature . Including, it is reported in the " Acts of the Bishops of Cambrai " and the lives of the holy times of the Merovingians ^{[1] [2]} .

The origin of Ansoald is not exactly known. It is only mentioned that he was a relative of Saint Leodegar of Otensky , Bishop of Poitiers Dido , Count and several other church and secular people who lived in Aquitaine and Burgundy ^{[3] [4] [5] [6] [7]} . It is believed that Ansoald could have been born between 600 and 610 ^[8] .

In modern Ansoaldo sources there is no evidence of his life until receiving the episcopal dignity. However, in the writings of later authors it is reported that Ansoald was the court of the King of the Franks of Dagobert I , and that this monarch sent him to the ruler of the Langobard kingdom Arioald in 631. Ansoald complied with the order of Dagobert I and agreed with the king of the Lombards on joint actions against the Slavs subject to them ^{[6] [8]} . It is possible that Ansoald is identical to Aimoin from Fleury mentioned in the History of the Franks of the same name "defensor of the Pictavian Diocese." According to the testimony of this author, a certain hermit John told Ansoald about his vision of the torment of King Dagobert I , who was punished by God for the ruin of Christian churches, and about the subsequent miraculous salvation of the soul of this king ^{[9] [10]} . It is likely that Ansoald later took the tonsure and worked in one of the monasteries near Poitiers . Some authors believe that Ansoald lived in the abbey at the and was even the abbot here ^[11] .

Perhaps by that time, evidence of support provided by Ansoald to Saint Eligius of Noyon in a property dispute with the descendants of the mayor of Neustria Erhinoald dates back to that time ^[12] .

The first reliable news of Ansoald dates back to the time when he was already bishop of Poitiers. Most likely, he replaced his relative Didon at the episcopal department ^{[2] [8] [13] [14] [15]} , the last evidence of which is dated March 1, 669 or 670 ^{[2] [8]} . However, it is possible that Didme's immediate successor was Emmeram , who soon abandoned the episcopal dignity to participate in the Christianization of the Bavars ^[16] . It is believed that Ansoald could become bishop of Poitiers in 674 or 676 ^{[K 1] [2] [8] [18]} . At the end of the 7th century, the head of the diocese of Poitiers was the metropolitan of the church diocese , in whose subordination there were several suffragans (including the head of the Diocese of Angouleme ) ^[19] .

For the first time, Ansoald is referred to in contemporary documents as Bishop of Poitiers in 677, when he signed a donation charter to Abbot Philibert , giving him land for the foundation of the monastery of . Since the previous year, Philibert was expelled by Ebroin from Zhumyezh Abbey , it is likely that Ansoald was an opponent of the Mayordom of Neustria. In the next few years, Bishop Poitiers put a lot of effort into setting up a new monastery. In particular, the church of St. Mary ^{[2] [6] [12] [20] [21] [22] [23] [24] [25]} was built at Noarmouthier with funds allocated by Ansoald.

Around 680, Ansoald honorably received in Poitiers a group of monks from the "Scottia" ( Ireland or Scotland ) led by Roman , and settled them in the desolate monastery of Maserola ^{[26] [27]} . When the Roman appointed rector died, Matserolla was again abandoned, and her brothers went to other monasteries. One of the monks of this monastery, Tomenius , later, with the consent of Ansoald, became bishop of Angouleme ^[19] . According to church tradition, together with Philibert in 682, Ansoald founded another monastery in ^[28] . However, this information is doubtful, since the first reliable evidence of the existence of this abbey dates back to the 11th century ^[29] . Ansoald is also considered the founder of the in ^[30] and the abbey of the Virgin Mary in ^[31] . With the consent of the bishop, Saint Ashar was elected the abbot of the second of them, who later became the head priest of the Zhumierzh Abbey . All these monasteries were inhabited by Benedictines , and Ansoald carefully controlled that the monastic brethren strictly abided by the charter of St. Benedict. ^[22]

In March 682, Ansoald carried out the transfer of the relics of Leodegarium, who was killed several years ago on the orders of Mayor Ebroin. The remains of the saint were also claimed by Bishop Otuna Ermenarius and Bishop Arras Vinditsian . To resolve this dispute, a synod was convened, in which a large number of spiritual and secular persons took part, including King Theodorich III . However, the fact that the relics will go to Ansoald, determined only by lot. In The , it is reported that a solemn procession consisting of many clergy and laity on the way to Poitiers passed through Chartres and Tours , and everywhere its arrival was accompanied by numerous miracles. The relics of Leodegari were placed in the in the care of the abbot Andulf ^{[3] [4] [6] [7] [14] [34] [35] [36] [37] [38] [39] [40 ]} .

In May 685 or 686, Ansoald participated in the Frankish state in Compiegne . Here he, as a witness, signed the donation charter of Archbishop Reims Regulus ^[41] .

Ansoald later participated in the church cathedral , assembled with the consent of the Frankish king Theodorich III in Rouen . The exact date of the synod is unknown: it dates from 687 to 692 years. The cathedral was attended by sixteen bishops (including , Regulus of Reims, and ) and four abbots. Participants in the synod of the Fontennel Abbey fraternity were granted privileges on the condition that they strictly abide by the Benedictine rules ^{[14] [35] [42] [43] [44] [45]} .

The following document reporting Ansoald is dated 688. Two charters of the Frankish monarchs are known, among other persons signed by Ansoald: the gift in Valenciennes of the gift of King Hlodwig IV of February 28, 693 and given in Compiegne of the gift of King Hildebert III of March 14, 696 or 697. On March 6, 696, Ansoald participated in the church council in Chartres, where he witnessed the donation charter of the local bishop Aguira ^{[2] [45] [46] [47]} .

According to church sources, at the behest of Ansoald, the Baptistery of St. John was preserved in Poitiers. However, according to archaeological data, the bishop only restored and expanded the Christian temple that existed here since Roman times , using its walls as the basis for a new building ^{[48] [49] [50]} .

A fragment of the will of Ansoald ^{[2] [45] [47] [51] has been} preserved. In particular, it says that the bishop founded the first xenodochy in Poitiers for twelve people and provided him with everything necessary ^{[6] [17] [45] [52]} . Under Ansoald, a mint existed in Poitiers. Several deniers are known that were made here at the end of the 7th century by the monetary Godolike ^[53] .

Documents dated 696 or 697 are the latest evidence of Ansoald. Perhaps he died shortly afterwards, and was buried in one of the churches of Poitiers ^{[2] [6] [45] [47]} .

Ansoald is the most influential hierarch of Aquitaine of his time ^[45] . Memories of the times of Ansoald as the heyday of religious life in Poitou for many years remained among the local clergy. For example, the anonymous author of the Saint-Mexican Chronicle , who wrote in the 12th century, highly praised the activities of Ansoald, especially praising the bishop’s joy for the well-being of the monasteries under his jurisdiction. Ansoald’s contemporary, , dedicated the bishop of Poitiers to his life written by Saint Leodegarius. Nevertheless, unlike many of his contemporaries, Ansoald was never ranked as a saint ^{[2] [7] [47]} .

In the medieval lists of the bishops of Poitiers, the successor of Ansoald is the Diocese , which is also mentioned in a document dated 794 ^{[2] [13] [14] [15] [45] [54]} .

• Longueval J. Histoire de l'église gallicane dédiée à Nosseigneurs du clergé . - Paris: Bureau de la Bibliothèque Catholique, 1826 .-- T. V. - 620 p.
• Auber CA Histoire générale, civile, religieuse et littéraire du Poitou . - Fontenay-le-Comte, Poitiers: Imprimerie L.-P. Gourard, Libraire Bonamy, 1887 .-- T. III. - 520 p.
• Chamard F. Histoire Ecclésiastique du Poitou . - Société des antiquaires de l'Ouest. Auteur du texte. Mémoires de la Société des antiquaires de l'Ouest. - Poitiers: Fradet, 1889. - 544 p.
• Ansoald // Dictionnaire d'histoire et de géographie ecclésiastiques . - Paris: Letouzey et Ané, 1924 .-- T. III. - Col. 504-505.