medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Theofredus (d. 8th cent.?; in French: Théofrède, Chaffre) is the principal saint of the former monastery of Calmeliacum in Aquitania that came to be called after him and whose town, once Carmery-en-Velay, is now Le Monastier-sur-Gazeille (Haute-Loire). Virtually nothing reliable is known about him. According to his legendary Vita prima (BHL 8102; based in large part upon the Vita of St. Meneleus of Ménat), he was a highly born native of Orange whose uncle St. Eudo (Eudes) was the first abbot at Calmeliacum. The virtuous Theofredus became a monk of that house and was elected abbot after Eudo's passing. During a Muslim raid in the area he insisted that the brothers should leave, taking with them the monastery's portable possessions.
Theofredus stayed behind. When the raiders arrived, finding no loot they beat Theofredus severely in the hope that he would reveal to them the brothers' hiding place. He refused to do so, whereupon the chief of the raiders hurled a huge rock at the saint, striking him on the head. Theofredus collapsed. A huge roar arose and the earth shook; the raiders fled in horror before a dark, lightning-filled cloud and were swept away by a whirlwind. Realizing that their abbot had freed them from their peril, the brothers returned to the monastery. Theofredus died of his injury seven days later. Thus far the Vita.
Theofredus' cult spread regionally in southern France, primarily in today's Haute-Loire, Ardèche, and Isère, and also in Piedmont, where the abbey of St. Chaffre, as it came to be called, had fourteen possessions in 1179. A multi-page, illustrated, French-language site on the abbey is here:
http://www.abbatialedumonastier.fr/
Other illustrated, French-language pages:
http://www.patrimoine-ardeche.com/visites/monastier.htm
http://3ascm.vogaweb.com/histoire.html
An aerial view of the église abbatiale Saint-Chaffre in Le Monastier-sur-Gazeille (Haute-Loire) and two views of its originally eleventh-century facade:
http://www.abbatialedumonastier.fr/abbatiale.jpg
http://storage.canalblog.com/60/09/261616/21792046.jpg
http://tinyurl.com/6a4pty
View of the interior:
http://storage.canalblog.com/34/55/261616/21790117.jpg
http://tinyurl.com/z7gs3c7
http://tinyurl.com/hxbtk4a
http://tinyurl.com/j8j34u8
Many other views of the church are here (grayscale):
http://tinyurl.com/2fntbxd
Today (18. November) is Theofredus' day of commemoration in the Roman Martyrology. Tomorrow (19. November) is his feast day in the diocese of Puy-en-Velay.
St. Theofredus of Calmeliacum as portrayed in his eleventh-century reliquary bust (silver-gilt over wood) in the église abbatiale Saint-Chaffre in Le Monastier-sur-Gazeille:
http://www.patrimoine-ardeche.com/visites/images/monastier05.jpg
http://storage.canalblog.com/05/02/261616/21789477.jpg
http://leblogdumesnil.e.l.f.unblog.fr/files/2012/07/DSC00736-Copie.jpg
Best,
John Dillon
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