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medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture We know about Rigobert principally from his late ninth-century Vita (BHL 7253) and from matter in Flodoard of Reims' _Historia Remensis ecclesiae_ not deriving from that Vita (both writers were cathedral canons at Reims and the Vita was certainly known to Flodoard). According to these sources, Rigobert was an abbot of Orbais who became bishop of Reims in 689 or 690, reformed the cathedral chapter, renovated the cathedral's buildings, and obtained from king Dagobert III an immunity from royal exactions. He ruled for thirty years before being removed from his see by Charles Martel for failure to support his campaign against the Neustrian army that had invaded Austrasia after the death of Pepin of Héristal. After spending some time in Aquitaine Rigobert was allowed to retire to the royal residence at today's Gernicourt (Aisne) in Picardy, not far removed from Reims. His successor treated the elderly bishop with respect and occasionally allowed him to conduct services in the cathedral. Rigobert is thought to have died in about the year 743. In 864 archbishop Hincmar translated Rigobert's relics from a church at Gernicourt to Reims, in effect instituting his cult. Some period-pertinent images of St. Rigobert: a) as depicted in the later fourteenth-century Breviary of Charles V (ca. 1364-1370; Paris, BnF, ms. Latin Latin 1052, fol. 361r): http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b84525491/f641.item.zoom b) as depicted in an early fifteenth-century copy of the _Legenda aurea_ in its French-language version by Jean de Vignay followed by the _Festes nouvelles_ attributed to Jean Golein (ca. 1401-1425; Paris, BnF, ms. Français 242, fol. 320r): http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b8426005j/f657.item.zoom c) as twice depicted (second from left, at his consecration as bishop; at far right, celebrating Mass) in a later fifteenth-century Flemish miniature in a French-language version of the _Legenda aurea_ (ca. 1470; Mâcon, Médiathèque municipale, ms. 3, fol. 207r): http://www.enluminures.culture.fr/Wave/savimage/enlumine/irht6/IRHT_095382-p.jpg Best, John Dillon ********************************************************************** To join the list, send the message: subscribe medieval-religion YOUR NAME to: [log in to unmask] To send a message to the list, address it to: [log in to unmask] To leave the list, send the message: unsubscribe medieval-religion to: [log in to unmask] In order to report problems or to contact the list's owners, write to: [log in to unmask] For further information, visit our web site: http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/medieval-religion