Abbey of La Roë

Robert d'Arbrissel

The founder :

t all began in 1045 in Arbrissel, a small "breton" village in the Rennes diocese. His father was the parish priest of Arbrissel. In those days, secular clerks were allowed to live maritally, to have children and to pass on their office and benefits to one or more of their sons.
Robert d'Arbrissel, invested with the qualities of an archpriest by Sylvestre de la Guerche, bishop of Rennes, was asked to take on the task of introducing the gregorian reform to this diocese.

nfortunately, his protector, Sylvestre de la Guerche died and Robert had to flee Rennes to go to Angers to escape the wrath of a chapter hostile to the gregorian reform. In 1091, he opted for a hermit's life in the forest of Craon, but in no time at all he found himself surrounded by a host of the faithful for whom he founded his first Abbey : The Abbey of La Roë on the borders of Brittany and Anjou.
It was during pope Urbain the second's visit to Angers that 144 hectares of land were given by Renaud Le Bourguignon, lord of Craon, to Robert d'Arbrissel to found in 1096 his first Abbey. He was at the same time appointed "Apostolic preacher" by the pope.

obert went everywhere to preach and was followed by a large number of men and women of all ages and backgrounds. He created in 1101, not far from Saumur, his 2^nd Abbey - the Abbey of Fontevraud - for men and women. The new order was approved by pope Pascal II. The Abbey Church was built as well as five priories for each category of his disciples.
Pursuing his idea further, in 1115, he placed an abbess at the head of the Abbey and the order, even recommending that only a widow be elected abbess to ensure she had experience to look after not only the spiritual but also the temporal needs of the order.

very controversial "character", he disputed the religious teachings of the day and put women in a very prominent place. Robert died in 1116 at the priory of Orsan in the diocese of Bourges.
Petronille de Chemillé, first abbess of Fontevraud, had to "battle hard" to bring his body back to Fontevraud. Everybody was ready to fight to keep the body of the man they thought was a saint.

To be read :

	Robert of Arbrissel: A Medieval Religious Life (Medieval Texts in Translation) by Bruce L. Venarde Publisher : Robert (Editor), Bruce L. Venarde (Editor) Date of publishing : 11/01/2003 Back Cover: Gathering the major medieval sources for the first time in any modern language, Bruce L. Venarde traces Robert of Arbrissel's multifaceted life from humble origins to dramatic death and burial. Best known as the founder of fontevraud, a monastery for women and men in Western France, Robert of Arbrissel was a reformer, hermit, and preacher with a special mission to women. Hailed as a thunderclap of holy eloquence by some and castigated as a sponsor of sexual license by others, he was controversial in his own lifetime and remains so nearly a millennium later.
	L'IMPOSSIBLE SAINTETE, LA VIE RETROUVEE DE ROBERT D'ARBRISSEL by Jacques Dalarun Publisher : Le Cerf Date of publishing : 01/08/1985 Presentation : Broché - 100 g ISBN : 2204023809 - EAN : 9782204023801 French text
	ROBERT D'ARBRISSEL, FONDATEUR DE FONTEVRAUD by Jacques Dalarun Publisher : Albin Michel Collection : HISTORY Date of publishing : 01/01/2000 Presentation : Broché - 208 pages - 299 g - 14 cm x 22 cm ISBN : 2226026282 - EAN : 9782226026286 French text
	ROBERT D'ARBRISSEL by Ernest Menard Publisher : CHEMINEMENTS Collection : LA BIBLIOTHÈQUE DU VIEUX-LOGIS Date of publishing : 06/01/2004 Présentation : Broché - 805 g - 14 cm x 20 cm ISBN : 2844782914 - EAN : 9782844782915 French text
	Robert d'Arbrissel, fondateur de Fontevraud by Jacques Dalarun Publisher : Albin Michel Date of publishing : 01/31/1986 Collection : Essais Doc. Format : Broché - 206 pages - 15 cm x 23 cm ISBN : 2226026282 French text
	L'étonnant fondateur de Fontevraud, Robert d'Arbrissel by Jean-Marc Bienvenu Publisher : Nel - Nouvelles Editions Date of publishing : 09/23/1992 Format : 189 pages ISBN : 2723301494 French text
	Robert d'Arbrissel et la vie religieuse dans l'ouest de la France by Jacques Dalarun Collection : Disciplina Monastica. Publisher : Brepols Date of publishing : 01/01/2005 Format : Reliure inconnue - 21 cm x 27 cm ISBN : 2503515789 French text

Links:

http://lettrevolee.irht.cnrs.fr/robert.htm

http://www.abbaye-fontevraud.com/abbaye_ma.htm

http://www.culture.gouv.fr/culture/actualites/celebrations2001/fontevraud.htm

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