The will of Desiderius, bishop of Auxerre (ob. 614/627), includes donations to churches and monasteries in and around Auxerre, Sens, Cahors, and Toulouse (in northern and south-west Gaul), dedicated to 16 named saints or pairs of saints. Written in Latin at Auxerre (central Gaul), 605/627.
E05912
Documentary texts - Will
Will of Desiderius, bishop of Auxerre
Summary:
1) Desiderius leaves twenty-one landed estates (villae) or plots of land (agelli), mostly in the territory (pagus) of Auxerre but some in other places, to the basilica at Auxerre of *Stephen (the first martyr, S00030); this was the cathedral of Auxerre. One of these estates, Matriacus in the territory of Auxerre, is qualified as 'where he built houses and an oratory in honour of St Mimmius' (ubi ipse domos uel oratorium in honore sancti Mimmii construxit). Mimmius is a variant spelling for *Memmius (first bishop of Châlons-sur-Marne, S01285).
2) The basilica of *Germanus (bishop of Auxerre, S00455), the church 'where he [Desiderius] had ordered his own body to be buried' (ubi corpus suum sepeliri decreverat), is left various pieces of precious metal plate, of which detailed descriptions are given. Desiderius orders that when he is buried 'a hundred coins of the purest gold' are to be given to the church of Lord Germanus to pay for the decoration of his tomb (cum corpore suo simul deferri basilice Domni Germani centum solidos auri purissimi ad suam sepulturam exornandam). He also leaves the church eleven estates or plots of land.
3) Individual estates or plots of land are left to the following churches or monasteries at Auxerre: the basilica of *Amator (bishop of Auxerre, S01980); the basilica of the Apostles *Peter and *Paul (S00036 and S00008); the monastery founded by Germanus of Auxerre across the River Yonne, 'where the confessor Lord *Marianus (ascetic of Auxerre, S02175), of good memory, rests in the body' (ubi bone recordationis domnus Marianus confessor corpore requiescit); the basilica of *Julian (martyr of Brioude, S00035), 'where abbot Nigivaldus was in charge' (ubi Nigiualdus abba preerat); and 'the women's monastery which was built across the River Yonne in honour of Lord *Martin (of Tours, S00050)' (monasterio puellarum quod in honore domni Martini ultra fluuium lchaune est constructum).
4) Two estates are left to a church founded by Desiderius himself, dedicated to two pairs of martyrs, *Gervasius and Protasius (brothers and martyrs of Milan, S00313), and *Nazarius and Celsus (companion martyrs of Milan, S00281): 'the church of the holy lord martyrs Nazarius, Gervasius, Protasius, and the boy Celsus, which our deacon Marinus is building for our comfort, where we have also placed relics of the same martyrs' (basilice domnorum sanctorum martyrum Nazarii, Geruasii, Prothasii, et Celsi pueri, quam Marinus diaconus noster pro nostro solatio edificare uidetur, ubi etiam et reliquias eorundem martyrum condidimus).
5) An estate is left jointly to the basilicas in the city of Sens of *Columba (virgin and martyr of Sens, S01862) and *Leo (bishop of Sens, mid 6th c., S02306). Land is left to the basilica of 'Lord Ursicinus, once the disciple of the blessed Germanus' (domni Ursicini [...] beati Germani quondam discipuli); this is presumably *Ursicinus (bishop of Sens, 5th c., S02177).
6) Several estates are left to the basilica of *Amantius (bishop of Rodez, late 5th c., S00026), 'which is built in the territory of Cahors, for the support of the monks serving God there' (que est constructa in pago Cadurtino, ad stipendium monachorum ibidem Deo deservientium), and in which Desiderius' mother is buried. Another estate is divided, with two-thirds left to the basilica of Amantius, and one third to 'the basilica dedicated to the British (or Breton) saints (S02470), where they also rest in the body' (basilica que ad Sanctos Brictones dicitur, ubi et ipsi corpore quiescunt).
7) Two estates are left to the 'basilica of the holy martyr *Saturninus (bishop and martyr of Toulouse, S00289) which is built in the suburb of the city of Toulouse' (basilice sancti Saturnini martyris quae est constructa in suburbano Tolosane ciuitatis).
8) An estate is left to 'the senior church of Cahors' (seniori aecclesiae Cadurcine).
Text: Sot et al. 2002, 102-111.
Summary: David Lambert.
Cult building - independent (church)
Cult building - dependent (chapel, baptistery, etc.)
Cult building - monastic
Non Liturgical ActivityBequests, donations, gifts and offerings
RelicsUnspecified relic
Bodily relic - entire body
Protagonists in Cult and NarrativesEcclesiastics - bishops
Cult Related ObjectsPrecious material objects
Source
This will was drawn up by Bishop Desiderius of Auxerre (605-614/627), but survives because it was included in the 9th century historical compilation, The Deeds of the Bishops of Auxerre (Gesta pontificum Autissiodorensium).The Deeds of the Bishops of Auxerre was compiled at Auxerre shortly after 872, the year of the death of the last bishop included in the original version (Sot et al. 2002, viii), by two clerics named Alagus and Rainogala. Like its presumed model, the Liber pontificalis, it consists of entries for each bishop from the founder of the see down to the time of composition (further entries were added later). It reproduces numerous documents, including letters, administrative documents, liturgical documents, wills, and acts of church councils: presumably they were found by the compilers in the archives of the see or of local institutions such as the monastery of St Germanus.
Discussion
Desiderius (PCBE 4, 'Desiderius 15') became bishop of Auxerre in 605, in succession to Aunacharius. He is attested as attending the Council of Paris in 614; he died at an uncertain point between then and 627, when his successor Palladius is first attested in office. His will is partly quoted and partly summarised in his entry in the Deeds of the Bishops of Auxerre. Although this work was compiled in the later 9th century, there is no reason to doubt the general reliability of its representation of Desiderius' will. The will of Desiderius provides a glimpse into the range of saints commemorated in Auxerre, and to a lesser extent three other cities, Sens, Cahors, and Toulouse.Auxerre
Some of the churches in Auxerre are well-known and widely attested, such as the cathedral, dedicated to Stephen, the basilica of Germanus, the basilica of Amator, and the monastery founded by Germanus, for which Desiderius also notes the presence of the ascetic Marianus. He also mentions churches dedicated to Peter and Paul and to Julian of Brioude, and a women's monastery dedicated to Martin of Tours. All these establishments are mentioned in the list of litanies and vigils compiled under his predecessor, Aunacharius (E05911). Desiderius mentions two churches he had established himself. One was an oratory dedicated to Memmius of Châlons on one of the estates Desiderius disposed of near Auxerre, the other a basilica in Auxerre dedicated to two pairs of saints, both from northern Italy: Gervasius and Protasius, and Nazarius and Celsus. For further discussion, see Picard 1992, 53-65.
Sens
Desiderius leaves property to three churches in and around Sens, the city immediately to the north of Auxerre (and which was its metropolitan see). Two of these were within the city, one dedicated to the pre-Constantinian martyr Columba, the other to Leo, who was bishop of Sens in the first half of the 6th century (PCBE 4, 'Leo 11'). Desiderius' will is the earliest extant reference to these basilicas, though both are quite well-attested subsequently (Beaujard 1992, 29-30). The third bequest is to a basilica with a somewhat more obscure dedication, located not in Sens itself, but in a village which the will refers to as the Vicus Crincensis (modern location unidentified). This is dedicated to 'Lord Ursicinus, once disciple of the blessed Germanus'. An Ursicinus was bishop of Sens in the 5th century, and is presumably the person referred to, but nothing more is known about his relationship with Germanus of Auxerre, and there seems to be no other evidence that he received cult.
Cahors and Toulouse
Desiderius also leaves property to churches in the cities of Cahors and Toulouse in south-western Gaul. Unlike Sens, these were a considerable distance from Auxerre, but Desiderius himself seems to have come from the area, since his mother was buried in the basilica of Amantius near Cahors (in pago Cadurcino). Desiderius donates five estates and part of another to this basilica 'for the support of the monks serving God there'. The 9th century authors of the Deeds of the Bishops of Auxerre, in an earlier passage in their entry for Desiderius (i.e. one written in their own voice, not quoted from the will) say that Desiderius' mother was named Necteria and that apart from making donations to this basilica, Desiderius gave it relics of his predecessors Germanus and Amator (Sot et al. 2002, 85; Duru 1851, 333). Their source for this information is unknown, but it may come from part of the will not quoted by them. This basilica, which evidently had a monastic establishment attached to it, seems not to be otherwise attested: it is not the same as the monastery in Cahors itself dedicated to Amantius (E05613), established by Desiderius of Cahors, which was only founded later in the 7th century.
The will mentions that one estate was divided, with two-thirds left to the basilica of Amantius, and one third to a church described as 'the basilica dedicated to the sanctos Brictones, where they also rest in the body'. Brictones is an unusual but not unique variant of Britanni. In the context of Francia in the 7th century, it is probably more likely to mean 'Breton' than 'British', but in either case the unnamed saints cannot be identified. Prévot 1989, 65, suggests that the dedicatees might be *Rogatianus and Donatus (martyrs of Nantes, S00335), while Sot et al. 2002, p. 108, n. 234, suggest the words could indicate *Alban (martyr of Verulamium, S01364), though it is not clear how either suggestion is compatible with Desiderius' words 'where they also rest in the body' (ubi et ipsi corpore quiescunt).
Desiderius also leaves property to a church in Cahors described simply as 'the senior church' (senior aecclesia), which probably indicates the cathedral. This is known to have been dedicated to Stephen (Prévot 1989, 61). He donates property to a basilica dedicated to the martyr Saturninus, located in the 'suburb' of Toulouse (in suburbano Tolosane ciuitatis), in other words the extramural basilica where Saturninus was buried.
Bibliography
Editions:Sot, M., Lobrichon, G., and Goullet, M., Les gestes des évêques d'Auxerre, vol. 1 (Paris: Les Belles Lettres, 2002), with French translation.
Duru, L.-M., Bibliothèque historique de l'Yonne, vol. 1 (Auxerre, 1851), 336-340.
Further reading:
Atsma, H., "Klöster und Mönchtum im Bistum Auxerre bis zum Ende des 6. Jahrhunderts," Francia, 11 (1983), 1-96.
Beaujard, B., "Sens," in: N. Gauthier and J.-C. Picard (eds.), Topographie chrétienne des cités de la Gaule des origines au milieu du VIIIe siècle, vol. 8: Province ecclésiastique de Sens (Lugdunensis Senonia) (Paris: Boccard, 1992), 47-65.
Picard, J.-C., "Auxerre," in: N. Gauthier and J.-C. Picard (eds.), Topographie chrétienne des cités de la Gaule des origines au milieu du VIIIe siècle, vol. 8: Province ecclésiastique de Sens (Lugdunensis Senonia) (Paris: Boccard, 1992), 47-65.
Prévot, F., "Cahors," in N. Gauthier and J.-C. Picard (eds.), Topographie chrétienne des cités de la Gaule des origines au milieu du VIIIe siècle, vol. 6: Provinces ecclésiastique de Bourges (Aquitania Prima) (Paris, 1989), 57-65.
David Lambert
30/10/2023
| ID | Name | Name in Source | Identity | S00008 | Paul, the Apostle | Paulus | Certain | S00026 | Amantius, bishop of Rodez, late 5th c. | Amantius | Certain | S00030 | Stephen, the First Martyr | Stephanus | Certain | S00035 | Julian, martyr of Brioude (southern Gaul) | Iulianus | Certain | S00036 | Peter, the Apostle | Petrus | Certain | S00050 | Martin, ascetic and bishop of Tours, d. 397 | Martinus | Certain | S00281 | Nazarius and Celsus, companion martyrs of Milan | Nazarius, Celsus | Certain | S00289 | Saturninus, bishop and martyr of Toulouse | Saturninus | Certain | S00313 | Gervasius and Protasius, brothers and martyrs of Milan | Gervasius, Prothasius | Certain | S00455 | Germanus, bishop of Auxerre, ob. 445/450 | Germanus | Certain | S01285 | Memmius, first bishop of Châlons-en-Champagne | Mimmius | Certain | S01862 | Columba, virgin and martyr of Sens | Columba | Certain | S01980 | Amator, bishop of Auxerre, ob. c. 418 | Amator | Certain | S02175 | Marianus, monk of Auxerre, 5th c. | Marianus | Certain | S02177 | Ursicinus, bishop of Sens and reputed disciple of Germanus of Auxerre, 5th c. | Ursicinus | Certain | S02306 | Leo, bishop of Sens, mid-6th cent. | Leo | Certain | S02470 | Unnamed British or Breton saints | Uncertain |
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