Saint Abbo of Fleury
Saint Abbo of Fleury (born c. 945 AD in Orléanais, France; died November 13, 1004 AD in La Réole, Gascony, France) was a Benedictine monk and Abbot of Fleury (Saint-Benoît-sur-Loire) from 988 to 1004 AD. He was one of the leading scholars of the 10th century, a computist, astronomer, mathematician, and canonist. He was killed trying to make peace in a monks' brawl at the Gascon abbey of La Réole — one of the most unusual martyrdoms in medieval hagiography. His feast day is November 13.
Stored in Cargo: Saint Abbo of Fleury
| Saint Abbo of Fleury | |
|---|---|
| Feast Day | November 13 |
| Profession | Benedictine monk; Abbot of Fleury (988–1004); scholar; mathematician; astronomer; canonist; hagiographer; martyr of peacemaking |
| Rel. Affiliation | Catholic Church; Benedictine Order; Abbey of Fleury (Saint-Benoît-sur-Loire); 10th-century Carolingian-Ottonian reform church; Anglo-French monastic tradition |
| Patronage | Fleury (Saint-Benoît-sur-Loire); peacemakers; scholars; monks; those who die in the service of peace |
| Attributes | Benedictine abbot's habit and crozier; a spear or lance (instrument of his death); a book or scroll (his scholarship); the Abbey of Fleury building; an astronomical instrument (computus/astronomy) |
| Birthplace | Orléanais (near Orléans), France |
| Death Place | La Réole, Gascony, France |
| Cause of Death | Martyrdom; stabbed during a violent brawl at the monastery of La Réole, Gascony, on November 13, 1004 AD; he had come to La Réole to resolve a dispute between the monks of the monastery and the local townspeople; a brawl broke out during the negotiations; he stepped forward to separate the combatants; he was struck by a lance or spear (accounts vary) and died of his wounds; his death in the act of peacekeeping is the basis for his veneration as a martyr |
| Primary Shrine | Abbey of Fleury (Saint-Benoît-sur-Loire) — his relics; Romanesque abbey church; November 13 feast; Benedictine community still present (Congregation of Solesmes) |
| Liturgical Class | Optional Memorial (Roman Rite); November 13; Feast at Fleury (Saint-Benoît-sur-Loire) |
| Historic Class | Not in universal 1962 calendar; observed locally at Fleury |
Biography
Abbo was born c. 945 in the Orléanais, France. He entered the Abbey of Fleury (Saint-Benoît-sur-Loire) as a child and spent his life there as a monk. He studied at Paris and Reims and became one of the most learned men of the 10th century — expert in mathematics, astronomy, canon law, and theology.
At the invitation of the English church he taught at Ramsey Abbey, Huntingdonshire, from 985 to 987, where he taught Ælfric of Eynsham and others. His two years in England significantly influenced late Anglo-Saxon scholarship.
He became Abbot of Fleury in 988. He defended the abbey's privileges against episcopal encroachment, traveling twice to Rome to argue before the pope. He wrote extensively on the computus, canon law, hagiography, and reform of the church.
On November 13, 1004, while trying to resolve a dispute at the abbey of La Réole in Gascony, he was stabbed in a brawl and died. He was venerated immediately as a martyr for his death in the act of peacemaking.
Significant locations
Legend
Birth location: Orléanais (near Orléans), France
Death location: La Réole, Gascony, France
Notable location:
Notable location:
Notable location:
Notable location:
Notable location:
Dynamic content
Parishes
No parishes dedicated to Abbo of Fleury have been added to the database yet.
Media
No media found for this saint.
Shrines
Dynamic shrines
No results
No shrines where this saint is the primary saint.
Known shrines
- Abbey of Fleury (Saint-Benoît-sur-Loire) — his relics; Romanesque abbey church; Benedictine community (Congregation of Solesmes).
Feast day
November 13
Veneration
Saint Abbo of Fleury was the 10th-century Abbot of Fleury who was killed peacemaking in a monks' brawl — one of medieval hagiography's most unusual martyrdoms. He was one of the most learned scholars of his century. Feast November 13.
Prayers
Authored
There are prayers authored by this saint in prayers list yet.
Intercessory
There are no prayers asking for this saint's intercession in prayers list yet.