Saint William of Gellone
Saint William of Gellone (born c. 755 AD in Septimania, Frankish Empire; died May 28, 812 AD in Gellone, Languedoc, France) was a Frankish military commander, Count of Toulouse, and cousin of Charlemagne who became a Benedictine monk and founded the abbey of Gellone (later Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert) in the mountains of Languedoc. He is one of the great warrior-saints of the Carolingian era. His military exploits against the Saracens (the Moors of Spain) made him a legendary figure, and he became the hero of a cycle of chansons de geste (medieval epic poems). His feast day is May 28.
Stored in Cargo: Saint William of Gellone
| Saint William of Gellone | |
|---|---|
| Feast Day | May 28 |
| Profession | Frankish military commander; Count of Toulouse; cousin of Charlemagne; Benedictine monk; monastic founder; warrior-saint of the Carolingian era |
| Rel. Affiliation | Catholic Church; Benedictine Order; Carolingian church; Languedoc; 9th-century French Christianity; Santiago pilgrimage tradition; monastic founder |
| Patronage | The Abbey of Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert; pilgrims on the Via Tolosana; soldiers; those who renounce worldly power for the religious life; Languedoc; Hérault department |
| Attributes | Frankish military armor and shield (his pre-monastic career); Benedictine habit (his final vocation); a relic of the True Cross; the gorge of Gellone (the abbey's dramatic setting); the Santiago pilgrim's scallop shell; Charlemagne in the background |
| Birthplace | Septimania (modern Languedoc), Frankish Empire |
| Death Place | Gellone, Languedoc, France (modern Hérault, France) |
| Cause of Death | Natural death; died May 28, 812 AD, as a monk at the Abbey of Gellone; he had retired from military life in 806 AD (after approximately 30 years of military service to Charlemagne) and entered the monastery he had founded; he lived as a simple monk for the remaining 6 years of his life; he died in great poverty and humility after a life of extraordinary military achievement |
| Primary Shrine | Abbey of Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert, Hérault — his tomb; relic of the True Cross; UNESCO World Heritage Site (Santiago pilgrimage route); May 28 feast; active pilgrimage; one of the most beautiful medieval villages in France |
| Liturgical Class | Optional Memorial (Roman Rite); May 28; Feast in the Diocese of Montpellier and Languedoc |
| Historic Class | Double (May 28) in 1962 calendar |
Biography
William was born c. 755 AD in Septimania (modern Languedoc), France, a member of the Carolingian aristocracy and cousin of Charlemagne. He served as Count of Toulouse c. 790 AD, defending the southern frontier of the Frankish Empire against the Moors of Spain. He participated in the capture of Barcelona (801 AD), extending Frankish power into the Iberian Peninsula.
In 804 AD he founded the abbey of Gellone in a gorge of the Languedoc mountains. Charlemagne gave him a relic of the True Cross as a farewell gift and wept at his departure. The relic made Gellone an immediate pilgrimage site.
In 806 AD William left his earldom and entered the monastery he had founded as a simple monk. He spent the last six years of his life in humility and poverty. He died May 28, 812 AD.
He became the hero of an important cycle of medieval French epic poems (the William cycle, related to the Song of Roland) that celebrated the ideal of the Christian warrior.
The 11th–12th-century cloister of his abbey is partly preserved at The Cloisters museum in New York City. The remaining abbey church at Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert is a UNESCO World Heritage Site on the Santiago de Compostela pilgrimage route.
Significant locations
Legend
Birth location: Septimania (modern Languedoc), Frankish Empire
Death location: Gellone, Languedoc, France (modern Hérault, France)
Notable location:
Notable location:
Notable location:
Notable location:
Notable location:
Dynamic content
Parishes
No parishes dedicated to William of Gellone 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 Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert, Hérault — his tomb; relic of the True Cross; UNESCO World Heritage Site; one of the most beautiful medieval villages in France.
Feast day
May 28
Veneration
Saint William of Gellone was Charlemagne's cousin and Count of Toulouse who founded the abbey of Gellone and retired as a Benedictine monk in 806 AD. His abbey's cloister is partly at The Cloisters in New York. He is the hero of a major cycle of medieval French epic poetry. Feast May 28.
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.