Theobald of Provins
Encyclopedia
Saint Theobald of Provins (1017–1066) was a French
hermit
and saint
. Theobald was born at Provins
to the French nobility
; his father was Arnoul, Count Palatine
of Champagne
. He was named after his uncle, St. Theobald of Vienne.
As a youth, he admired the lives of hermits] such as St. John the Baptist, of St. Paul the hermit, St. Anthony the Great, and St. Arsenius and he would also visit a local hermit named Burchard, who lived on an island in the Seine
.
He refused to get married or begin a career in the army or at court. When war broke out between Theobald’s cousin Odo II, Count of Blois
and Conrad the Salic over the Burgundian crown
, Theobald refused to lead troops to help his cousin and convinced his father to let him become a hermit.
Theobald left home with a friend named Walter to become a hermit
at Suxy in the County Chiny. They then traveled to Pettingen
, where they worked as day laborers.
They became pilgrim
s on the Way of St. James
and afterwards returned to the diocese of Trier. They made a pilgrimage to Rome
and planned to go to the Holy Land
by way of Venice
. However, Walter fell ill near Salanigo
near Vicenza
. They decided to settle there. After Walter died, Theobald became the leader of a group of hermits who had gathered there. The bishop of Vicenza ordained him as priest. Theobald's background, however, was soon discovered and his parents came to visit him.
His mother, Gisela, eventually became a hermitess near this place of retreat. Theobald died from an illness in which his skin of every limb was covered over in blotches
and ulcers.
Shortly before his death he became a Camaldolese
monk
.
on June 30, his feast day. His relics were translated to the abbey at Sens
, and then to Auxerre
, at the chapel of Saint-Thibault-en-Auxois
(Côte d'Or
).
He was canonized in 1073 by Pope Alexander II
. His cult
is centered on Provins and Saint-Thibault-en-Auxois, where the Cluniac priory had some of his relics.
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
hermit
Hermit
A hermit is a person who lives, to some degree, in seclusion from society.In Christianity, the term was originally applied to a Christian who lives the eremitic life out of a religious conviction, namely the Desert Theology of the Old Testament .In the...
and saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
. Theobald was born at Provins
Provins
Provins is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France.Provins, a town of medieval fairs, became a UNESCOWorld Heritage Site in 2001.-Administration:...
to the French nobility
Nobility
Nobility is a social class which possesses more acknowledged privileges or eminence than members of most other classes in a society, membership therein typically being hereditary. The privileges associated with nobility may constitute substantial advantages over or relative to non-nobles, or may be...
; his father was Arnoul, Count Palatine
Count palatine
Count palatine is a high noble title, used to render several comital styles, in some cases also shortened to Palatine, which can have other meanings as well.-Comes palatinus:...
of Champagne
Champagne, France
Champagne is a historic province in the northeast of France, now best known for the sparkling white wine that bears its name.Formerly ruled by the counts of Champagne, its western edge is about 100 miles east of Paris. The cities of Troyes, Reims, and Épernay are the commercial centers of the area...
. He was named after his uncle, St. Theobald of Vienne.
As a youth, he admired the lives of hermits] such as St. John the Baptist, of St. Paul the hermit, St. Anthony the Great, and St. Arsenius and he would also visit a local hermit named Burchard, who lived on an island in the Seine
Seine
The Seine is a -long river and an important commercial waterway within the Paris Basin in the north of France. It rises at Saint-Seine near Dijon in northeastern France in the Langres plateau, flowing through Paris and into the English Channel at Le Havre . It is navigable by ocean-going vessels...
.
He refused to get married or begin a career in the army or at court. When war broke out between Theobald’s cousin Odo II, Count of Blois
Odo II, Count of Blois
Odo II , Count of Blois, Chartres, Châteaudun, Provins, Rheims, and Tours from 1004 and Count of Troyes and Meaux from 1022, was the son of Odo I of Blois and Bertha, daughter of Conrad of Burgundy...
and Conrad the Salic over the Burgundian crown
Kingdom of Burgundy
Burgundy is a historic region in Western Europe that has existed as a political entity in a number of forms with very different boundaries. Two of these entities - the first around the 6th century, the second around the 11th century - have been called the Kingdom of Burgundy; a third was very...
, Theobald refused to lead troops to help his cousin and convinced his father to let him become a hermit.
Theobald left home with a friend named Walter to become a hermit
Hermit
A hermit is a person who lives, to some degree, in seclusion from society.In Christianity, the term was originally applied to a Christian who lives the eremitic life out of a religious conviction, namely the Desert Theology of the Old Testament .In the...
at Suxy in the County Chiny. They then traveled to Pettingen
Pettingen
Pettingen is a village in the commune of Mersch, in central Luxembourg. , the village has a population of 198.Pettingen Castle in the centre of the village is one of the best preserved fortified castles in the country.-References:...
, where they worked as day laborers.
They became pilgrim
Pilgrim
A pilgrim is a traveler who is on a journey to a holy place. Typically, this is a physical journeying to some place of special significance to the adherent of a particular religious belief system...
s on the Way of St. James
Way of St. James
The Way of St. James or St. James' Way is the pilgrimage route to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia in northwestern Spain, where tradition has it that the remains of the apostle Saint James are buried....
and afterwards returned to the diocese of Trier. They made a pilgrimage to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
and planned to go to the Holy Land
Holy Land
The Holy Land is a term which in Judaism refers to the Kingdom of Israel as defined in the Tanakh. For Jews, the Land's identifiction of being Holy is defined in Judaism by its differentiation from other lands by virtue of the practice of Judaism often possible only in the Land of Israel...
by way of Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
. However, Walter fell ill near Salanigo
Sossano
Sossano is a town and comune in the province of Vicenza, Veneto, Italy. Via Circonvallazione goes through the town.-Neighbouring communes:...
near Vicenza
Vicenza
Vicenza , a city in north-eastern Italy, is the capital of the eponymous province in the Veneto region, at the northern base of the Monte Berico, straddling the Bacchiglione...
. They decided to settle there. After Walter died, Theobald became the leader of a group of hermits who had gathered there. The bishop of Vicenza ordained him as priest. Theobald's background, however, was soon discovered and his parents came to visit him.
His mother, Gisela, eventually became a hermitess near this place of retreat. Theobald died from an illness in which his skin of every limb was covered over in blotches
Stain
A stain is a discoloration that can be clearly distinguished from the surface, material, or medium it is found upon. Stains are caused by the chemical or physical interaction of two dissimilar materials...
and ulcers.
Shortly before his death he became a Camaldolese
Camaldolese
The Camaldolese monks and nuns are part of the Benedictine family of monastic communities which follow the way of life outlined in the Rule of St. Benedict, written in the 6th century...
monk
Monk
A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
.
Veneration
He died in SossanoSossano
Sossano is a town and comune in the province of Vicenza, Veneto, Italy. Via Circonvallazione goes through the town.-Neighbouring communes:...
on June 30, his feast day. His relics were translated to the abbey at Sens
Sens
Sens is a commune in the Yonne department in Burgundy in north-central France.Sens is a sub-prefecture of the department. It is crossed by the Yonne and the Vanne, which empties into the Yonne here.-History:...
, and then to Auxerre
Auxerre
Auxerre is a commune in the Bourgogne region in north-central France, between Paris and Dijon. It is the capital of the Yonne department.Auxerre's population today is about 45,000...
, at the chapel of Saint-Thibault-en-Auxois
Saint-Thibault, Côte-d'Or
Saint-Thibault is a commune in the Côte-d'Or department in France.As part of the district of Vitteaux, it is located at an altitude of some 366 meters in the vicinity of the towns of Beurizot and of Normier. It is said to have a population of 148 including foreigners of Australian, American and UK...
(Côte d'Or
Côte-d'Or
Côte-d'Or is a department in the eastern part of France.- History :Côte-d'Or is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790. It was formed from part of the former province of Burgundy.- Geography :...
).
He was canonized in 1073 by Pope Alexander II
Pope Alexander II
Pope Alexander II , born Anselmo da Baggio, was Pope from 1061 to 1073.He was born in Milan. As bishop of Lucca he had been an energetic coadjutor with Hildebrand of Sovana in endeavouring to suppress simony, and to enforce the celibacy of the clergy...
. His cult
Cult (religious practice)
In traditional usage, the cult of a religion, quite apart from its sacred writings , its theology or myths, or the personal faith of its believers, is the totality of external religious practice and observance, the neglect of which is the definition of impiety. Cult in this primary sense is...
is centered on Provins and Saint-Thibault-en-Auxois, where the Cluniac priory had some of his relics.