In the ninth century, the community of St Filibert, which was established on the island of Noirmoutier in the late-seventh century, relocated five times reportedly due to pressures caused by the invasions of the Northmen. The community produced texts during the period of relocations which emphasised the agency of the Northmen and whose testimony has been readily accepted in most subsequent historical analysis. The twofold aim of this thesis is to re-examine the body of literature produced by the community in order first to measure the narrative it provides against the paradigm of flight from the Northmen, and second to understand the nature of the texts themselves. It will argue that rather than being a community in flight, the Filibertines were involved in some of the most important concerns in the ninth-century kingdoms of Louis the Pious and Charles the Bald. They were not only at the centre of successive royal patronage circles, but they developed the cult of their patron, St Filibert, through the process of relocation in both architectural and devotional spheres. Moreover, their economic activity, which had always been a concern of theirs since the late-seventh century, developed through the use of salt-pans and vineyards as well as through the donation of exemptions from taxation on the transit of goods. Overall this thesis proposes that the ninth century was, for the community of St Filibert, a period largely dominated by growth on a number of levels and argues that the texts that put flight from the Northmen at their heart were written as a method of defining an identity for a community in flux.

A presente pesquisa tem como objetivo compreender o papel político dos abades no reino franco ao longo do governo de Carlos, o calvo, a partir das cartas escritas por Lupo de Ferrières durante mais de trinta anos. A escolha desse personagem e dessa fonte se justifica, primeiro, pela sua unicidade e pela importância que esse conjunto de cartas tem na historiografia. Nenhum historiador que aborde o período pode ignorar um texto tão rico em detalhes. Segundo, Lupo esteve envolvido nas principais questões do seu período: participou de batalhas na Aquitânia, negociou com os Bretões, serviu como representante real em Roma, envolveu-se no debate da predestinação em torno de Godescalco, foi autor de hagiografias e compilações jurídicas, além de ter se tornado uma referência no seu tempo em questões como gramática e astronomia. Diferentemente dos documentos prescritivos, como capitulários, concílios e regras monásticas, que constroem uma imagem do que era esperado dos abades, a leitura do epistolário de Lupo permitiu analisar suas ações concretas, assim como a imagem que ele quis deixar por meio de suas cartas. Essa abordagem não poderia ser feita sem antes analisar o contexto de produção e envio desses textos, como também os problemas em torno da escrita e seleção dos documentos que fazem parte dessa coleção. Afinal, o próprio fato de escrever uma carta era um ato político e para seu envio era necessário dispender muitos recursos. Dessa forma, a partir da análise conjunta da cultura epistolográfica e da cultura política do reino de Carlos, o calvo, pretende-se contribuir para uma melhor compreensão do papel do abade naquele período. / The aim of this research is to understand the political role of abbots in the Frankish kingdom during the reign of Charles, the Bald, through the analysis of letters written by Loup of Ferrières for more than thirty years. Loup and his letters were chosen for two main reasons. First, his epistolary is unique and really important in the development of historiography. This source cant be ignored by historians. Second, along his life, Loup was involved in the main problems of the period: he participated of battles in Aquitaine, negotiated with the British, went to Rome as a royal representative, wrote letters to Hincmar to discuss the ideas of Godschalk about predestination, was the author of hagiographies and juridical compilations and also became a famous scholar. Differently from the prescriptive sources like capitularies, councils and monastic rules that make an image of what was expected from an abbot, the analysis of Loup epistolary allows us not only to observe his real actions but also the image he wanted to leave for the future. This study couldt be done without studying the context of the production of these letters as well as how they were sent and the problems of writing and selecting these documents to be part of a collection. After all, writing letters was a political act and it envolved many resources to be sent. Therefore, analyzing the epistolographical and political culture of the reign of Charles, the Bald, we intend to contribute to a better comprehension of the role of the abbot in this period.

A presente pesquisa tem como objetivo compreender o papel político dos abades no reino franco ao longo do governo de Carlos, o calvo, a partir das cartas escritas por Lupo de Ferrières durante mais de trinta anos. A escolha desse personagem e dessa fonte se justifica, primeiro, pela sua unicidade e pela importância que esse conjunto de cartas tem na historiografia. Nenhum historiador que aborde o período pode ignorar um texto tão rico em detalhes. Segundo, Lupo esteve envolvido nas principais questões do seu período: participou de batalhas na Aquitânia, negociou com os Bretões, serviu como representante real em Roma, envolveu-se no debate da predestinação em torno de Godescalco, foi autor de hagiografias e compilações jurídicas, além de ter se tornado uma referência no seu tempo em questões como gramática e astronomia. Diferentemente dos documentos prescritivos, como capitulários, concílios e regras monásticas, que constroem uma imagem do que era esperado dos abades, a leitura do epistolário de Lupo permitiu analisar suas ações concretas, assim como a imagem que ele quis deixar por meio de suas cartas. Essa abordagem não poderia ser feita sem antes analisar o contexto de produção e envio desses textos, como também os problemas em torno da escrita e seleção dos documentos que fazem parte dessa coleção. Afinal, o próprio fato de escrever uma carta era um ato político e para seu envio era necessário dispender muitos recursos. Dessa forma, a partir da análise conjunta da cultura epistolográfica e da cultura política do reino de Carlos, o calvo, pretende-se contribuir para uma melhor compreensão do papel do abade naquele período. / The aim of this research is to understand the political role of abbots in the Frankish kingdom during the reign of Charles, the Bald, through the analysis of letters written by Loup of Ferrières for more than thirty years. Loup and his letters were chosen for two main reasons. First, his epistolary is unique and really important in the development of historiography. This source cant be ignored by historians. Second, along his life, Loup was involved in the main problems of the period: he participated of battles in Aquitaine, negotiated with the British, went to Rome as a royal representative, wrote letters to Hincmar to discuss the ideas of Godschalk about predestination, was the author of hagiographies and juridical compilations and also became a famous scholar. Differently from the prescriptive sources like capitularies, councils and monastic rules that make an image of what was expected from an abbot, the analysis of Loup epistolary allows us not only to observe his real actions but also the image he wanted to leave for the future. This study couldt be done without studying the context of the production of these letters as well as how they were sent and the problems of writing and selecting these documents to be part of a collection. After all, writing letters was a political act and it envolved many resources to be sent. Therefore, analyzing the epistolographical and political culture of the reign of Charles, the Bald, we intend to contribute to a better comprehension of the role of the abbot in this period.

La tesi prende in considerazione i tre trattati dallo stesso titolo, De corpore et sanguine Domini, sull’eucaristia composti nel IX secolo da Pascasio Radberto, Gotescalco d’Orbais e Ratramno di Corbie, analizzandoli sotto due diversi aspetti. In una prima parte se ne ricostruiscono i rapporti interni e i loro legami con le controversie teologiche e filosofiche dell’epoca, soprattutto con quella della predestinazione e della nascita verginale di Maria. A conclusione di questa analisi viene proposta una datazione relativa della composizione dei trattati differente da quella comunemente accolta, valorizzando un frammento del trattato di Gotescalco testimoniato da un solo manoscritto nella Biblioteca Reale di Bruxelles. In una seconda parte, a partire da una rilevazione sistematica di tutti i passi biblici e patristici citati nei tre trattati (riportata nelle tabelle in appendice), si prendono invece in considerazione le pratiche esegetiche in essi attuate, cercando di mettere in luce la metodologia di lavoro degli autori nei confronti delle fonti patristiche. In particolare viene svolta l’analisi dell’interpretazione di un passo di Ambrogio, presente nel De Mysteriis e nel De sacramentis, che risulta cruciale per l’argomentazione di ciascuno dei testi in causa. / The thesis considers three treatises of the same title, De corpore et sanguine Domini, on the Eucharist composed in the ninth century by Paschasius Radbertus, Gottschalk of Orbais and Ratramnus of Corbie, analyzing them under two different aspects. In a first part the internal relations and their ties with the theological and philosophical controversies of the period are reconstructed, above all with that of predestination and the virginal birth of Mary. At the end of this analysis a different date, relative to the composition of the treaties, is proposed from the one commonly accepted, valuing a fragment of the Gottschalk treaty testified by a single manuscript in the Royal Library of Brussels. In a second part, starting from a systematic survey of all the biblical and patristic passages mentioned in the three treatises (shown in the tables in the appendix), the exegetical practices implemented in them are taken into consideration, trying to highlight the methodology of authors' work towards their patristic sources. In particular, the analysis of the interpretation of a passage by Ambrose, present in De Mysteriis and in the De sacramentis, which is crucial for the argumentation of each of the texts in question, is carried out.

Le règne de Charles le Chauve fut une période de transformations politiques et idéologiques pour la royauté carolingienne. Les conflits de la marche de Bretagne et d’Espagne ainsi que les incursions externes sont les troubles ayant probablement le plus retenu l’attention des médiévistes. La prétendue quête émancipatrice des Armoricains ou encore les ambitions personnelles et familiales des magnats aristocratiques septimaniens et ibériques sont encore citées comme preuves de l’affaiblissement du pouvoir royal carolingien, suite au traité de Verdun de 843. En s’attardant sur les politiques de résolution de conflit du roi dans ces deux territoires, à priori hostiles à son pouvoir, ce mémoire veut établir si les tensions dans les marches étaient aussi complexes et insurmontables que les sources primaires le laissent entendre. En comparant les politiques de terrain visibles dans les actes royaux, nous remarquons que ces troubles n’étaient pas fondamentalement différents de ceux présents ailleurs dans le royaume. Les stratégies employées par le souverain montrent que la royauté détenait les moyens de venir à bout des obstacles à sa suprématie politique. Visiblement, ces dissidences ne semblent pas aussi particulières. Les enjeux politiques et économiques qu’elles impliquaient étaient, de toute évidence, à l’image des principales préoccupations politiques des rois carolingiens suite à la guerre civile de 840-843. Il importait d’argumenter leur légitimité divine ainsi que d’apparaître comme le seul choix politique. / Charles the Bald’s reign was a period of political and ideological transformations for the carolingian royalty. The troubles with the Breton and Spanish march along with the external raids are probably the sources of tension which have captured the most attention from medievalists. The so-called armorican emancipatory quest or the personal and familial ambitions of the septimanian and iberian magnates are still cited as evidences of the weakening of Carolingian political power following the 843 treaty of Verdun. By focusing on the king’s conflict resolution policies in these two territories, apparently hostile to his power, this study wants to establish wheter the tensions in the marches were as complex and irremediable as the primary sources suggested. By comparing the field policies visible in the royal charters, we noticed that theses troubles were not fundamentally different from those present elsewhere in the kingdom. The strategies employed by the king shows that the royalty had the means to overcome these obstacles and to affirm his political supremacy. Noticeably, these oppositions do not seem to be so particular. The political and economic issues that they were impliying were reflecting the main political concerns of the Carolingian kings following the 840-843 civil war. It was important to them to promote their divine legitimacy as well as appearing as the only political choice for the kingdom’s elites.

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