Cette étude plonge dans l’histoire de la fête des Rogations, s’intéressant à son origine, son évolution et son rôle dans la création de l’identité communautaire au sein de la Gaule des Ve et VIe siècles. Adoptant une approche croisée entre histoire et anthropologie, elle met en lumière l’importance de ce rituel pour les communautés de cette époque et la narration qui l’entoure, telle qu’elle fut orchestrée par les évêques de la Gaule et par divers acteur.rice.s. En examinant le corpus de sources relatives aux premières Rogations dans la Gaule de cette époque, nous découvrons comment cette fête a servi de rituel apotropaïque et de pénitence collective pour faire face à diverses difficultés, telles que les épidémies et les sécheresses, d’abord dans la vallée du Rhône puis dans toute la Gaule. Ainsi, la mise en récit entourant cette fête et comment celle-ci a favorisé l’adhésion communautaire sont au coeur de ce mémoire. Des questions plus vastes, telles que le développement de pratiques collectives incluant jeûnes, prières et processions, ainsi que la façon dont le récit des Rogations s’est connecté à des origines bibliques et s’est ancré dans la sphère épiscopale, sont également mises en avant. Ces observations nous permettent de conclure que ce rituel festif, en tant que terrain d’expérimentation pour l’ensemble des classes sociales, a servi de vecteur pour créer des communautés plus solides et durables. En effet, il a forgé un sentiment d’appartenance à travers des pratiques et des expériences communes, favorisant la création d’un conventus et d’un consensus ecclésiologique. Néanmoins, cette vision est avant tout celle des évêques et, comme cette étude s’intéresse également aux expériences individuelles et communautaires, nous analysons la fête comme étant un espace de négociation et de conflits. En somme, cette recherche met en lumière comment ce rituel a dépassé son rôle initial pour devenir un élément essentiel du paysage cultuel en Gaule. Elle offre un aperçu novateur de la façon dont les Rogations ont façonné l’identité communautaire et ont servi de catalyseurs pour la cohésion sociale dans une période cruciale de l’histoire chrétienne en Gaule. / This study delves into the history of the Rogation feast, examining its origin, evolution and role in the creation of community identity in 5th and 6th century Gaul. Adopting a cross-approach between history and anthropology highlights the importance of this ritual for the communities of the period and the narrative surrounding it, as orchestrated by the bishops of Gaul and by various actors. By examining the corpus of sources relating to the first Rogations at this period, we discover how this feast served as an apotropaic ritual and collective penance to cope with various difficulties, such as epidemics and droughts, first in the Rhone valley and then throughout Gaul. Thus, the narrative surrounding this festival and how it fostered community adhesion are at the heart of this study. Broader questions, such as the development of collective practices including fasts, prayers and processions, and the way in which the Rogation narrative connected with biblical origins and became rooted in the episcopal sphere, are also put forward. These observations lead us to conclude that this festive ritual, as a testing ground for all social classes, served as a vehicle for creating stronger, more enduring communities. Indeed, it forged a sense of belonging through shared practices and experiences, resulting in the creation of a conventus and an ecclesiological consensus. Nevertheless, this vision is primarily that of the bishops, and as this study is also concerned with individual and community experiences, therefore we also analyze the feast as a space for negotiation and conflict. In short, this research sheds light on how this ritual went beyond its initial role to become an essential element of Gaul’s cultic landscape. It offers a fascinating insight into how Rogations shaped community identity and served as a catalyst for social cohesion in a crucial period of Christian history in Gaul.

This dissertation studies a local manifestation of ecclesiastical reform in the medieval county of Savoy: the twelfth-century transformation of secular canons into Augustinian regular canons at the church of Sts. Peter and Ursus in the alpine town of Aosta (now Italy). I argue that textual sources, material culture, and the practice of place together express how the newly reformed canons established their identity, shaped their material environment, and managed their relationship with the unreformed secular canons at the cathedral. The pattern of regularization in Aosta—instigated by a new bishop influenced by ideas of canonical reform—is only one among several models for implementing reform in medieval Savoy. This study asserts the importance of this medieval county as a center for reforming efforts among a regional network of churchmen, laymen, and noblemen, including the count of Savoy, Amadeus III (d. 1148). After a prologue and introduction, chapter 1 draws on traditional textual evidence to recount the history of reform in medieval Savoy. Chapters 2 through 4 focus on the twelfth-century sculpted capitals in the cloister built to accommodate the common life of the new regular canons. Several of the historiated capitals portray the biblical siblings, Martha and Mary, and Leah and Rachel, as material metaphors that reflect and reinforce the active and contemplative lives of the Augustinian canons. Other capitals represent the regular canons’ assertion of their precedence over the cathedral canons and suggest tensions between the two communities. The final chapter examines thirteenth-century conflicts over bell-ringing and ecclesiastical processions in the urban topography of Aosta to illustrate how the regular and secular canons continued to negotiate their relationship. Appendices include an English translation of a vita of St. Ursus (BHL 8453). The dissertation as a whole reconstructs the places and material culture of medieval Aosta to convey the complexities of religious and institutional life during a time of reform and beyond. / text