Aldebert III of Tournel

Aldebert III of Tournel , born towards 1100 with the castle of Montialoux (Saint-Bauzile) and died towards 1187 - 1188, is old a bishop of Mende in Gévaudan. It marked the history of the town of Mende by obtaining the gold Bubble, but also by finding, according to its dires, the Relique S of Saint Privat.

Biography

Beginnings with évêché and expansion of Mende

Aldebert is the son of Odilon-Guerin I, baron of the Tournel. It becomes provost Chapter between 1123 and 1150, then bishop of Mende about 1150-1153. With its accession with évêché it becomes consequently vassal Count de Barcelone which is also the Viscount of Gévaudan. Its capacity is all the more tiny room vis-a-vis the power of the three surrounding lords, those of Canilhac, Cabrières and Dolan. This last has part of the episcopal capacity besides that Aldebert will repurchase to him in the name of the Chapter. It also buys to the two other lords the rights of archdeacon and treasury.

It repurchases then the possessions of the Count de Barcelone with Mende, and becomes thus the regent of all the city, putting an end to the system which reigned until there adapting the capacity. It repurchases or recovers then the old possessions of the Chapter, and thus extends its capacity beyond the borough. Then it increases the capacity of the castle of Chapieu, making it possible to place more person. The castle was located on the Mont Mimat at the top of Mende, and was used as fortress on the way connecting the Mont Lozere and, beyond that, Villefort, Guard-Guerin and the way Regordane. All this allows an incredible revival of the economy in the city which becomes prosperous. The ramparts arrive besides at named point since little time after a war between the counts of Toulouse and those of Aragon brings a seat of the city, vis-a-vis troops of Basque S, of Teutons and of Aragonese.

The Gold bubble

In 1161 it will find the king Louis VII and will bring back of its tour the “Gold Bubble”. This signed act of the royal seal grants to the Aldebert bishop and his successors, with perpetuity, the royal power, and the full powerss of justice on the inhabitants of évêché. This fact is rather rare since only four in six centuries were granted by the Kings of France. This act contains: Us, Louis, by the grace of God king of the French, with Aldebert, worthy bishop of Gévaudan and with all its successors, forever. None of our contemporaries has memory which a bishop of Gévaudan came to the court from kings de France our predecessors, that he recognized their power and made them act of fidelity. Though all this country, of difficult and mountainous access, always was in the power of the bishops, not only to carry ecclesiastical censures, but still to judge the culprits by the sword, illustrates it Aldebert bishop, thinking in a religious spirit that the justice of the material sword looks at the royal sceptre, came towards our Serenity to Paris, and there, in the presence of all our barons, to recognized that his évêché was in the mobility of our Crown and, the hand on the Saint Gospel, solemnly lent oath of fidelity to us and our kingdom.

Thanks to this act the bishop thus obtains the political power in Gévaudan, and consequently the regality .

In 1161, it accommodates in the city the Pape Alexandre III, exiled in France. It will find it little time after to the Concile of Turns.

Relics of Privat Saint

Aldebert enormously attached importance to the relics of the Saints. And the fact that patron saint of the diocese, Holy Privat, one of large the de Gaulle Saints according to Gregoire de Tours and Martyr in Gévaudan, does not rest in his grounds of martyrdom causes serious concern with Aldebert. In Mende one knows that the relics were transferred to Saint-Denis, but one is certainly unaware of that they then travelled in Lorraine with Salone. To the 11th century the aforementioned relics are brought back in Gévaudan and are protected in the crypt from Holy-Thècle (under the current cathedral), whose entry is kept secret. But this secrecy is lost in 1100 with died of the Guy provost.

According to its writings, Aldebert will have a vision in which he sees where the crypt containing of the relics is located of which those of Privat Saint, carrying the inescapable mark that they are them his (it should be known that the jaw of the saint was reserved for the diocese of the Puy and its absence can act as proof).

Historically, whereas Aldebert is in Auvergne, of work in order to dig a well are in hand in the garden of évêché. And it is by digging this well that the entry of the crypt is discovered. Among the relics, Aldebert also believes to recognize those of the Innocent Saints whose city was a long time flattered to have a part of it. It then makes transfer the reliquary from Privat Saint in his crypt of origin. The day of this “translation” will be celebrated a long time besides by the church of Mende (September 15th).

Aldebert would have also found other relics in the cave of the hermitage of the Mont Mimat, of which it would have associated the membership amongst other things with Sainte Helene.

Writings

Opuscules (delivers explaining its life and its miraculous discovery of the relics)
Livre of Saint Privat
Brève chronicle of the actions of Aldebert

Sources and references

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