Robert of Arbrissel ( 1045 – 1116) was an itinerant preacher, and founder of Fontevraud Abbey. He was born at Arbrissel (near Retiers, Brittany) and died at Orsan Priory in the present department of Cher.
Sources
Robert's life is primarily known from two biographies (vitae) as well as from a number of letters by other admirers and critics. The first vita was written by Baudri of Dol, bishop of Dol-en-Bretagne (formerly abbot of the monastery of Saint-Pierre of Bourgueil), shortly after Robert's death in 1116 and was likely commissioned by Petronilla. The second vita, the Vita Altera, was written by a certain Andreas, possibly Robert's chaplain and the head of Fontevraud's male priory St. Jean and is centered more on the final six months of Robert's life. While it has been suggested that Andreas was commissioned by Petronille as well, others have suggested that Andreas wrote on his behalf for the community. As both authors knew Robert personally, it is likely that the events described in these vitae are more historic than typically can be assumed in this type of medieval genre.
Biography
Early life, studies in Paris and return to Brittany
Robert was born around 1045 at Arbrissel in Brittany, the son of Domalioch and Orguende. His father was a parish priest. Married priests were not entirely uncommon prior to the Gregorian reform. He probably succeeded his father as priest to the parish. Seeking to improve his education, he went to Paris where he spent some years in study, perhaps under Anselm of Laon and later displayed considerable theological knowledge. The date and place of his ordination are unknown. Sometime prior to 1076, Robert returned to his parish and supported the election of the noblemen Sylvester de La Guerche as Bishop of Rennes. The election was a simoniac one, meaning that Sylvester, "who has been described as sword-bearing illiterate who had never bee ordained a priest", bought himself into the office. Sylvester proved himself as an unfit shepherd in a time of growing spirituality and reformative zeal and thus encountered strong opposition from the reform movement. In 1078, a reform council including a papal legate of Gregory VII deposed Sylvester, chasing him out of office as well as his supporters, including Robert.
Robert resumed his studies in Paris until, dedicating himself to the study of religion but also likely dialectic and rhetoric as his later charismatic preaching could suggest. He spent around a decade in Paris in which he likely embraced the ideals of the church reformers as well as his ideals of eremitic asceticism.
In 1089 Robert was recalled by Bishop Sylvester who in the meantime had also taken up the ideals of the Gregorian reform who were becoming popular in all of France. For the coming four years, Robert would serve as Sylvester's archpriest, effectively running the diocese of Rennes and implementing the ideals of religious life he had lived and studied in Paris. Bishop Sylvester attempted, with Robert's assistance, to introduce reforms to celibacy and liberate churches from the influence of nobles but this provoked antagonism in Brittany, especially amongst the local clergy. Upon the death of Sylvester around 1093, Robert fled to Angers. Here he resumed his studies at the local cathedral school and made acquaintance with its schoolmaster Marbodius. In addition to his studies, he further turned more intensely to asceticism.
Life as hermit, itinerant preacher and foundation of La Roë
In 1095 he became a hermit in the forest of Craon (south-west of Laval), living a life of severe penance in the company of Bernard of Thiron, afterwards founder of the Congregation of Tiron, Vitalis, founder of Savigny Abbey, and others of considerable note. His piety, eloquence, and asceticism attracted many followers, and his fame reached Pope Urban II during his travels in France in 1095/96. While in Anger in February 1096, Urban II summoned Robert to him and asked him to preach at the dedication of the church of Saint-Nicholas as a test. Robert passed and was given a licentia praedicandi, a license to preach and initiated Robert's life as a licensed itinerant preacher. These itinerant preachers, although often on the borders to heresy, helped to promote the ideas of the reform movement as well as knowledge of Church teachings in the population and spirituality became a mass phenomenon for the first time since the early Church.