Chelles Abbey (french: Abbaye Notre-Dame-des-Chelles) was a Frankish

monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer whic ...

founded around 657/660 during the early medieval period. It was intended initially as a monastery for women; then its reputation for great learning grew, and with the afflux of men wishing to follow the monastic life, a parallel male community was established, creating a

double monastery A double monastery (also dual monastery or double house) is a monastery combining separate communities of monks and of nuns, joined in one institution to share one church and other facilities. The practice is believed to have started in the East ...

. The abbey stood in the

Val-de-Marne Val-de-Marne (, "Vale of the Marne") is a department of France located in the Île-de-France region. Named after the river Marne, it is situated in the Grand Paris metropolis to the southeast of the City of Paris. In 2019, Val-de-Marne had a ...

near

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...

(in modern

Meaux Meaux () is a Communes of France, commune on the river Marne (river), Marne in the Seine-et-Marne Departments of France, department in the Île-de-France Regions of France, region in the Functional area (France), metropolitan area of Paris, Franc ...

) until it fell victim to the disestablishment of the Catholic Church in 1792 during the French Revolution and was dismantled.David Coxall, 'Chelles', in André Vauchez (ed.), ''Encyclopaedia of the Middle Ages'' The abbey housed an important

scriptorium Scriptorium (), literally "a place for writing", is commonly used to refer to a room in medieval European monasteries devoted to the writing, copying and illuminating of manuscripts commonly handled by monastic scribes. However, lay scribes an ...

and held the advantage of powerful royal connections throughout the

Carolingian The Carolingian dynasty (; known variously as the Carlovingians, Carolingus, Carolings, Karolinger or Karlings) was a Frankish noble family named after Charlemagne, grandson of mayor Charles Martel and a descendant of the Arnulfing and Pippi ...

era.

History

Before its religious designation, the site of the abbey, Cala (

Gaulish Gaulish was an ancient Celtic language spoken in parts of Continental Europe before and during the period of the Roman Empire. In the narrow sense, Gaulish was the language of the Celts of Gaul (now France, Luxembourg, Belgium, most of Switze ...

"a collection of pebbles"; modern

Chelles, Seine-et-Marne Chelles () is a commune in the eastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region from the center of Paris. History Paleolithic artifacts were discovered by chance at Chelles by th ...

) had held a royal

Merovingian The Merovingian dynasty () was the ruling family of the Franks from the middle of the 5th century until 751. They first appear as "Kings of the Franks" in the Roman army of northern Gaul. By 509 they had united all the Franks and northern Gaul ...

villa A villa is a type of house that was originally an ancient Roman upper class country house. Since its origins in the Roman villa, the idea and function of a villa have evolved considerably. After the fall of the Roman Republic, villas became ...

. Queen

Clotilde Clotilde ( 474–545), also known as Clothilde, Clotilda, Clotild, Rotilde etc. (Latin: Chrodechildis, Chlodechildis from Frankish ''*Hrōþihildi'' or perhaps ''*Hlōdihildi'', both "famous in battle"), was a Queen of All the Franks. She was s ...

, the wife of

Clovis I Clovis ( la, Chlodovechus; reconstructed Frankish: ; – 27 November 511) was the first king of the Franks to unite all of the Frankish tribes under one ruler, changing the form of leadership from a group of petty kings to rule by a single ki ...

, had previous built a small

chapel A chapel is a Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. Firstly, smaller spaces inside a church that have their own altar are often called chapels; the Lady chapel is a common type ...

there dedicated to

Saint George Saint George ( Greek: Γεώργιος (Geórgios), Latin: Georgius, Arabic: القديس جرجس; died 23 April 303), also George of Lydda, was a Christian who is venerated as a saint in Christianity. According to tradition he was a soldie ...

circa 511. King

Chilperic I Chilperic I (c. 539 – September 584) was the king of Neustria (or Soissons) from 561 to his death. He was one of the sons of the Frankish king Clotaire I and Queen Aregund. Life Immediately after the death of his father in 561, ...

and his wife,

Fredegund Fredegund or Fredegunda (Latin: ''Fredegundis''; French: ''Frédégonde''; died 8 December 597) was the Queen consort of Chilperic I, the Merovingian Frankish king of Soissons. Fredegund served as regent during the minority of her son Chlot ...

, frequently resided at Cala; Chilperic was assassinated in 584 while hunting there. The Queen-Saint

Balthild Balthild (; ang, Bealdhild, 'bold sword' or 'bold spear; around 626 – 30 January 680), also spelled Bathilda, Bauthieult or Baudour, was queen consort of Neustria and Burgundy by marriage to Clovis II, the King of Neustria and Burgundy (639 ...

, wife of King

Clovis II Clovis II (633 – 657) was King of Neustria and Burgundy, having succeeded his father Dagobert I in 639. His brother Sigebert III had been King of Austrasia since 634. He was initially under the regency of his mother Nanthild until her ...

(639-657/658), an

Anglo-Saxon The Anglo-Saxons were a cultural group who inhabited England in the Early Middle Ages. They traced their origins to settlers who came to Britain from mainland Europe in the 5th century. However, the ethnogenesis of the Anglo-Saxons happened wit ...

aristocrat who had been taken to

Gaul Gaul ( la, Gallia) was a region of Western Europe first described by the Romans. It was inhabited by Celtic and Aquitani tribes, encompassing present-day France, Belgium, Luxembourg, most of Switzerland, parts of Northern Italy (only during ...

as a slave, founded the abbey around 657/660 on the ruins of the Clothilde's chapel as a monastery for women. She gave the first of two great endowments to its construction, enabling the abbey and a large new Church of the Holy Cross to be built. Though no charters survive, in "Life of Saint Balthild", there are references to the gifts she made to the abbey. Balthild and the abbesses quickly established an impressive reputation for encouraging learning, which attracted monks to Chelles and resulted in its conversion to a

by the end of the 7th century. Balthild herself retired to Chelles in 664, bringing with her a second endowment, and died there in 680, where she was also buried. Her possessions were treated as relics at Chelles, including a

chasuble The chasuble () is the outermost liturgical vestment worn by clergy for the celebration of the Eucharist in Western-tradition Christian churches that use full vestments, primarily in Roman Catholic, Anglican, and Lutheran churches. In the Eastern ...

, a vestment embroidered with a pectoral cross and an image of a beautiful necklace, which is currently displayed in the museum at the site. Her hagiography was written soon after her death, probably by a nun at the abbey. Dortoir

Balthild is reported to have established the monastery first under the Rule of Saint Columbanus, then later adopted the

Rule of Saint Benedict The ''Rule of Saint Benedict'' ( la, Regula Sancti Benedicti) is a book of precepts written in Latin in 516 by St Benedict of Nursia ( AD 480–550) for monks living communally under the authority of an abbot. The spirit of Saint Benedict's Ru ...

, although recent scholars, including Moyse and Dierkens, have warned against assumptions that the Rule was a firmly entrenched system. According to the ''

New Catholic Encyclopedia The ''New Catholic Encyclopedia'' (NCE) is a multi-volume reference work on Roman Catholic history and belief edited by the faculty of The Catholic University of America. The NCE was originally published by McGraw-Hill in 1967. A second edition, ...

'', the abbey represented a step in the progress of

Celtic Christianity Celtic Christianity ( kw, Kristoneth; cy, Cristnogaeth; gd, Crìosdaidheachd; gv, Credjue Creestee/Creestiaght; ga, Críostaíocht/Críostúlacht; br, Kristeniezh; gl, Cristianismo celta) is a form of Christianity that was common, or held ...

into Burgundy, especially in its admittance of monks.H. Tardif, 'Chelles, convent of' in ''New Catholic Encyclopedia'', 2nd ed. (2003), p.463. In any case, Balthild exerted control by appointing her own choice of abbess, Bertila. After the apparent shift to the Benedictine Rule from that of Columbanus, the abbey was often governed by Carolingian princesses who continued this tradition.

Holy women and royalty

Chelles was founded during a century in which an unprecedented number of women were entering monasteries. There was a dramatic increase in the number of such institutions providing for these women, particularly in France, Britain and the

Low Countries The term Low Countries, also known as the Low Lands ( nl, de Lage Landen, french: les Pays-Bas, lb, déi Niddereg Lännereien) and historically called the Netherlands ( nl, de Nederlanden), Flanders, or Belgica, is a coastal lowland region in N ...

. According to Paul Fouracre, the rate of monastery building is the best-recorded indicator that Christian culture was successfully flowing through the countryside from urban centers as members of the Frankish elite founded monasteries on their lands, greatly influencing their tenants, and occupied leading posts within the Catholic Church. Royal assent remained crucial to ecclesiastical appointments, which meant that the Merovingian monarchs themselves were usually important patrons of the monasteries. Their support of the religious communities was a means of sanctifying and legitimating their royal power. Chelles’ success as an institution of learning and renown was possibly due to its strong royal and aristocratic connections from its inception: from its construction at the behest of Balthild, the appointment of a daughter of the French nobility,

Berthild of Chelles Saint Berthild, also known as Bertille or Bertilla (died 692), was abbess of Chelles Abbey in France. Life Berthild was born into one of the most illustrious families in the territory of Soissons, France, during the reign of Dagobert I.In his sem ...

, as its first abbess and the powerful influence of

Charlemagne Charlemagne ( , ) or Charles the Great ( la, Carolus Magnus; german: Karl der Große; 2 April 747 – 28 January 814), a member of the Carolingian dynasty, was King of the Franks from 768, King of the Lombards from 774, and the first E ...

’s sister,

Gisela, Abbess of Chelles Gisela (757, Aachen, Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany – 810–11, Chelles, Seine-et-Marne, Ile-de-France, France) was a Frankish princess and abbess. She was the daughter of Pepin the Short and his wife Bertrada of Laon. She was the siste ...

, who led the monastery from 800-810. Yitzhak Hen supports this, suggesting that the links to royalty encouraged local inhabitants to attend Sunday Mass regularly, if only to catch a glimpse of the king, queen or their representatives. The abbey was effective in utilising the rituals of communion and confession to establish itself as a powerful agent of conversion in the countryside to the extent that it has been described by historians as a ‘training ground for missionaries of monasticism’, and by extension, Christianity itself. Bertila’s reputation as a pious member of the nobility and, later, the eminence of Gisela, sister of Charlemagne, drew several foreign princesses to join the nuns at Chelles, including

Hereswith Hereswith or Hereswitha ( ang, Hereswiþ), also spelt ''Hereswithe'', ''Hereswyde'' or ''Haeresvid'', was a 7th-century Northumbrian saint. She married into the East Anglian royal dynasty and afterwards retired to Gaul to lead a religious life. H ...

of Northumbria. The abbey swiftly became one of the most favored monasteries for English royal princesses in

Francia Francia, also called the Kingdom of the Franks ( la, Regnum Francorum), Frankish Kingdom, Frankland or Frankish Empire ( la, Imperium Francorum), was the largest post-Roman barbarian kingdom in Western Europe. It was ruled by the Franks du ...

to be sent to for their religious instruction, along with other convents in the Paris basin such as at

Les Andelys Les Andelys (; Norman: ''Les Aundelys'') is a commune in the northern French department of Eure, in Normandy. Geography It lies on the Seine, about northeast of Évreux. The commune is divided into two parts, Grand-Andely (located about fr ...

(built in 511 AD, the first convent in France) and

Fécamp Abbey The Abbey of the Holy Trinity at Fécamp, commonly known as Fécamp Abbey (french: Abbaye de la Trinité de Fécamp), is a Benedictine abbey in Fécamp, Seine-Maritime, Upper Normandy, France. The abbey is known as the first producer of béné ...

(built by ''Dux'' Waningus in 658). Its international reputation was further secured by Bertila’s gifts of relics, books and tutors to help establish monasteries of nuns in Britain, and accepting several young English women into the monastic community. During her abbacy, Gisela worked to broaden the scope of Chelles and effectively shaped the monastery into a political hub where monarchs and aristocrats came to worship. Janet L. Nelson called it the "centre of the monarchic cult", indicating a unique prominence for the abbey and firm royal connections. Political contacts met there and information was collected from across the kingdom. Abbess Gisela was the one person to send

Alcuin Alcuin of York (; la, Flaccus Albinus Alcuinus; 735 – 19 May 804) – also called Ealhwine, Alhwin, or Alchoin – was a scholar, clergyman, poet, and teacher from York, Northumbria. He was born around 735 and became the student o ...

the news at

Tours Tours ( , ) is one of the largest cities in the region of Centre-Val de Loire, France. It is the prefecture of the department of Indre-et-Loire. The commune of Tours had 136,463 inhabitants as of 2018 while the population of the whole metro ...

of her brother Charlemagne’s official coronation. Nelson suggests that the abbess, as well as writing to Alcuin in Latin to request a Biblical commentary, was responsible for writing the ''

Annales Mettenses priores The ''Annals of Metz'' ( la, Annales Mettenses) are a set of Latin Carolingian annals covering the period of Frankish history from the victory of Pepin II in the Battle of Tertry (687) to the time of writing (c. 806). Although the annals do cover ...

'', which recorded a visit from the Holy Roman Emperor Charlemagne himself in 804.

The nuns' scriptorium

By the 9th century, the nuns of Chelles were renowned as skilled copyists and authors of manuscripts. Many ''memoria'' of monarchs and their family members are emerging from their scriptorium, along with the ''Lives'' of several saints. Gisèla was particularly famous for her intelligence and learning, and for demanding several books and biblical commentaries for the monastery’s library. The nuns owned, or at least had access to, the ''

Annales regni Francorum The ''Royal Frankish Annals'' (Latin: ''Annales regni Francorum''), also called the ''Annales Laurissenses maiores'' ('Greater Lorsch Annals'), are a series of annals composed in Latin in the Carolingian Francia, recording year-by-year the state ...

'' and ''Continuationes Fredegarii'', which were and both remain significant sources for history-writing. The monastery housed an important scriptorium, involving a consortium of at least nine nuns as scribes. The manuscripts that survive are not illuminated, yet Chelles Abbey is particularly strongly linked with the creation of a unique script style. Jane Stevenson believes there were around fourteen nuns in an ‘atelier’, working under a nun master-scribe, and describes Chelles as one of the most productive scriptoria of the eighth and ninth centuries and therefore a significant nucleus of intellectual activity. The seminal work attributing these nuns to the scriptorium at Chelles is written by

Bernhard Bischoff Bernhard Bischoff (20 December 1906 – 17 September 1991) was a German historian, paleographer, and philologist; he was born in Altendorf (administrative division of Altenburg, Thuringia), and he died in Munich. Biography He was the son of Em ...

. He compared certain texts to other books written in the same minuscule and located them at Chelles between c.785 and 810, at the time when Gisèla was abbess. The nuns’ surviving texts include parts of the Cologne manuscripts of Augustine’s Commentary on the Psalm
(Dombibliothek 63, 65 and 67)
Eusebius’ Ecclesiastical History, a fragment of Isidore of Seville’s Etymologiae and various other works by the bishop, as well as a copy of the Dialogues of Gregory the Great and a fragment of his Homilia in evangelium. Many of the manuscripts are signed by women, such as Girbalda, Gislidis, Agleberta, Adruhic, Altildis, Eusebia and Vera, all in a similar script. This indicates the existence of a collective, working at Chelles’ scriptorium. Rosamond McKitterick has suggested that the manuscripts’ high quality indicates that the scribes at Chelles were talented and understood the texts they were copying. The fact that so many of these texts were authoritative works of the Catholic Church, written by early theologians, also lends McKitterick to suggest that the scribes were well-educated.

Later history

For many years almost all the abbesses were the widows, daughters or sisters of emperors and kings, which over time affected monastic discipline adversely. Stephen of Senlis and Louis de Beaumont de la Forêt,

Bishops of Paris The Archdiocese of Paris ( Latin: ''Archidioecesis Parisiensis''; French: ''Archidiocèse de Paris'') is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in France. It is one of twenty-three archdioceses in Fra ...

, tried in vain to reform the abbey in 1134 and 1483, respectively. Not until 1499, under Bishop

Jean-Simon de Champigny Jean Simon de Champigny (died 1502) was a Kingdom of France, French prelate who was Bishop of Paris from 1492 to 1502. Biography Jean Simon de Champigny was the son of Jean Simon, ''fiefdom, Seigneur'' of Champigny-sur-Marne and Combeaux (probab ...

, was any success achieved in this regard, through a decree of the

Parlement A ''parlement'' (), under the French Ancien Régime, was a provincial appellate court of the Kingdom of France. In 1789, France had 13 parlements, the oldest and most important of which was the Parlement of Paris. While both the modern Fr ...

of Paris: from 1500 the abbesses were elected every three years, which included the possibility of re-election. However, as early as 1559 the king abolished the election and resumed the appointment of the abbesses himself. In 1790, during the French Revolution, the abbey was dissolved. In 1796 the abbey complex was sold as a national asset and destroyed. The remains of the abbey are today incorporated in the ''mairie'' or

seat of local government The seat of government is (as defined by ''Brewer's Politics'') "the building, complex of buildings or the city from which a government exercises its authority". In most countries, the nation’s capital is also seat of its government, thus that ...

of modern Chelles.

Abbesses

* Saint Berthild * Sigissa or Sigisla (documented 708) * Vilcome * Ermengarde * Clemencia * Ascelina I * Sybilla * Marsilia (to 800) * Gisela (800-810), d. 810, sister of

Hedwig, Duchess of Bavaria Hedwig also Heilwig, ( – ) was a Saxon noblewoman, abbess of Chelles,Pierre Riche, The Carolingians, A family who Forged Europe (translated by Michael Idomir Allen; University of Philadelphia Press, 1993), pp. 52, 149. the wife of Count Welf, ...

, d. after 835, mother of the Empress Judith * Ermentrude (855-869), d. 869, first wife of

Charles the Bald Charles the Bald (french: Charles le Chauve; 13 June 823 – 6 October 877), also known as Charles II, was a 9th-century king of West Francia (843–877), king of Italy (875–877) and emperor of the Carolingian Empire (875–877). After a se ...

* Rothild, documented 912 and 922, d. 928/929, daughter of Charles the Bald (by his second marriage) The attempt of

Charles the Simple Charles III (17 September 879 – 7 October 929), called the Simple or the Straightforward (from the Latin ''Carolus Simplex''), was the king of West Francia from 898 until 922 and the king of Lotharingia from 911 until 919–923. He was a mem ...

in 922 to dispossess his aunt, Rothild of Chelles, in order to give it to his favourite,

Hagano Hagano was a petty nobleman (''mediocris'') who achieved influence in Lotharingia and West Francia during the rule of Charles the Simple (898–922). He was a relative of Charles' first wife, Frederuna, and was originally from Lotharingia. Though ...

, led to his deposition after a revolt of the nobility, probably under the leadership of

Hugh the Great Hugh the Great (16 June 956) was the duke of the Franks and count of Paris. Biography Hugh was the son of King Robert I of France and Béatrice of Vermandois.Detlev Schwennicke, '' Europäische Stammtafeln: Stammtafeln zur Geschichte der E ...

, Rothild's son-in-law. For about 170 years no abbesses are documented. * Matilda I (1097-1112) * Amelina I (or Avelina) (documented 1127/37) * Maud or Matilda II (documented 1156) * Helvide II or Héloise (1155-1177) * Ascelina II, d. 1178 * Marie I de Duny (1178-1185) * Amelina II, d. 1205 * Marie II de Néry, d. 1208 * Mathilde III de Berchère (1208-1220), d. 1220 * Mathilde IV de Corbeil (probably 1220-1223) * Florence (abbess 1223), d. 1228 * Marguerite I de Néry (1228-1231) * Pétronille I de Mareuil (1231-1250), d. 1250 * Mathilde V de Nanteuil (1250-1274), d. 1274 * ''vacancy'' (1274-1280) * Adeline I de Nanteuil (1280-1311), d. 1311 * Alice I de Clignet d'Otis (1311-1317), d. 1317 * Marguerite II de Pacy (1317-1348) * Pétronille II de Paroy (1348-1354) * Adeline II de Pacy (1354-1363), d. 1363 * Jeanne I de Soissy (1363-1364), d. 1364 * Agnès I de La Queue (1364-1368), d. after 1368 * Jeanne II de La Forest (1368-1379), d. 1379 * Jeanne III de Roye (1379-1399), d. 1399, sister of Guy de Roye,

Archbishop of Reims The Archdiocese of Reims (traditionally spelt "Rheims" in English) ( la, Archidiœcesis Remensis; French: ''Archidiocèse de Reims'') is a Latin Church ecclesiastic territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in France. Erected as a diocese a ...

* Agnès II de Neufville (1399-1414) * Alice II de Thorote (1414-1419) * Marie II de Cléry (1420-1429) * Elisabeth de Pollye (1429-1475), d. 1475 * Catherine I de Lignières (1475-1500), d. 1504

Abbesses elected for three years

* Jeanne IV de La Rivière (1500-1507) * Marie III de Reilhac (1507-1510), d. 1547 * Marie IV Cornu (1510-1514), d. 1519 * Catherine II Marguerite de Champrond (1518-1518), d. 1518 * Barbe de Tallensac (1518-1528), d. 1537 * Madeleine I des Chelles (1528-1542), d. 1542 * Jacqueline d'Amignon (1542-1558), d. 1558

Abbesses nominated by the King

* Renée de Bourbon (1559-1583), d. 1583, daughter of

Charles, Duke of Vendôme Charles de Bourbon (2 June 1489 – 25 March 1537) was a French '' prince du sang'' and military commander at the court of Francis I of France. Biography Charles was born at the Château de Vendôme, eldest son of Francis de Bourbon, Count ...

* Marie V de Lorraine (1583-1627), d. 1627, daughter of Claude, Duke of Aumale * Marie-Henriette de Bourbon (1627-1629), d. 1629, illegitimate daughter of

Henri IV Henry IV (french: Henri IV; 13 December 1553 – 14 May 1610), also known by the epithets Good King Henry or Henry the Great, was King of Navarre (as Henry III) from 1572 and King of France from 1589 to 1610. He was the first monarc ...

* Madeleine II de la Porte de la Meilleraye (1629-1671), d. 1671 * Guidone Marguerite de Cossé (1671-1680) (1st time), daughter of François de Cossé, duc de Brissac * Catherine III de Scorailles de Roussille (1680-1688) * Guidone Marguerite de Cossé (1688-1707) (2nd time), d. 1707 * Charlotte Agnès de Villars (1707-1719), d. 1723 *

Louise Adélaïde d'Orléans Louise Adélaïde d'Orléans (Marie Louise Adélaïde; 13 August 1698 – 10 February 1743) was the second daughter of Philippe d'Orléans and Françoise Marie de Bourbon, a legitimised daughter of Louis XIV of France and his mistress, Madame ...

(1719-1734), daughter of

Philippe II, Duke of Orléans Philippe II, Duke of Orléans (Philippe Charles; 2 August 1674 – 2 December 1723), was a French prince, soldier, and statesman who served as Regent of the Kingdom of France from 1715 to 1723. He is referred to in French as ''le Régent''. H ...

* Anne de Clermont-Chaste de Gessans (1735-1790)

Other royal nuns

* The

Northumbria la, Regnum Northanhymbrorum , conventional_long_name = Kingdom of Northumbria , common_name = Northumbria , status = State , status_text = Unified Anglian kingdom (before 876)North: Anglian kingdom (af ...

n princess

, sister of

Hilda of Whitby Hilda (or Hild) of Whitby (c. 614 – 680) was a Christian saint and the founding abbess of the monastery at Whitby, which was chosen as the venue for the Synod of Whitby in 664. An important figure in the Christianisation of Anglo-Saxon Engla ...

; *

Swanachild Swanachild (also ''Swanahild'' or ''Serenahilt'') was the second wife of Charles Martel. Reign Swanachild belonged to the clan of the Agilolfing, though her parentage is not quite clear. Her parents could be Tassilo II, duke of Bavaria, and his ...

, discarded wife of

Charles Martel Charles Martel ( – 22 October 741) was a Frankish political and military leader who, as Duke and Prince of the Franks and Mayor of the Palace, was the de facto ruler of Francia from 718 until his death. He was a son of the Frankish statesm ...

; * Rotrude, daughter of

Mildthryth Saint Mildrith, also Mildthryth, Mildryth and Mildred, ( ang, Mildþrȳð) (born c. 660, died after 732), was a 7th and 8th-century Anglo-Saxon abbess of the Abbey at Minster-in-Thanet, Kent. She was declared a saint after her death, and later he ...

may have been educated at Chelles Abbey.

Chalice

Until the

French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are conside ...

, when it disappeared, Chelles Abbey possessed a renowned Merovingian gold

chalice A chalice (from Latin 'mug', borrowed from Ancient Greek () 'cup') or goblet is a footed cup intended to hold a drink. In religious practice, a chalice is often used for drinking during a ceremony or may carry a certain symbolic meaning. R ...

, enameled and mounted with precious stones,The colored engraving illustrated, originally from Charles de Linas ''Orfèvrerie Mérovingienne: Les œuvres de Saint Eloi et la verroterie cloisonnée'' (Paris, 1864), is the only visual record of it. that was said to have been wrought by

Saint Eligius Saint Eligius (also Eloy, Eloi or Loye; french: Éloi; 11 June 588 – 1 December 660 AD) is the patron saint of goldsmiths, other metalworkers, and coin collectors. He is also the patron saint of veterinarians, the Royal Electrical and Mech ...

and a very large number of relics.

Notes

References

* * * * * * * * * * {{Authority control Carolingian architecture 650s establishments Irish monastic foundations in continental Europe Christian monasteries established in the 7th century Benedictine nunneries in France Monasteries destroyed during the French Revolution 7th-century churches in France