The Life of Blessed Bernard of Tiron life of Blessed Bernard of Tiron

Chronology of the 'Vita'

Chronology of the Vita ca. 1046-I053. Bernard is born at Abbeville.! §6. ca. I065-1073. Bernard studies until age nineteen as a secular student at an unspecified school. §7. ca. I073. Bernard travels south with companions and spends a decade in a monastery famed for its strictness, which the vita identifies as Saint-Cyprien of Poitiers. §§9-12. I073, November 4. Renaud becomes abbot of Saint-Cyprien. §I3. ca. 1080, October. Abbot, identified as Gervais, ofSaint-Savin, daughter abbey of Saint-Cyprien, convicted ofsimony. Bernard, as claustral prior, assumes authority ca. I082-I096. §§I3-16. I087. Peter II elected bishop ofPoitiers. 1095, November 27. Urban II preaches the First Crusade at the Council of Clermont. §I6. I096, July. Council ofNlmes. Urban II authorizes monks to preach. 1096, August-September. Gervais joins the First Crusade. §I6. ca. I097. Bernard flees to hermit Peter ofl'Etoile, to Vital ofSavigny 's earlier hermit community at Dompierre near Passais, to SaintMedard , and to the Chausey Island, then builds a cell at FontaineGehard near Chatillon-sur-Colmont before returning to Poitiers.§§I9-42, 55· 1. The vita is sometimes inaccurate; see text notes for corrections to this chronology . Estimated dates based on cartulary evidence have been assigned to the vita chronology. xxix I099, June 7-July 15. Bernard learns ofGervais's death through prophetic spirit. §I6. lIOO, May 23. Abbot Renaud dies; Bernard is elected abbot. §44. lIOO, November 18. Council ofPoitiers: men ofWilliam IX, duke ofAquitaine, attack the participants. Prepared to endure martyrdom, Bernard and Robert ofArbrissel excommunicate Philip I, king ofthe Franks. §48. lIOO, November 20. Paschal II subordinates Saint-Cyprien to Cluny. §49. ca. lIOr. Bernard, Robert ofArbrissel, and Vital ofSavigny preach in Normandy. §49-54. ca. lIOr. Robert ofArbrissel founds Fontevraud. §82. ca. lI02. Bernard travels to Rome twice (§§55-58), where the vita claims he is restored to his abbacy. §59. lI02-lI05. Bernard returns briefly to Chausey Island (§60), then forms a hermit community at Chennedet, which separates from Vital ofSavigny's earlier community. §§6I-62. lI07. Bernard founds his first monastery at Tiron-Brunelles on land given by Rotrou II, count of Perche. §§63-65, 69-76. lI09. The first mass is said at Tiron's church on Easter Sunday. §69. ca. lI09. War between Mortagne-au-Perche and Belleme. §§66-68. lI09-lIlI. During a famine, William II, count ofNevers, sends a gold vase which Bernard's monks sell to buy food. §70. IlI2, ca. October-November 4. Rotrou imprisoned by Robert of Belleme. Bernard prophesies Rotrou's release. §§79-80. lII3, May r. Rotrou acquires the castle of Belleme and gives the monks property and gifts. §8r. III2-III5. Ralph ofla Futaye founds Saint-Sulpice-des-Bois and Vital founds Savigny, which later merges with Clteaux. §82. III3irlI4, February. The Cluniac monks ofSaint-Denis of Nogent-le-Rotrou claim tithes and burial fees from Tiron. Bernard refounds his monastery on adjacent land in Thiron-Gardais owned xxx CHRONOLOGY by the cathedral of Chartres. §§77-78. Bernard's holiness brings prosperity to a knight (§85) and his touch heals a child. §86. III3, May-July. Bernard visits Henry I ofEngland in Normandy; the king gives Tiron fifteen silver marks annually and pays for the construction ofa dormitory. §96. III3-III6. Tiron founds priories in distant regions. §§95, 98. III4. David, earl ofNorthumberland, founds a Tironian priory at Selkirk, the future abbey of Kelso in Scotland. §99. III4. Robert FitzMartin founds the priory in Wales that becomes Saint Dogmael's Abbey in Cemaes, Pembrokeshire. §99. ca. III5. A priory is founded in Beaujolais, the future abbey of Joug-Dieu. §§95> 125. III5. Louis VI gives Tiron Abbey property at Saintry, and Thibaut, count ofBlois and Chartres, founds two priories. §97. III5, December 23. Death ofIvo, bishop ofChartres. III6, February 25. Death of Robert ofArbrissel. III6, April 2, Easter Day. Geoffrey II ofLeves consecrated bishop of Chartres. III6, Wednesday, April 12. Bernard's premonition ofdeath. §I05. III6, Sunday, April 16. Bernard collapses. §I05. 1116, Friday, April 21. Bernard receives the viaticum. §§1I2-115. III6, Sunday, April 23. Bernard clothes a nun. §§1I7-118. III6, Tuesday, April 25. Death of Bernard ofTiron. §§123-124. III6, Saturday, April 29. Bernard's burial. §§125-126. 1116, May. Hugh succeeds as abbot pro tempore. ca. 1116, September. Bernard's successor Hugh baptizes a son ofLouis VI. §97. ca. IIq-III8. Ralph, abbot ofSelkirk, succeeds Hugh as abbot ofTiron. William ofPoitiers...