Agilfride

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Agilfride
SeePrince-Bishopric of Liège
In office769 - 13 December 787
PredecessorFulcaire
SuccessorGerbald
Personal details
Born8th-century
Died(787-12-13)13 December 787
DenominationCatholic

Agilfride[a] (8th-century – 13 December 787) was a Roman Catholic bishop, who was an associate of Charlemagne and served as the Bishop of Liège from 769 until his death in 787.

Biography[edit]

Agilfride was born in the early 8th-century into a noble Frankish family, and has been said to be a relative of Charlemagne.[1] Due to no clarification of how Agilfride was related to him, historians suggest that he was related through one of his wives.[2] Agilfride served as an abbot of Saint-Amand Abbey and Saint Bavo's Abbey prior to his ascension to bishop,[3] and is assumed to have retained the title of abbot during his episcopate.[4] Sometime in 754, Agilfride, while returning from Rome, acquired and brought the relics of Pharaildis and Bavo of Ghent from Lotharingia to Saint Bavo's Abbey,[5] where they remain present to this day.[6]

Agilfride was said to be well respected at the courtyard of Charlemagne,[7] who granted him several franchises and considerable assets in favor of his church,[4] and appointed Agilfride as Bishop of Liège in 769,[b] replacing the previously deceased Fulcaire.[8] Charlemagne also visited the Diocese of Liège on multiple occasions, celebrating Easter.[9] According to the Annales Laubacenses, in 774, Agilfride was entrusted by Charlemagne to handle the detention of Desiderius and his wife Ansa.[10]

It has recently been suggested,[11] that Agilfride sanctified the first church in Osnabrück sometime from 783 to 787,[12] which was a wooden church and served as the seat for the Diocese of Osnabrück at the time of establishment.[13]

Agilfride died on 13 December 787 and was succeeded by Gerbald.[8]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Alternatively spelled Agelfredus, Egelfredus or Eilfried.
  2. ^ Other sources date the appointment as bishop to 765, and 768, but these are in contradiction with historical sources.

References[edit]

  1. ^ van den Steen de Jehay 1880, p. 55.
  2. ^ Dewez 1822.
  3. ^ PRGR.
  4. ^ a b de Ram 1866.
  5. ^ Normand 1841.
  6. ^ Stadler & Heim 1875, p. 880–881.
  7. ^ NDB 1953.
  8. ^ a b PEIN.
  9. ^ Dewez 1822, p. 11; PEIN.
  10. ^ Waitz 1881, p. 229.
  11. ^ Brandi, Bresslau & Tangl 1909, p. 285.
  12. ^ Hoogeweg 1908, p. 103.
  13. ^ Hettner & Hansen 1882, p. 158.

Works cited[edit]

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