Three Cartularies from Thirteenth Century Auxerre

This edition presents the recently rediscovered episcopal cartulary of Auxerre, composed in the 1280s but assumed lost since the French Revolution. Along with confirmations by popes, quarrel settlements with counts, and agreements with the bishop’s tenants, the cartulary contains documents that were previously unknown, notably several papal decisions. Auxerre was unusually well documented for the period 800–1200, but little information on the bishopric’s history after 1200 has been available until now. The text contains a wealth of information about relationships between church leaders and other churches, between churches and secular leaders, and details on peasant rights and obligations.

This edition also includes the short thirteenth-century cartularies of the nuns of St.-Julien and of the cathedral chapter, the latter existing only in fragmentary form. With full annotation of people and places and English-language summaries, these cartularies make a valuable contribution to our understanding of this significant episcopal centre’s history.