Ingoald
Encyclopedia
Ingoald was the Abbot of Farfa from 815, succeeding Benedict
. At the beginning of his abbacy he vigorously protested the policies of Pope Leo III
(795–816), which had resulted in the abbey's loss of property. Ingoald complained about not only the—illegitimate, as he saw it—seizure of Farfa's lands, but also the application of dubious laws of Roman origin
in a zone that followed Lombard law. While Ingoald also fostered close contacts with the Carolingian
rulers of Francia and Lombardy
, he resisted secular encroachments on the abbey's privileges as staunchly as he resisted papal ones. The rate of property transactions at Farfa seems to have peaked under Ingoald, but the surviving documentary evidence is far from complete.
In 817 Pope Stephen IV
issued a bull claiming that Farfa's lands lay within the Papal patrimonium sabinense (Sabine
patrimony) and under Papal ius (jurisdiction), and that therefore the abbey owed the Holy See an annual rent (pensio) of ten gold solidi. Hoping to recover Farfa's lost territories, Ingoald agreed to pay the pensio. When the lands were not returned, he sent a complaint to King Lothair I
that the monastery was "constrained under tribute and payment to the Roman pontiffs" and its lands "violently taken away". In 824, on the occasion of the promulgation of the Constitutio Romana
, the king and his father, the Emperor Louis I, responded with a privilege for Farfa. In the next pontificate, that of Paschal I
(817–24), this claim to an annual rent was withdrawn, but in January 829 Farfa's advocate, Audolf, accused Leo III and the earlier Adrian II
of having invaded the monastery's properties with force. By the time of this tribunal, held in the presence of imperial missi dominici and Pope Gregory IV
in the Basilica of Saint John Lateran, the complaint of payment had been dropped, so the imperial privilege seems to have had its intended effect. Although Ingoald presented charters from Duke Theodicius of Spoleto
and Queen Ansa with confirmations from King Desiderius
and Charlemagne
, and the tribunal found in Farfa's favour, Gregory IV "refused to do anything" (facere noluit).
Ingoald was succeeded by Sichard
.
Benedict of Farfa
Benedict was the Abbot of Farfa from 802 until his death. He is the first abbot mentioned in the eleventh-century history of the abbey written by Gregory of Catino whose origins were not known. He continued the policy of his predecessor of expanding Farfa's landed endowments...
. At the beginning of his abbacy he vigorously protested the policies of Pope Leo III
Pope Leo III
Pope Saint Leo III was Pope from 795 to his death in 816. Protected by Charlemagne from his enemies in Rome, he subsequently strengthened Charlemagne's position by crowning him as Roman Emperor....
(795–816), which had resulted in the abbey's loss of property. Ingoald complained about not only the—illegitimate, as he saw it—seizure of Farfa's lands, but also the application of dubious laws of Roman origin
Roman law
Roman law is the legal system of ancient Rome, and the legal developments which occurred before the 7th century AD — when the Roman–Byzantine state adopted Greek as the language of government. The development of Roman law comprises more than a thousand years of jurisprudence — from the Twelve...
in a zone that followed Lombard law. While Ingoald also fostered close contacts with the Carolingian
Carolingian
The Carolingian dynasty was a Frankish noble family with origins in the Arnulfing and Pippinid clans of the 7th century AD. The name "Carolingian", Medieval Latin karolingi, an altered form of an unattested Old High German *karling, kerling The Carolingian dynasty (known variously as the...
rulers of Francia and Lombardy
Kingdom of the Lombards
The Kingdom of the Lombards or Lombard Kingdom was an early medieval state, with its capital in Pavia, established by the Lombards on the Italian Peninsula between 568-569 and 774 .Effective control by the rulers of both the major areas that constituted the...
, he resisted secular encroachments on the abbey's privileges as staunchly as he resisted papal ones. The rate of property transactions at Farfa seems to have peaked under Ingoald, but the surviving documentary evidence is far from complete.
In 817 Pope Stephen IV
Pope Stephen IV
Pope Stephen IV was Pope from June 816 to January 817.He succeeded Leo III, whose policies favoring clergy over lay aristocracy he did not continue. Immediately after his consecration he ordered the Roman people to swear fidelity to the Frankish king Louis the Pious, to whom he went personally in...
issued a bull claiming that Farfa's lands lay within the Papal patrimonium sabinense (Sabine
Sabina
Sabina, the region in the Sabine Hills of Latium named for the Sabines, is the ancient territory that today is still identified mainly with the North-Eastern Province of Rome and the Province of Rieti, Lazio.-History:...
patrimony) and under Papal ius (jurisdiction), and that therefore the abbey owed the Holy See an annual rent (pensio) of ten gold solidi. Hoping to recover Farfa's lost territories, Ingoald agreed to pay the pensio. When the lands were not returned, he sent a complaint to King Lothair I
Lothair I
Lothair I or Lothar I was the Emperor of the Romans , co-ruling with his father until 840, and the King of Bavaria , Italy and Middle Francia...
that the monastery was "constrained under tribute and payment to the Roman pontiffs" and its lands "violently taken away". In 824, on the occasion of the promulgation of the Constitutio Romana
Constitutio Romana
The Constitutio Romana was drawn up between King Lothair I of Italy , co-emperor with his father, Louis the Pious, since 817, and Pope Eugene II and confirmed on 11 November 824. At the time the election of Eugene was being challenged by Zinzinnus, the candidate of the Roman populace...
, the king and his father, the Emperor Louis I, responded with a privilege for Farfa. In the next pontificate, that of Paschal I
Pope Paschal I
Pope Saint Paschal I was pope from January 25, 817 to February 11, 824. A native of Rome and son of Bonosus, he was raised to the pontificate by the acclamation of the clergy, shortly after the death of Pope Stephen IV, and before the sanction of the emperor Louis the Pious had been obtained - a...
(817–24), this claim to an annual rent was withdrawn, but in January 829 Farfa's advocate, Audolf, accused Leo III and the earlier Adrian II
Pope Adrian II
Pope Adrian II , , pope from December 14, 867 to December 14, 872, was a member of a noble Roman family, and became pope in 867, at an advanced age....
of having invaded the monastery's properties with force. By the time of this tribunal, held in the presence of imperial missi dominici and Pope Gregory IV
Pope Gregory IV
Pope Gregory IV was chosen to succeed Valentine in December 827, on which occasion he recognized the supremacy of the Frankish emperor Louis the Pious in the most unequivocal manner....
in the Basilica of Saint John Lateran, the complaint of payment had been dropped, so the imperial privilege seems to have had its intended effect. Although Ingoald presented charters from Duke Theodicius of Spoleto
Theodicius of Spoleto
Theodicius was the Duke of Spoleto from 763 to 773. Though it is often stated that he died at the Siege of Pavia , he was still alive on 9 June 776, when Charlemagne confirmed the properties of the monastery of Farfa and Abbot Ingoald in the reign of his successor Hildeprand.-Sources:*Hodgkin,...
and Queen Ansa with confirmations from King Desiderius
Desiderius
Desiderius was the last king of the Lombard Kingdom of northern Italy...
and Charlemagne
Charlemagne
Charlemagne was King of the Franks from 768 and Emperor of the Romans from 800 to his death in 814. He expanded the Frankish kingdom into an empire that incorporated much of Western and Central Europe. During his reign, he conquered Italy and was crowned by Pope Leo III on 25 December 800...
, and the tribunal found in Farfa's favour, Gregory IV "refused to do anything" (facere noluit).
Ingoald was succeeded by Sichard
Sichard
Sichard was the Abbot of Farfa from c.830 to 842. His abbacy corresponds with a drop in the number of property transactions involving Farfa, perhaps because "[its] wealth was by that time sufficient to cover major building at the abbey itself." Sichard added an oratory to the existing abbey.On...
.