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Leonard of Noblac or of Limoges (also known as
Lienard, Linhart, Leonhard) (died in 559), was a Frankish noble
in the court of Clovis I. He was converted to Christianity along
with the king by Saint Remigius ("Saint Rémy"), Bishop of Reims.
Leonard secured the release of a number of prisoners, for whom
he has become a patron saint, then, declining the offer of a
bishopric, he entered a monastery at Micy near Orléans, under
the direction of Saint Mesmin and Saint Lie. Then, according to
his legend, Leonard became a recluse in the forest of Limousin,
where he gathered a number of followers. Through his prayers
the queen of the Franks was safely delivered of a male child,
and in recompense Leonard was given royal lands at Noblac, 21 km
from Limoges, where he founded the abbey of Noblac, around which
a village grew, named in his honor Saint-Leonard de Noblat. |
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In the eleventh century his cult rapidly spread, at first
through Frankish lands, following the release of Bohemond I of
Antiochin
1103 from a Danishmend prison. Bohemond, a charismatic leader
of the First Crusade, subsequently visited the Abbey of Noblac,
where he made an offering in gratitude for his release.
Bohemund's example inspired many similar gifts, enabling the
Romanesque church and its visible landmark belltower to be
constructed. About the same time Noblac was becoming a stage in
the pilgrimage route that led towards Santiago de Compostela.
Leonard's cult spread through all of Western Europe: in England
with its cultural connections to the region, no fewer than 177
churches are dedicated to him. Leonard was venerated in the Low
Countries, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, particularly in
Bavaria, and also in Bohemia, Poland, and elsewhere. Pilgrims
and patronage flowed to Saint-Leonard de Noblac. Leonard or Lienard became one of the most venerated saints of the late
Middle Ages. His intercession was credited with miracles for
the release of prisoners, women in labour and the diseases of
cattle. His feast day is 6th November, when he is
honoured with a festival at Bad Tölz, Bavaria. |
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