Golden age of Monasteries (feb 2, 1047 – dec 30, 1064)

Description:

In the period between the battles of Val-es-Dunes (1047) and Mortemer (1054), the Norman arostocracy founded no fewer than seven new monasteries and would create as many again in the decade that followed. These include the completion of William's father's monastery at Cerisy, William fitz Osbern's at Lyre, Roger de Montgomery's at Troarn, Herluin de Conteville's monastery at Grestain, Oderic Vitalis' monastery (founded by the Grandmesnil family) at St Evroult. These monasteries were there to demonstrate piety, but they were also expected to provide benefices for the magnates knights, assist in military service, proclaim status and lordship, pray for the soul of the benefactor and his family, demonstrate cultural clout in the form of the architecture.

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