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40-608: Gerard Sasso became known as Pierre-Gérard de Martigues due to a mistaken tradition of his place of birth being Martigues , in Provence . However, William of Tyre , writing in the late 12th century, cites Amalfi as Gerard's birthplace. This is not implausible, as merchants from Amalfi were involved in the reconstruction of the hospice in Jerusalem in the 1020s after its destruction in 1005 under caliph al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah . An alleged surname Tum , variously also Thom , Tune or Tenque ,

80-488: A field hospital that would accompany the crusader armies on expeditions, which was able to evacuate 750 seriously wounded men from the Battle of Montgisard on 25 November 1177 for treatment in Jerusalem. The Hospitallers referred to their patients as "our lords, the sick" in a tradition that presumably originated with Gerard. Legends about the life of Gerard are recorded in the 13th century, especially addressing his fate during

120-455: A chant, three antiphons, three psalms, and three lessons, along with celebrations of any local saints' days. Afterwards the monks would retire for a few hours of sleep and then rise at 6am to wash and attend the office of Prime . They then gathered in Chapter to receive instructions for the day and to attend to any judicial business. Then came private Mass or spiritual reading or work until 9am when

160-596: A gift of 1000 bezants to Dagobert of Pisa , Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, with the specification that one third of the gift was to go to the hospital. The patriarch unfortunately kept the gift for himself, contributing to his downfall. By 1113, the hospital was a wealthy and powerful organisation within the kingdom of Jerusalem, and Gerard expanded its operations far beyond the limits of the city, establishing daughter hospitals at Bari , Otranto , Taranto , Messina , Pisa , Asti and Saint-Gilles , placed strategically along

200-599: A legend , recorded in an interpolation in a manuscript of the Historia of Fulcher of Chartres and as such of uncertain authenticity, as follows: Here lies Gerard, the humblest man in the East, the slave (servus) of the poor, hospitable to strangers, meek of countenance but with a noble heart. One can see in these walls how good he was. He was provident and active. Exerting himself in all sorts of ways, he stretched forth his arms into many lands to obtain what he needed to feed his own. On

240-493: Is due to an error by Pierre-Joseph de Haitze (1730), who mistook the word tunc , "then", as a name of Gerard. De Haitze's mistake was identified in 1885 by Ferdinand de Hellwald. Before the erroneous nature of the surname Tunc became clear, Italian historian Francesco Galeani Napione (d. 1830) Italianized Gerardus Tunc as Gerardo da Tonco , suggesting that he was a native of (or held possessions in) Tonco in Piedmont . Little

280-469: Is known about Gerard's life. His nationality and place of birth is unknown, but many historians claim that he was born in Scala, Campania around 1040, while tradition makes him a native of either Amalfi or Lower Burgundy (Provence) . His name, Gerard , was unknown in southern Italy in the mid-11th century. He most likely was a Benedictine lay brother, possibly one of the frates conversi (i.e., men who joined

320-532: Is sometimes regarded as the founder of Western monasticism due to the reforming influence that his rules had on the then-current Catholic hierarchy. There is, however, no evidence to suggest that Benedict intended to found a religious order in the modern sense, and it was not until the Late Middle Ages that mention was made of an " Order of Saint Benedict ". His Rule was written as a guide for individual, autonomous communities, and all Benedictine Houses (and

360-659: The Cistercians , the Trappists (a reform of the Cistercians), and the Sylvestrines . Charlemagne had Benedict's Rule copied and distributed to encourage monks throughout western Europe to follow it as a standard. Beyond its religious influences, the Rule of St Benedict was one of the most important written works to shape medieval Europe , embodying the ideas of a written constitution and

400-773: The Siege of Jerusalem of 1099, much of the Christian population had been expelled from Jerusalem by the Fatimids to prevent collusion with the Western besiegers. Following the capture of the city by the Crusaders the Eastern Christians were gradually returned. Gerard remained behind with some fellow serving brothers to tend to the sick in the hospital. After the success of the First Crusade and

440-413: The passion of Christ that [they] may deserve also to share in his Kingdom" (Prol. 50, passionibus Christi per patientiam participemur, ut et regno eius mereamur esse consortes ; note: Latin passionibus and patientiam have the same root, cf. Fry, RB 1980, p.167). Saint Benedict's model for the monastic life was the family , with the abbot as father and all the monks as brothers. Priesthood

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480-475: The 2024 Tour de la Provence finished at Martigues on the 9th of Feb. This Bouches-du-Rhône geographical article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Rule of St Benedict The Rule of Saint Benedict ( Latin : Regula Sancti Benedicti ) is a book of precepts written in Latin c.  530 by St. Benedict of Nursia (c. AD 480–550) for monks living communally under

520-477: The Congregations in which they have grouped themselves) still remain self-governing. Advantages seen in retaining this unique Benedictine emphasis on autonomy include cultivating models of tightly bonded communities and contemplative lifestyles. Perceived disadvantages comprise geographical isolation from important activities in adjacent communities. Other perceived losses include inefficiency and lack of mobility in

560-695: The Martigues Tourisme website states the following about Martigues: Nicknamed the "Provençale Venice", Martigues is a point of passage between the Mediterranean Sea and the Sea of Martigues (now Etang de Berre), close to the Côte d'Azur. The charm of its canals, its docks and bridges made it "The Venice of Provence". Martigues possesses also its cooperative winery "La Venise provençale": Coteaux d'Aix en Provence, rosé, red and white wines, fruit juices and natural oils in

600-457: The applicability of the principles and spirit of the Rule of Saint Benedict to the secular working environment. During the more than 1500 years of their existence, Benedictines have seen cycles of flourish and decline. Several reform movements sought more intense devotion to both the letter and spirit of the Rule of St Benedict, at least as they understood it. Examples include the Camaldolese ,

640-484: The authority of an abbot . The spirit of Saint Benedict's Rule is summed up in the motto of the Benedictine Confederation : pax ("peace") and the traditional ora et labora ("pray and work"). Compared to other precepts, the Rule provides a moderate path between individual zeal and formulaic institutionalism; because of this middle ground, it has been widely popular. Benedict's concerns were his views of

680-816: The chapel of the Magistral Palace of the order in Rome , in the church of San Domenico , Pisa and in Sicily . Martigues Martigues ( Occitan : Lo Martegue in classical norm, Lou Martegue in Mistralian norm) is a commune northwest of Marseille . It is part of the Bouches-du-Rhône department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region on the eastern end of the Canal de Caronte. A direct translation from

720-541: The cycle again. In modern times, this timetable is often changed to accommodate any apostolate outside the monastic enclosure (e.g. the running of a school or parish). Many Benedictine Houses have a number of Oblates (secular) who are affiliated with them in prayer, having made a formal private promise (usually renewed annually) to follow the Rule of St Benedict in their private life as closely as their individual circumstances and prior commitments permit. In recent years discussions have occasionally been held concerning

760-635: The daily life of the Benedictine revolved around the eight canonical hours. The monastic timetable, or Horarium , would begin at midnight with the service, or "office", of Matins (today also called the Office of Readings), followed by the morning office of Lauds at 3 am. Before the advent of wax candles in the 14th century, this office was said in the dark or with minimal lighting; and monks were expected to memorise everything. These services could be very long, sometimes lasting till dawn, but usually consisted of

800-455: The establishment of the Kingdom of Jerusalem , Gerard continued his work at the hospital, now under vastly more beneficent conditions. Godfrey of Bouillon , the first Latin ruler of Jerusalem, gave some property to the hospital, and his successor Baldwin I of Jerusalem granted it one-tenth of the spoils of a victory at the Battle of Ramla in 1101. Also in 1101, Roger Borsa , Duke of Apulia, gave

840-770: The hospital were now known as the Hospitallers of St John, and Gerard as the Rector of the Hospital. The Order adopted a rule that adopted components from the Rule of St Benedict and the Rule of St Augustine . The order was now independent, subject only to the papacy (and no longer subject to the Patriarchate of Jerusalem), and free to elect Gerard's successor, and free to receive and own property. Gerard lived for another seven years. He died in his seventies on 3 September, between 1118 and 1121. He

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880-620: The inspiration of Saint Anthony the Great (251–356), ascetic monks led by Saint Pachomius (286–346) formed the first Christian monastic communities under what became known as an Abbot , from the Aramaic abba (father). Within a generation, both solitary as well as communal monasticism became very popular and spread outside of Egypt, first to Palestine and the Judean Desert and thence to Syria and North Africa . Saint Basil of Caesarea codified

920-494: The main principles of the religious life, viz. : the renunciation of one's own will and arming oneself "with the strong and noble weapons of obedience " under the banner of " the true King , Christ the Lord" (Prol. 3). He proposes to establish a "school for the Lord's service" (Prol. 45) in which the "way to salvation" (Prol. 48) shall be taught, so that by persevering in the monastery till death his disciples may "through patience share in

960-413: The monastic day into regular periods of communal and private prayer , sleep, spiritual reading, and manual labour – ut in omnibus glorificetur Deus , "that in all [things] God may be glorified" ( cf. Rule ch. 57.9). In later centuries, intellectual work and teaching took the place of farming, crafts, or other forms of manual labour for many – if not most – Benedictines . Traditionally,

1000-440: The needs of monks in a community environment: namely, to establish due order, to foster an understanding of the relational nature of human beings, and to provide a spiritual father to support and strengthen the individual's ascetic effort and the spiritual growth that is required for the fulfillment of the human vocation, theosis . The Rule of Saint Benedict has been used by Benedictines for 15 centuries, and thus St. Benedict

1040-411: The office of Terce was said, and then High Mass. At noon came the office of Sext and the midday meal. After a brief period of communal recreation, the monk could retire to rest until the office of None at 3pm. This was followed by farming and housekeeping work until after twilight, the evening prayer of Vespers at 6pm, then the night prayer of Compline at 9pm, and retiring to bed, before beginning

1080-669: The order not as boys or youths but after spending part of their adult years leading a secular life) who came to the Holy Land to serve at the abbey of St. Mary of the Latins. Around 1080, the abbot put him in charge of the Hospital of St. John in Jerusalem, which had been built on the site of the Monastery of Saint John the Baptist in the 1060s in addition to the older hospice rebuilt in the 1020s. Prior to

1120-502: The pilgrim route to Jerusalem. The hospital soon overshadowed the abbey of St. Mary of the Latins , which was still its nominal parent organisation, and it may be that because of this, it was deemed appropriate to establish the hospital as a sovereign entity in its own right. This happened in 1113, when Pope Paschal II in Pie Postulatio Voluntatis recognised the hospital as a new religious order. The brothers serving in

1160-512: The precepts for these eastern monasteries in his Ascetic Rule, or Ascetica , which is still used today in the Eastern Orthodox Church . In the West in about the year 500, Benedict became so upset by the immorality of society in Rome that he gave up his studies there, at age fourteen, and chose the life of an ascetic monk in the pursuit of personal holiness, living as a hermit in a cave near

1200-627: The region. Main varietals: Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault, Carignan, Clairette. Martigues was founded by Ramon Berenguer IV , count of Provence in 1232 on the likely site of the Roman camp Maritima Avaticorum. The Gare de Martigues railway station is served by regional trains between Miramas and Marseille. The nearest airport is Marseille Provence Airport (MRS), which is 14.52 km (9 miles) away. CroisiEurope runs river cruises between Martigues (dock near Avenue Louis Sammut, behind City Hall) and either Lyon or Chalon-sur-Saône . The 1st stage of

1240-571: The religious community only making minor changes more in line with the time period relevant to his system. The Rule was translated into Armenian by Nerses of Lampron in the 10th century and is used by the Armenian Catholic Mekhitarists today. It was also translated into Old English by Æthelwold . The Rule opens with a hortatory preface, drawing on the Admonitio ad filium spiritualem , in which Saint Benedict sets forth

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1280-412: The rest of his life. The veneration of Gerard focussed on his humility and faith to such an extent as to eclipse the capabilities as a leader and organiser he clearly possessed. Favoured by historical circumstances, Gerard took advantage of his position as lay administrator of a monastery hospital to found the first truly international religious order. Both his saintliness and his ability are expressed in

1320-399: The rugged region of Subiaco . In time, setting an example with his zeal, he began to attract disciples. After considerable initial struggles with his first community at Subiaco, he eventually founded the monastery of Monte Cassino in 529, where he wrote his Rule near the end of his life. In chapter 73, Saint Benedict commends the Rule of Saint Basil and alludes to further authorities. He

1360-618: The service of others, and insufficient appeal to potential members. These different emphases emerged within the framework of the Rule in the course of history and are to some extent present within the Benedictine Confederation and the Cistercian Orders of the Common and the Strict Observance . Christian monasticism first appeared in the Egyptian desert, before Benedict of Nursia . Under

1400-405: The seventeenth day of the passage of the sun under the sign of Virgo [3 September], he was carried into heaven by the hands of angels. After his death, the Hospitallers tried to preserve Gerard's body and it was kept in the monastery in Jerusalem and later moved to Acre after the fall of the city. When the situation in the Holy Land became precarious, his body was moved to the West. By 1283, his body

1440-527: The siege of Jerusalem. According to these accounts, Gerard would hide bread within the folds of his cloak to feed the hungry Crusaders outside the city walls. When the Muslim rulers discovered Gerard they miraculously only found stones within his cloak. According to other versions, the Muslims believed that Gerard was hoarding money and not paying the proper taxes, and he was arrested and tortured, leaving him crippled for

1480-836: Was contained in a "very precious silver gilt box with many precious stones" in the Hospitaller chapel in Manosque , Provence. His skull was transferred to Monasterio Santa Ursula in Valletta, Malta , in 1749 while the remainder of his relics were destroyed or scattered in the French Revolution. Relics attributed to Gerard continue to be preserved in Provençal churches, including the church of Martigues , one of his possible birthplaces. Other relics belonging to Gerard can be found in Martigues , France , in

1520-411: Was not initially an important part of Benedictine monasticism – monks used the services of their local priest. Because of this, almost all the Rule is applicable to communities of women under the authority of an abbess . This appeal to multiple groups would later make the Rule of Saint Benedict an integral set of guidelines for the development of the Christian faith. Saint Benedict's Rule organises

1560-563: Was probably aware of the Rule written by Pachomius (or attributed to him), and his Rule also shows influence by the Rule of St Augustine of Hippo and the writings of Saint John Cassian . Benedict's greatest debt, however, may be to the anonymous document known as the Rule of the Master , which Benedict seems to have radically excised, expanded, revised and corrected in the light of his own considerable experience and insight. Saint Benedict's work expounded upon preconceived ideas that were present in

1600-546: Was succeeded by Raymond du Puy . The order continued to flourish under Raymond, who first used the title of Grand Master after Roger II of Sicily used this address in letters to Raymond. It was also Raymond who militarised the order. According to descriptions of the operations of hospital from the second half of the 12th century, the men's hospital was divided into eleven wards and could tend to more than 1,000 patients. The hospital admitted all sick, regardless of nationality or religion. The Hospitallers at this time also operated

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