FULBERT OF CHARTRES. - Bishop and theologian, b. ca. 960, d. at Chartres on 10 April 1928. He is called French by some, probably from Aquitaine, while Mabillon instead considers him Italian, on the basis of a letter from F. to Einhard (PL 141, 192). From the same letter it is gathered that he learned the first rudiments of knowledge from an Italian bishop, from whom he also received the minor orders. He was then in Rome, attached to the Library, where he met the famous Gerbert of Aurillac (later Pope Sylvester II). Having gone on to the school of Reims, he had as a companion the son of Hugh Capet, Robert, later king of France, with whom he maintained friendly relations. In 987 (according to others in 992) he went, at the invitation of Bishop Odo, or of his old fellow-disciple Heribert, to Chartres, where he was head of that renowned school, to which students flocked not only from France but also from Italy and from Germany, and where he also practiced medicine.
F. was not a monk, as some hold, but he had close relations with the most celebrated monastic personalities of his time (Odo of Cluny, Richard abbot of Fleury). In 1906, with the favor of King Robert, he was designated to the episcopal see of Chartres and was consecrated by Leotheric, archbishop of Sens, who had been his fellow-disciple at Reims.
Scanty and fragmentary are the reports concerning his pastoral activity: having given up the practice of medicine, he continued teaching, and by William, duke of Aquitaine, he was appointed treasurer of St. Hilary of Poitiers. He rebuilt the cathedral of Notre-Dame of Chartres (destroyed by a fire in Sept. 1920) with the munificent help of Robert king of France, Stephen king of Hungary and Canute, king of England and of Denmark.
Deeming himself unequal to his office of bishop, he thought of resigning, but was dissuaded from it by Odo of Cluny. As a member of the Council of State, he had a great part in the political affairs of his time.
The literary production attributed to F. comprises hagiographic works (of doubtful authenticity), among them the Life of St. Obert (d. ca. 607) bishop of Arras and of Cambrai, poetic compositions in various rhythms on sacred and profane subjects, among them autobiographical poems and mnemonic verses on the liberal arts; 9 sermons, of which five on the purification and on the nativity of the Madonna, of whom he was particularly devout; furthermore two treatises, the first of which has as its subject the passage: Minit Herodes rex annus, ut affligeret quandam de Ecclesia (Act. 12, 1) and the second with the title Tractatus contra Iudaeos, in which he demonstrates that the prophecy of Jacob Non auferetur sceptrum de Iuda (Gen. 49, 10) was fulfilled in Jesus Christ. His 128 letters, regarded in the Middle Ages as models of epistolary style, are important, especially those that refer to the discipline of the Church and to the liturgy, because they illuminate its practice in the 11th century. Among the letters the most interesting is the one addressed to Adeodatus De tribus quae sunt necessario ad profactum Christianae religionis (ca. 1007), in which he illustrates the mystery of the Trinity, the nature of Baptism and the Eucharist.
Bibliography7 works
Niccolò Del Re