MALMESBURY. - Corrupted name of the Benedictine abbey of Maidulfsburg in Wiltshire, England.

It was founded in 669 by Aldhelm, nephew of King Ine and disciple of the Irish monk Maidulf. Aldhelm was its first abbot in 672; he enlarged the church dedicated to the Most Holy Savior and to Sts. Peter and Paul and built two other churches dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary and to St. Michael.

In 958 King Edwy damaged the abbey and expelled the monks, while King Edgar in 974 readmitted them and restored the buildings; the abbey church was adorned with two imposing towers, the monastery flourished, and from it came Pecthelm, first bishop of Whithorn, Æthelheard, bishop first of Winchester and then of Canterbury, Ælfric, bishop of Crediton, John Scotus Eriugena, Faricius of Arezzo, G. Somerset called of M. (v.). The abbey was dissolved in 1539.

For the Malmesbury itinerarium, v. ITINERARI.

Bibliography4 works

BIBL.: T. Perkins, The abbey churches of Bath and M., London 1901; J. Round, The Knight-service of M. abbey, in English historical review, 1917, pp. 249-52; R. R. Luce, Pages from the history of M., Devises 1930; Cottineau, II, col. 1720.

Enrico Josi

@incollection{ec7_malmesbury, author = {Josi, Enrico}, title = {Malmesbury}, booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica}, volume = {VII}, pages = {1923}, note = {Cited by column}, publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico}, address = {Città del Vaticano}, year = {1951}, url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/malmesbury} }

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