FLODOARD
105
FLORENCE
Flodoard (or Frodoard), French historian and
chronicler, b. Mt Epeniay in 894; d. in 966. He was
educated at Reims, where he became canon of the
cathedral and keeper of the episcopal archives. He
visited Rome during the pontificate of Leo VII (936-
939) and was shown much favour by the pope. In
gratitude he wrote a long poem in Latin he.xamcters,
celebrating the deeds of Christ and of the first saints
in Palestine and Antioch, adding a versified narration
of the history of the popes. The whole work, which is
legendary rather than historical, was dedicated to
Archbishop Rotbert of Trier. When his patron and
protector, Archliishop Artold of Reims, was deposed
through the intrigues of the powerful H6ribert, Count
of Vermandois, Flodoard remained loyal to him, and
after Artold's re-establishment became his trusted
counsellor. In 952 he retired to a monastery, probably
that of St. Basol, and became abbot. This dignity he
laid down when seventy years of age.
At the instance of Archbishop Rotbert Flodoard undertook to write a history of the Church of Reims, "Historia Remensis ecclesije", for which he used the episcopal archives as well as the writings of Bishop Hinemar. This work is of the greatest value on ac- count of the completeness of the material as well as the truthfulness of the narration. Flodoard's other great work is the "Annales", which covers the period from 919 to 966. With the most painstaking exactness he narrates in plain, simple language all the events that happened during these years, and thus the work is of the utmost importance for a knowledge of the history of France, Lorraine, and the East Franconian realm. With this chronicle he was occupied almost to the day of his death. An addition was made sub- sequently to cover the period from 976-978. The " His- toria Remensis ecclesiae" was first edited by Sirmond (Paris, 1611); the best edition is that of Heller and Waitz in the "MonumentaGermanije historica: Scrip- tores", XIII,405-599 (Hanover, 1881). The "Annales" were edited by Pertz in the same work. III, 363-408 (Hanover, 1839). The poem was published in Mabil- lon's "Acta Sanctorum", vol. Ill (Paris, 1668-1701). Flodoard's complete works were published with a French translation by the Academy of Reims (Reims, 1854-55, 3 vols.) and in Migne's Latin Patrology, CXXXV, 1-886.
Wattenb\ch. Deutschl. GescJiichlsquellen, ed. Dummler (Stuttsart and Berlin, 1904), I, 457-460; Ebert. Allg. Gexeh. der Lill. des M. A. im Abendlande (Leipzig. 1874-87). Ill, -lOO- 414; Hist. liU. de la France (1733-1763, 1814-1856), VI, 319- 329.
Arthur F. J. Remy.
Flood. See Deluge.
Floreffe, Abbey of, pleasantly situated on the right Imnk of the Sambre, about seven miles south- west of Namur, Belgivmi, owes its foundation to God- frey, Count of Naraur, and his wife Ermensendis. When St. Norbert, in the year after the foundation of his order, returned from Cologne with a rich treasure of relics for his new church at Pr^montr^, Godfrey and Ermensendis went to meet him and received him in their castle at Namur. So edified were they with what they had seen and heard, that they besought the saint to found a house at Floreffe. The charter by which they made over a church and house to Norbert and his order bears the date of 27 November, 1121, so that Floreffe is chronologically speaking, the second abbey of the order. Norbert laid the foundations of the church which was called Salve, and the abbey re- ceived the sweet name of Flos Marite, the Flower of Mary. The chronicles of Floreffe record the following event: While celebrating Ma.ss at Floreffe, the saint saw a drop of Blood issuing from the Sacred Host on the paten. Distrusting his own eyes, he said to the deacon who assist eil him: " Brother, do you see what I see?" "Yes, Father", answered the deacon, "I see a drop of Blood which gives out a brilliant light." The
altar stone on which St. Norlvert celebrated Mass is
still preserved at Floreffe. St. Norbert placeil Richard,
one of his first disciples, at the head of the young com-
munity. The second abbot, Almaric, was commLs-
sioned by Pope Innocent 11 to preach the Gospel in
Palestine. Accompanied by a band of chosen religious
of Floreffe, he journeyed to the Holy Land and
founded the abbey of St. Habacuc (1137). Philip,
Count of N'amur, gave to Weric, the sixth abbot, a large
piece of the Holy Cross which he had received from
his brother Baldwin, Emperor of Constantinople. The
chronicles record that twice, namely in 1204 and 1254,
Blood flowed from this relic on theFeastof the Inven-
tion of the Holy Cross, the miracle being witnessed by
the religious and by a large concourse of people. At
the suppression of the Abbey of Floreffe, the relic was
removed to a place of safety. When a few years ago,
the Norbertine canons, who had been expelled from
France, bought an old Augustinian Monastery at Bois-
Seigneur-Isaac, this precious relic was restored to
them, so that it is again in the custody of the sons of
St. Norbert. All the abbeys and convents founded
by the Abbey of Floreffe have ceased to exist with the
exception of Postel and Leffe. Louis de Fromantau,
elected in 1791, was the fifty-fifth and last abbot of
Floreffe. When the French Republican army over-
ran Belgium, the religious were expelled, and the
abbey with all its possessions was confiscated. Put up
for sale in 1797, it was bought back for the abbot and
his community. After the Concordat the abbot and a
few of his religious returned to the abbey, but so great
were the difficulties that after the death of the last
religious the abbey became the property of the Bishop
of Namur and is now the seat of a flourishing seminary.
F. M. Geudens.
Florence (Lat. Florentia; It. Firenze), Abchdio- CESE OF (Florentina), in the province of Tuscany (C'entral Italy). The city is situated on the Arno in a fertile plain at the foot of the Fiesole hills, whence came its first inhabitants (about 200 B. c). In 82 B. c. Sulla destroyed it because it supported the democratic party at Rome. In 59 B. c. it was rebuilt by Ca-sar at a short distance from its original site. It served then as a military post and commanded the ford of the Arno. Soon afterwards it became a flourishing muni- cipium.
Early Medieval History. — Besieged and prob- ably captured by Totila (541), it was retaken (552) by the Byzantine general Narses. The most famous of its few antiquities dating from Roman times is the amphitheatre known as the Parlagio. In ancient times it was a town of small importance; its prosperity did not begin until the eleventh century. During the Lombard period Florence belonged to the Duchy of Chiusi; after the absorption of the Lombard kingdom by Charlemagne, who spent at Florence the Christmas of 786, it was the residence of a count whose overlord was margrave of Tuscany. In the two centuries of conflict between the popes and the emperors over the feudal legacy of Countess Matilda (d. 1115) the city played a prominent part; it was precisely to this con- flict that the republic owed its wonderful develoj> ment. During this period Florence stood always for the papacy, knowing well that it was thus ensuring its own liberty. In the eleventh and twelfth centuries the Florentines fought successfully against Fiesole, which was destroyed in 1125, and against several neighbouring feudal lords who had harassed the trade of the town, the Alberti, Guido Guerra, the Buondel- monti (whose castle of Montebuoni was destroyed in 1135), the ITberti. the Cadolinghi, the ITlialdini, and others. The.se nobles were all obliged to take up their residence in the town, ami spend there at least three months of every year. In 1113 the Florentines, never partial to the German Emperors, rose against the im- perial vicar in Florence. The first public meeting of
