THE EPISCOPAL CHARTS FOR THE ABBEY OF SAINT-DENIS IN THE MIDDLE 11th - MIDDLE OF 12th CENTURY

The abbey of Saint-Denis is rightly regarded as one of the major writing centres of the Middle Ages. But was it equally active in all fields of writing and at all times ? An examination of the episcopal charters received by the abbey between the mid eleventh and mid-twelfth centuries suggests that, from the 1050s and at least up to the beginning of the abbatiate of Suger, most episcopal charters for the abbey were produced by their authors' chanceries. This may reflect the development of such chanceries and the almost political role that they were given; nonetheless, it also suggests that Saint-Denis was relatively less interested in writing charters.