Ansoald ( la, Ansoaldus) was the

bishop of Poitiers The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Poitiers (Latin: ''Archidioecesis Pictaviensis''; French: ''Archidiocèse de Poitiers'') is an archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church in France. The archepiscopal see is in the city of Poitiers. ...

from 676 until about 696.This is according to . , write that his dates are unknown. Ansoald was probably a Burgundian from the region around

Autun Autun () is a subprefecture of the Saône-et-Loire department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region of central-eastern France. It was founded during the Principate era of the early Roman Empire by Emperor Augustus as Augustodunum to give a Ro ...

. He inherited land from both his parents near Chalon-sur-Saône. In the second version of the '' Suffering of Leodegar'', it is claimed that Ansoald was a relative of the martyred

Leodegar Leodegar of Poitiers ( la, Leodegarius; french: Léger; 615 – October 2, 679 AD) was a martyred Burgundian Bishop of Autun. He was the son of Saint Sigrada and the brother of Saint Warinus. Leodegar was an opponent of Ebroin, the Frankish M ...

. Although the second version of the ''Suffering'' was dedicated to Ansoald, it was probably composed in the middle of the 8th century by Ursinus, long after his death. The '' Gesta Dagoberti'', a late and legendary source, claims that Ansoald was passing through

Sicily (man) it, Siciliana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Ethnicity , demographics1_footnotes = , demographi ...

on a diplomatic mission when King

Dagobert I Dagobert I ( la, Dagobertus; 605/603 – 19 January 639 AD) was the king of Austrasia (623–634), king of all the Franks (629–634), and king of Neustria and Burgundy (629–639). He has been described as the last king of the Merovingian dyna ...

died (639). The reported vision of a local hermit named John, supposedly told to Ansoald, describes Dagobert's narrow escape from Hell with the help of some saints. After the return to power of the mayor of the palace Ebroin in 674 or 675, Ansoald hosted the exiled

Philibert of Jumièges Saint Philibert of Jumièges (c. 608–684) was an abbot and Monastery, monastic founder, particularly associated with Jumièges Abbey. Life Philibert was born in Gascony, the only son of Filibaud, a magistrate of Vicus Julius (now Aire-sur ...

and helped him found the new . His lands at Chalon he donated to the new monastery. He also founded a ''

xenodochium In the early Middle Ages, a xenodochium or (from Ancient Greek , or ''xenodocheion''; place for strangers, inn, guesthouse) was either a hostel or hospital, usually specifically for foreigners or pilgrims, although the term could refer to charita ...

'' (hospice) for travellers. The '' Life of Eligius'' claims that Ansoald was close to the circle of followers of Columbanus. According to the ''

Deeds of the Bishops of Cambrai The ''Deeds of the Bishops of Cambrai'' ( la, Gesta episcoporum Cameracensium) is an anonymous Latin history of the diocese of Cambrai. It was commissioned around 1024 by Bishop Gerard I of Cambrai and completed shortly after his death in 1051. It ...

'', Ansoald was at the royal palace when he learned of the miracles that followed the martyrdom of Leodegar. Probably around 681 or 682, he disputed the possession of the body of the martyr with Bishops Hermenar of Autun and Vindician of Cambrai. Ansoald claim the body on the grounds that he was related by blood to the martyr and that Leodegar had also previously been abbot of the in the diocese of Poitiers. Ansoald won possession of the martyr through the drawing of lots. He had a church built to house the body at Saint-Maixent, which was probably dedicated on 30 October 684. Ansoald rebuilt the church of Mazerolles. He has also been credited with the restoration work on the baptistery of Saint-Jean in Poitiers, which is the best preserved Merovingian structure in France.

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