Rotland of Arles (also ''Rotlandus'', ''Rolland'', d. 18 September 869)
was
archbishop of Arles from c. 851 until his death in 869.
He is mentioned in a letter by
Leo IV in 852 and in an act by
Lothar I in 854.
He participated in the
Council of Valence on Predestination and Grace in 855.
He is again mentioned in a letter by
Louis the German
Louis the German (c. 806/810 – 28 August 876), also known as Louis II of Germany and Louis II of East Francia, was the first king of East Francia, and ruled from 843 to 876 AD. Grandson of emperor Charlemagne and the third son of Louis the P ...
to the bishops of his realm in 863, and in a letter by
Nicolas I dated 12 May 864.
He was the only bishop of Gaul to side with the pope who opposed
Lothar II
Lothair II (835 – 8 August 869) was the king of Lotharingia from 855 until his death. He was the second son of Emperor Lothair I and Ermengarde of Tours. He was married to Teutberga (died 875), daughter of Boso the Elder.
Reign
For political ...
's decision to divorce his wife Teutberga in order to marry
Waltrade of Wormsgau.
He participated in the
Council of Pistres and in the Council of Pavia in 864.
During Rotland's reign, the southern coast of France was plagued by Muslim pirates.
In a raid in
Camargue in September 869, Rotland was captured as he was supervising the organisation of the region's defence. His captors demanded a ransom of weapons and slaves. The ransom was paid, but Rotland had died before he could be released, so the Saracens gave back his body, fully dressed and seated on a chair.
He was buried on 22 September 869 in the crypt of Notre-Dame des Grâces in Arles, between the sarcophagi of saints
Genesius and
Concordius.
References
*Gilles Duport - Histoire de l'Église d'Arles – 1690
*Michel Baudat et Claire-Lise Creissen - Les Saints d'Arles - Rencontre avec le Patrimoine religieux, 2013
*G. de Rey, ''Les invasions des sarrasins en Provence pendant le VIIIe, le IXe et le Xe siècle'', Marseille, 1878
*''
Annales Bertiniani'' s.a. 865, 869.
Bishops in the Carolingian Empire
Archbishops of Arles