The Capitulary of Quierzy () was a

capitulary A capitulary (Medieval Latin ) was a series of legislative or administrative acts emanating from the Frankish court of the Merovingian and Carolingian dynasties, especially that of Charlemagne, the first emperor of the Romans in the west since t ...

of the emperor Charles II, comprising a series of measures for safeguarding the administration of his realm during his second Italian expedition, as well as directions for his son

Louis the Stammerer Louis II, known as Louis the Stammerer (french: Louis le Bègue; 1 November 846 – 10 April 879), was the king of Aquitaine and later the king of West Francia. He was the eldest son of Emperor Charles the Bald and Ermentrude of Orléans. Louis ...

, who was entrusted with the government during his father's absence. It has traditionally been seen as the basis on which the major vassals of the kingdom of France such as the counts of Flanders, were enabled to become more independent. It was promulgated on 14 June 877 at

Quierzy-sur-Oise Quierzy (), also known as Quierzy-sur-Oise (; formerly in la, Cariciacum, ''Carisiacum'', ''Charisagum'', ''Karisiacum''), is a commune in the Aisne department in Hauts-de-France in northern France, straddling the Oise River between Noyon a ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

(''

département In the administrative divisions of France, the department (french: département, ) is one of the three levels of government under the national level (" territorial collectivities"), between the administrative regions and the communes. Ninety ...

'' of Aisne), the site of a Carolingian royal palace, before a great concourse of clergy and nobles. Among the participants were

Hincmar, Archbishop of Reims Hincmar (; ; la, Hincmarus; 806 – 21 December 882), archbishop of Reims, was a Frankish jurist and theologian, as well as the friend, advisor and propagandist of Charles the Bald. He belonged to a noble family of northern Francia. Biography ...

, Gauzlin, Bishop of Paris, and

Reginar, Duke of Lorraine Reginar Longneck or Reginar I ( 850–915), la, Rainerus or ''Ragenerus Longicollus'', was a leading nobleman in the kingdom of Lotharingia, variously described in contemporary sources with the titles of count, margrave, missus dominicus and du ...

. In the document, Charles takes elaborate precautions against Louis, whom he apparently deeply distrusted. He forbids him to stay in certain palaces and in particular forests, and compels him to swear not to despoil his stepmother Richilde of her allodial lands and benefices. At the same time, Charles refuses to allow Louis to nominate to the countships left vacant in the emperor's absence. In principle the ''honores'' (benefices) and the office of a deceased count must be given to his son, who would be placed provisionally in possession by Louis; the definitive investiture, however, could be conferred only by Charles. The capitulary thus served as a guarantee to the aristocracy that the general usage would be followed, and also as a means of reassuring the counts who had accompanied the emperor into Italy as to the fate of their benefices. It cannot, however, be regarded as introducing a new principle, and the old opinion that the capitulary of Quierzy was a legislative text establishing the hereditary system of fiefs has been proved to be untenable. An earlier capitulary of Charles the Bald was promulgated at Quierzy on 14 February 857, and aimed especially at the repression of brigandage.

References

*Full English translation: http://turbulentpriests.group.shef.ac.uk/winning-political-consent-carolingian-style/ *Capitulary of Quierzy (Kiersky), ''Encyclopædia Britannica, 11th Edition'', 1911 *Nelson, Janet L., ''Charles the Bald'', Longman Publishing, London, 1992, pages 248-250 *Bury, J. B. (Editor), ''The Cambridge Medieval History, Volume III: Germany and the Western Empire'', Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1922 *E. Bourgeois, ''Le Capitulaire de Kiersy-sur-Oise'' (Paris, 1885), and ''L'Assemblée de Quierzy sur-Oise'' in ''Études d'histoire du moyen âge, dédiées à

Gabriel Monod Gabriel Monod (7 March 1844 – 10 April 1912) was a French historian, the nephew of Adolphe Monod. Biography Born in Ingouville, Seine-Maritime, he was educated at Le Havre then went to Paris to complete his education, lodging with the de Pre ...

'' (Paris, 1896). {{EB1911 article with no significant updates Carolingian Empire 877

See also

References