William of Volpiano

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Isola San Giulio; William de Volpiano was born here in 962 AD

Saint William of Volpiano (Guillaume de Volpiano; William of Dijon; William of Saint Benignus) (June/July 962—January 1, 1031) was a Burgundo-Italian abbot, monastic reformer, and architect. He was born on the family citadel on the island of San Giulio, Lake Orta, Novara, Piedmont. The son of Count Robert of Volpiano, he was born during an assault on the citadel by the Emperor Otto. The assault being successful, Otto became the sponsor and patron of Count Robert's son.

In 969, he began his education at the Benedictine abbey at Locadio, Vercelli. He became a monk at this abbey. In 987, he became a monk at the Abbey of Cluny under Saint Majolus. Zealous for reform, he reorganized Saint-Sernin abbey on the Rhône River.

1 Saint-Bénigne at Dijon
2 Mont St Michel
3 Saint-Germain-des-Prés
4 Fécamp
5 External links

[edit] Saint-Bénigne at Dijon

He served as abbot of St-Bénigne at Dijon; he was ordained in 990. He built the large Cluniac church in the basilica of Dijon, dedicated to Saint Benignus of Dijon. Under William's direction, and his zeal for the Cluniac reform, St-Bénigne became a center of spirituality, education, and culture. St-Bénigne also became the mother monastery of some forty other monasteries in Burgundy, Lorraine, Normandy, and northern Italy.

[edit] Mont St Michel

He was chosen as building contractor for Mont St Michel in the 11th century. He designed the Romanesque church of the abbey, daringly placing the transept crossing at the top of the mount. Many underground crypts and chapels had to be built to compensate for this weight. These formed the basis for the supportive upward structure that can be seen today.

[edit] Saint-Germain-des-Prés

He also rebuilt the Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés.

[edit] Fécamp

Abbey of Fécamp

In 1001, he was called to reform the Abbey of Fécamp (present-day department of Seine-Maritime) by Richard II, where the Dukes of Normandy had their palace and had chosen to be buried.

William died of natural causes at Fécamp.