Saint Martin's tomb is the great shrine of western France, and the canons who keep it are lords of Châteauneuf ('Martinopolis'), the walled town round the basilica, separate from the old Cité of Tours; the two will be joined in one wall only in 1356.
Their abbot is the king of France, while the ground is Angevin: Touraine is John's. Roger of Howden reports that Richard drove the canons out in 1194 for siding with Philip (not checked against a source here).
Who holds it
- Name
- Philip Augustus as lay abbot; the treasurer of the chapter on 1 January 1200 is not pinned
- Title
- Abbot of Saint-Martin (the king of France), with the treasurer and chapter of canons
- Since
- the kings have been abbots since Hugh Capet
- Confidence
- medium
The kings of France held the title of lay abbot of Saint-Martin from Hugh Capet until 1789. The chapter is run by its treasurer and canons; Rotrou of Perche, now bishop of Châlons, had been its treasurer.
What it holds
- Châteauneuf: lordship of the town round the basilica, separate from the Cité of Tours
- Lands and churches of the chapter (not detailed here)
How it was acquired
Ancient royal and comital gifts to Saint Martin's shrine; the king's lay abbacy since Hugh Capet.
How things stand that morning
Held by the chapter, with divided loyalties: its abbot is Philip, its country John's.
Wealth
Pilgrims to Saint Martin, the market and dues of Châteauneuf, and the chapter's lands.
Threats
- The Angevin succession war in Touraine
- The burghers of Châteauneuf
Advocates and rivals
The king of France as abbot; the Angevin count of Anjou and Touraine (John), whose officers hold Tours; the archbishop of Tours in the Cité; the burghers of Châteauneuf.
Places of note
- Abbey of Marmoutier: Great Benedictine abbey across the Loire with priories from Brittany to Guernsey (Saint-Magloire of Léhon was confirmed to it in 1198); a network of priories rather than a block of lordship, so not drawn as a record
- Basilica of Saint-Martin: Shrine of Saint Martin, heart of Châteauneuf
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: The royal abbacy and the separate town are attested; the 1194 expulsion is from memory of Roger of Howden and is not checked; the treasurer on 1 January 1200 is not pinned.
On the map: A small disc for the walled town of Châteauneuf.
Primary sources for Angevin lands
Chronicles, registers, sagas and inscriptions written in or near 1200 that cover this entry. Each has its own page with editions, translations and where to read it.
- Chronicle of Alberic of Trois-Fontaines, Alberic of Trois-Fontaines (about 1227 to 1241, at the Cistercian abbey of Trois-Fontaines in Champagne). The widest net of any Latin chronicle for 1200, compiled from dozens of sources, many now lost. Read online
- Chronicles of Saint-Martial of Limoges, Bernard Itier and other monks of Saint-Martial; Geoffrey of Vigeois for the earlier chronicle (Geoffrey's chronicle to 1184; Bernard Itier's notes about 1195 to 1225). Bernard Itier, librarian of Saint-Martial, kept dated notes through 1200 of what reached Limoges: Richard's death at Chalus in 1199, the viscounts of Limoges and the lords of the Limousin, John's passage through Aquitaine in 1200 and the affairs of Angouleme and the Lusignans, and the abbey's own elections and prices. Read online
- Chronicles of the Churches of Anjou (Saint-Aubin, Saint-Serge, Saint-Florent and others), Various (monks of Angers and the Loire) (11th to 13th centuries; the Saint-Aubin annals run to the 1220s). The Angevin houses' own annals of the succession crisis in their city: Arthur received at Angers in 1199 with Constance and the Breton and Angevin barons, John's counter-moves, the defection of William des Roches and the Angevin lords to John, and the peace of 1200 that left Arthur John's vassal. Read online
- The Great Chronicle of Tours, Anonymous (a canon of Saint-Martin of Tours) (about 1227). The Loire valley's view of the Angevin succession. Read online
- Universal Chronicle of the Anonymous of Laon, Anonymous (an English-born canon of Laon) (about 1219). A Picard chronicle whose author had lived in England and keeps an eye on both kingdoms. Read online
- Chronicle of Roger of Howden, Roger of Howden (about 1192 to 1201). The fullest single narrative for the year. Read online
- Chronicle; Deeds of the Kings, Gervase of Canterbury (Chronica about 1188 to 1199; Gesta Regum about 1199 to 1210). The Chronica stops in 1199, so for 1200 the witness is the briefer Gesta Regum, which notes John's peace with Philip, the coronation of Isabella at Westminster on 8 October 1200, and matters touching Canterbury: the archbishop Hubert Walter as chancellor, the cathedral priory's quarrel with him, and the Lambeth college dispute lately settled by the pope. Read online
- English Chronicle of Ralph of Coggeshall, Ralph of Coggeshall (about 1200 to 1224, in stages). Short but independent entries for 1200 from a Cistercian house in Essex: John's levy on the Cistercians and the carucage, the peace with Philip, the king's new marriage and the queen's coronation, and the death of Hugh of Lincoln. Read online
14 more in the sources library for France and Iberia.
Sources and studies
- Basilique Saint-Martin de Tours (fr.wikipedia)
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Châlons (en.wikipedia, on Rotrou of Perche as treasurer)
- Abbaye de Marmoutier (Tours) (fr.wikipedia)
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.