Nivard (Latin: Nivardus/Nivo; Spanish: Nivardo; died 1 September 673) was the Bishop of Reims during the Merovingian Dynasty from approximately 649 until 673. He was later venerated as a medieval Catholic Saint.[1]
Most of what is known about Nivard comes the Frankish priest and chronicler Flodoard and other ecclesiastical sources.[2] Born into a Merovingian noble family, Nivard was the brother-in-law of the Frankish King Childeric II and was educated at the court of King Dagobert I in Metz.[3][4]
He was ordained in the court of Clovis II and served as bishop during the reigns of Clotarius III, Childebertthe Adopted, and Childeric II for an unspecified length of time until his death in 673.[5][3] It is presumed he assumed the bishopric following the death of his predecessor Lando in 649, but most sources only list him as serving from sometime before 667.[1][3][4]
Nivard was known primarily for his generosity, wealth and commitment to living modestly. In the Gallia christiana, in provincias ecclesiasticas distributa, he is described as having "been converted first in the king's court as a man of illustrious character," and credited with expanding the property of church by securing houses, land and slaves.[3] Nivard is remembered well by Flodoard for enriching the church of Reims and obtaining a royal privilege of immunity from certain taxes.[2][6]
He is often credited with rebuilding Hautvilliers Abbey around the year 650 alongside St Berchaire.[7] Nivard also later built the monastery of Saint-Basle de Verzy at his own expense in 664 alongside multiple other churches and houses. Religious scholars credit him with instituting a unique privilege of immunity which recognized the right of the monks in Saint-Basle de Verzy and Hautvilliers to freely elect their abbot.[8][2]
Nivard would later be buried at Hautvilliers Abbey after his death on September 1, 673.[1]
Veneration as a Saint
St Nivard and St Bercharius choosing the location of the abbey of Saint-Pierre d'Hautvillers -Claude Charles, "Saint Nivard donnant les plans du monastère d'Hautvillers"(1715)
According to legend, St. Nivard and St Berchaire chose the site for the Hautvilliers Abbey after dreaming of a dove descending from heaven and landing upon a tree. Saint Nivard was later buried at the abbey upon his death and his relics are still held there.[9][10] Folklore about Saint Nivard was later referenced and played upon by the 14th century poet Eustache Deschamps in some of his narrative works.[11]
In most of his iconography he is depicted beside St Berchaire building the abbey of Saint-Pierre d'Hautvillers or dreaming of a dove.[12]
1 2 3 Duchesne, Louis (1915). Fastes épiscopaux de l'ancienne Gaule, Tome III. Paris: E. de Boccard. pp. 84-85
1 2 3 Sot, Michel. La fonction du couple saint évêque/saint moine dans la mémoire de l'Église de Reims au Xe siècle. In: Les fonctions des saints dans le monde occidental (IIIe-XIIIe siècle) Actes du colloque de Rome (27-29 octobre 1988) Rome: École Française de Rome, 1991. pp. 225-240. (Publications de l'École française de Rome, 149)
1 2 3 4 Sainte-Marthe, Denis de (1751). Gallia christiana, in provincias ecclesiasticas distributa (in Latin). Vol. Tomus nonus (9): de provincia Remensi. Paris: ex Typographia regia. pp. 21-22.
1 2 Holweck, Frederick George (1969). A biographical dictionary of the saints, with a general introduction on hagiology. Detroit: Gale Research Co. p.746.
↑ Cerf, Charles (1861). Histoire et description de Notre-Dame de Reims, Volume 1.
↑ Sautman, Francesca Canadé (1998). Sinnreich-Levi, Deborah (ed.). Eustache Deschamps: French Courtier-Poet, His Work and His World. New York: AMS Press, Inc. pp.195–207.
↑ Songe de saint Nivard, manuscript illumination (France, Paris. Bibliothèque nationale de France, Département des manuscrits, NAF 15944 f.148v)
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