Bishop of Metz
Drogo of Metz took which position from 823 to 848?
Drogo of Metz Drogo ( 17 June 801 – 8 December 855 ) , also known as Dreux or Drogon , was an illegitimate son of Frankish emperor Charlemagne by the concubine Regina . Early life and family . Drogo was born on 17 June 801 at Aachen , Gaul ( Aix-La-Chappelle ) . The Annales Weissemburgenses record Drogo’s birth as 802 aut 803 15 Kal Iul . Aachen was the winter palace of the Carolingian empire located in the north-east section of Gaul , close to the Saxon lands . This area is now in Nordrhein-Westfalen , Germany . Einhard names Drogonem et Hugum as sons of Charlemagne by his concubine Reginam . Drogo’s mother , Regina , was one of four concubines taken by Charlemagne in 800 after the death of his Alemannian wife who had borne him no children . Drogo had many half-brothers and sisters ( through his father , Charlemagne ) but only one full brother , Hugh ( 802–844 ) , who was the younger . He and his brother Hugh , and their half-brother Thierry , were brought up in the palace of their half-brother Louis the Pious ( Emperor Louis I ) after their father died . In the collection of Einhard’s Charters , there is one written in 815 by Louis the Pious in which he grants a village ( Mulinheim , later Seligenstadt ) situated on the banks of the Main River to Einhard and his wife . This property was once owned by a Count Drogo . This person could possibly be identified as Charlemagnes son Drogo , although he was only 14 years old in 815 . Drogos brother , Hugh , was ordained and served as the abbot of Charroux , St-Quentin , Lobbes , St-Bertin and Noaille . He later served as archchancellor to Louis the Pious from 834 to 840 and became archchaplain to Charles the Bald ( son of Louis the Pious ) in 841 after the battle of Fontenoy . Hugh was killed in battle at Angoulême in June 844 . The Annales Fuldenses record that Hugo abbas , patruus Karoli et Rihboto abbas , Rhaban quoque signifer was killed 844 VII Id Jun in the battle in which Pippini duces ( Pippins generals ) defeated the army of Charles the Bald , King of the Franks . As one of the few children to outlive his father , Drogos prospects for political power were very favourable . Only one older son of Charlemagne remained , and was eager to ensure his few opponents were placated . Career . Forced out of the royal court when Louis the Pious became Emperor in 814 , Drogo and Hugh were forcibly tonsured and put under free custody into monasteries . Drogo became a cleric in 818 and abbot of Luxeuil in 820 . In 822 , as a deeply religious man , Louis performed penance ( for causing the death of Bernard of Italy and other issues ) , at his palace of Attigny near Vouziers in the Ardennes , before Pope Paschal I , and a council of ecclesiastics and nobles of the realm that had been convened for the reconciliation of Louis with his three sons . Also in attendance were his three younger half-brothers , Drogo , whom he soon installed as Bishop of Metz in 823 ( the previous bishop was Gondulphus of Metz , 819 to 822 ) , Hugo , who he soon made Abbot of St-Quentin , and Theodoric . Drogo became less significant at court and as a court figure by 829 – he had no formal position and did not become a player again until the 830s . Throughout the 830s Louis the Pious was busy with the rebellions of his sons and assorted counts , dukes , abbots , bishops and archbishops . This was a period when loyalty and oaths were of paramount importance so it is probable that Drogo’s loyalty to Louis the Pious would have been greatly appreciated . Louis was re-installed as Emperor at Metz in 835 after his temporary deposition in 833–834 . Drogo wielded much influence in the last years of Louis the Pious’ reign . According to the Astronomer , Drogo was Louis the Pious’ daily confessor . It was Drogo who finally persuaded Louis to forgive his rebellious sons . Drogo became Archbishop of Metz in 844 and remained in this position for the duration of his life . Drogo was also the most prominent figure at Louis the Pious’ deathbed . On his deathbed , Louis asked Drogo to send the royal regalia ( crown and sword ) to his son Lothar thus indicating the transfer of power . Drogo took charge of his remains and had them transported from the island in the Rhine where he died . The Annales Fuldenses record that Druogonem archicapellum et Adalbertum comitem ( Arch-chaplain Drogo and Count Adalbert ) were sent to the east bank of the Rhine in 840 to take the body to Metz where Drogo presided over the funeral rites . The Sepulchre of Louis the Pious in St . Arnulf in Metz has often been considered as representative of the family tradition . Arnulf of Metz , mayor of the palace in Austrasia , is supposed to be the progenitor of the Carolingians ( Arnulflings ) . But in fact , Saint-Arnulf of Metz was primarily a burial place for the women of the Carolingian family . Before or after Louis the Pious , no Carolingian king was buried there . One could instead see this sepulchre as a sign of archbishop Drogos ambition of elevating his city of Metz by making it the cradle of the Carolingian family . In all probability he wished to establish Saint- Arnoul , whose patron saint was a family ancestor , as the royal mausoleum of the Carolingians ( see K.U . Jaschke , Die Karolingergenealogien aus Metz , in list of sources ) . In 844 , when Sergius was elected Pope Sergius II , Emperor Lothar sent his son Louis to Rome accompanied by Drogo who had recently been raised from bishop to archbishop of Metz . Sergius appointed Drogo his Vicar apostolic for the Frankish lands of France and Germany . Drogo also served as Vicar to Pope Leo IV and Benedict III in France . In October 844 , the three sons of Louis the Pious ( brothers Lothar , Louis the German and Charles the Bald ) met at Thionville to attempt to unite the three portions of the kingdom in peace . Drogo presided over the assembly and offered his support to Lothar . His control over the assembly came to nothing as the attempt was referred for future action and eventually Drogo ceased to preside . Drogo supported Louis the Pious in 839-40 during the Third Civil War between Louis and his sons . Once Louis died , he supported Lothar then changed sides to support Charles in 841 , then changed back to support Lothar . Drogo remained extremely loyal to his half-brother Louis the Pious and amassed great power under him . Drogo was also one of the greatest patrons of the arts in the 9th century . His influence began to wane after Louis death , and his influence fell even more after the death of his only full brother , Hugh , in 844 . Still , he managed to ensure the production of the Drogo Sacramentary , which is named for him . The Drogo Sacramentary was written and painted around 845–855 for his personal use , as Bishop of Metz . The manuscript , which is on vellum , is the work of several artists employed by the imperial court . The sacramentary would have been used in Metz’s Carolingian cathedral and constitutes a precious record of the liturgical practices of the time and the accoutrements used in the liturgy . This manuscript is one of the monuments of Carolingian book illumination and contains all the prayers which would have been spoken by Drogo , as the officiating priest , during the course of the year . It has become a monument to his name and one of the treasures of the Bibliothèque Nationale de France . Metz was an important bishopric : Charles the Bald was crowned in the Basilica , and both Drogo and Louis the Pious are buried there . In 843 Metz became the capital of the kingdom of Lotharingia , and several diets and councils were held there . Drogos position enabled him to be one of the great patrons of 9th-century arts . He embellished his cathedral in Metz with works which rank among the highlights of Carolingian art in beauty and preciousness . In 852 he translated the relics of St . Celeste of Metz ( see Clement of Metz ) at Marmoutier , together with those of Saint Author ( see Abbé Petin , Dictionnaire hagiographique in list of sources ) . There is a particularly interesting entry in the Annales Bertiniani : anno 839 Dominicae nativitatis festum hilariter , a Drogone fratre suo et Metensis urbis episcopo decentissime susceptus , in eadem civitate caelebravit . [ He ( Louis the Pious ) joyfully celebrated Christmas at Metz , where he had been received handsomely by his brother Drogo , the bishop of that city. ] Death . Drogo died on 8 December 855 after falling into the River Oignon , at Himeriacum , Bourgogne , while fishing . He is interred at the Abbey Church of St . Arnulf in Metz . A list of bishops of Metz records domnus Drogo archiepiscopus et sacri palate summus capellanus , filius Karoli imperatoris ( Drogo lord archbishop and sacred palace chief chaplain , son of Emperor Charles ) as 40th bishop , holding the position for 32 years , 5 months and 7 days . After his death , he was succeeded as bishop of Metz by Adventius ( 858 to 875 ) .