Robert de Turlande

Saint Robert is a French catholic saint, born towards 1001, died in Chair-God the April 17th 1067.

It was a Turlande by his father Géraud. It was related with the Montclard, family of the area of Mauriac, by his mother Raingarde, itself sister of the bishop Rencon. Turlande were rather important lords (immediately in lower part of the princes of Auvergne).

Robert de Turlande is born towards 1001, junior by an large family. He is placed under the direction of the canons of Brioude, order more military than religious, in 1018.

He becomes canon in 1026 and is ordered priest. He makes raise a hospital for the poor and the pilgrims who flow to the Saint-Julien basilica. Dissatisfied of the life of the canons, he thinks of leaving the chapter of Saint-Julien and he undertakes a voyage to the Mont Cassin there to study the Règle of saint Benoît and to make mature his projects.

The December 28th 1043, in company of two penitent knights, Etienne de Chaliers and Dalmas, it settles and takes possession of the territory surrounding a called ruined vault Casota and located in a clearing of the forest livradoise close to the Dore and the Senouire. The site of future the Casa Dei was a high place (1 088 m), with the climate hard, unfertile, beaten by snows a long part of the year.

Small thin man “and hail of form” having been familiar of the disease, Robert de Turlande had an attraction pronounced for the eremitic life joint with an indissociable taste of the action. He was characterized by an immense charity, a great faculty of penetration, the kindness and the gift of the word.

In 1050, the work of construction of the monastery is completed. Guaranteed by the bishop of Clermont, Robert will find the king Henri I {{er}} in 1052 which delivers a diploma of protection and place to him the superiors of the Chair-God under the shelter of royal justice.

Until 1067, Robert de Turlande shows an tireless activity and creates in the Massif Central which he traverses length into broad of many foundations: in all, about fifty hearths of prayer and apostolate.

He dies in Chair-God the April 17th 1067.

To the advertisement of its death, the pilgrims run as a crowd to venerate her skin. They are so numerous that the funeral can take place only the April 24th. Very quickly, it is celebrated by the Church like a saint and is canonized by the pope Alexandre II which, in 1070, orders the celebration of its festival the April 24th.

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