Clotilda
Clotilda (also Clotilde and Chlothilde) is known chiefly for convincing her husband, Clovis, to convert to Catholicism instead of Arianism, an act that would establish the Frankish kingdom as a Catholic nation and create a significant alliance with the papacy.
Clotilda's father was Chilperic, and her grandfather was Gundioc, king of Burgundy, who divided his territory among his four sons when he died. Both of her parents were killed by Gundioc's son Gundobad, and Clotilda and her sister fled to Geneva and her uncle Godegesil's protection. In 493, having heard good reports of the princess, Clovis obtained Gundobad's permission to marry her, and Clotilda became Queen of the Franks.
According to the History of the Franks by Gregory of Tours, Clotilda tirelessly urged her husband to choose Catholicism over the Arian heresy that other Germanic peoples subscribed to. Since the majority of the Franks were also Catholic, this proved a wise political choice as well.
Clotilda retired to Tours after her husband's death and became known for her piety and charitable work. She was buried beside Clovis in the church they had cofounded in Paris, now called Sainte-Geneviève.
Important Dates
Died: June 3, c. 545
On the Web
Saint Clotilda
Concise biography by Godefroid Kurth at the Catholic Encyclopedia.Saint Clotilda
Very brief but hyperlinked bio at the New Catholic Dictionary includes a colorful graphic of the queen holding a church.
Images
Saint Clotilda at Prayer
An illumination of Clotilda praying in the church of Saint Martin of Tours is provided at the Bibliotèque nationale de France. Click the graphic to go to a larger version.
Related Resources
Early Europe
Directory of sites that offer useful resources for the study of Europe in Late Antiquty, or shortly after the fall of Rome.Women and Gender Issues
A multilevel index to online biographies, general introductions and in-depth analyses of women in all walks of life.Hagiography
Indices, primary sources, and general sites focusing on the study of Saints' lives.
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