Saint Fulbert of Chartres

Fulbert of Chartres (French: Fulbert de Chartres; 952–970–10 April 1028) was the Bishop of Chartres from 1006 to 1028 and a teacher at the Cathedral school there. Fulbert may have been a pupil of Gerbert of Aurillac, who would later become Pope Sylvester II. He was responsible for the advancement of the Nativity of the Virgin's feast day on September 8 and for one of the many reconstructions of the Chartres Cathedral. Most of the information available about him comes from letters he wrote to secular and religious figures between 1004 and 1028. There is no conclusive evidence as to the exact date or location of Fulbert's birth; sources vary in listing dates from 952 to 970. As to his place of birth, most sources suggest northern France, possibly Picardy, although some say northern Italy. Sources do agree, however, that he was of humble birth. Information from several sources places him at the cathedral school in Rheims in the 980s, where one of his fellow students was the future King Robert II (the Pious) of France. In the early to mid-990s, Fulbert arrived at the cathedral school there. His position is variously described as schoolmaster or assistant. He also assumed some minor ecclesiastical roles in the cathedral but was not a monk. In 1004, he became a deacon, and in 1006 was appointed Bishop of Chartres, a position he maintained until his death on 10 April 1028 or 1029. Again, sources vary, but the majority seem to settle on 1028. There is some dispute over Fulbert's sainthood, which arises from his contemporaries describing him as having a "saintly nature", a description which continued to be used by others after his death. Fulbert was never officially canonized by the Church, but permission was given by Rome for the dioceses of Chartres and Poitiers to celebrate his life on 10 April. His feast is included in Martyrologium Romanum (2004) on 10 April. It has been asserted that he was a disciple of Gerbert of Aurillac, but the matter has raised controversy.