89-630: Stansted Mountfitchet Castle , also termed simply Mountfitchet Castle , is a Norman ringwork and bailey fortification in Stansted Mountfitchet , Essex , England. The site is currently in use as a Living history museum. The castle was built following the Norman Conquest of England by the Montfitchet family . It was constructed on high ground with a ringwork defence, enclosing around 0.5 acres (0.20 ha), and
178-473: A bailey complex, enclosing 1 acre (0.40 ha) on slightly lower ground. Within the ringwork was a keep , within a small, round enclosure. It is believed to have been an early Iron Age fort and Roman, Saxon and Viking settlement. Artefacts found on the site from these periods support this belief. In 1066 the site was attacked by the Normans and Robert Gernon built his castle here, making it his chief seat and
267-557: A few Normans, who became unpopular. Chief among them was Robert, abbot of the Norman abbey of Jumièges, who had known Edward from the 1030s and came to England with him in 1041, becoming bishop of London in 1043. According to the Vita Edwardi , he became "always the most powerful confidential adviser to the king". In ecclesiastical appointments, Edward and his advisers showed a bias against candidates with local connections, and when
356-494: A further five, work was beginning on some of the earliest of the great stone castles . For example, Hugh de Lacy built a Motte-and-bailey castle on the site of the present day Trim Castle , County Meath, which was attacked and burned in 1173 by the Irish king Ruaidrí Ua Conchobair . De Lacy, however, then constructed a stone castle in its place, which enclosed over three acres within its walls, and this could not be burned down by
445-446: A man – of outstanding height, and distinguished by his milky white hair and beard, full face and rosy cheeks, thin white hands, and long translucent fingers; in all the rest of his body he was an unblemished royal person. Pleasant, but always dignified, he walked with eyes downcast, most graciously affable to one and all. If some cause aroused his temper, he seemed as terrible as a lion, but he never revealed his anger by railing." This, as
534-600: A martyr. In the 1230s, King Henry III became attached to the cult of Saint Edward, and he commissioned a new life, by Matthew Paris . Henry also constructed a grand new tomb for Edward in a rebuilt Westminster Abbey in 1269. Henry III also named his eldest son after Edward. Until about 1350, Edmund the Martyr , Gregory the Great , and Edward the Confessor were regarded as English national saints, but Edward III preferred
623-742: A sequence of styles has been attributed to Thomas Rickman in his 1817 work An Attempt to Discriminate the Styles of English Architecture from the Conquest to the Reformation . In this work he used the labels "Norman, Early English, Decorated, and Perpendicular". The more inclusive term romanesque was used of the Romance languages in English by 1715, and was applied to architecture of the eleventh and twelfth centuries from 1819. Although Edward
712-516: A series of strokes which led to his death. He was too weak to attend the consecration of his new church at Westminster , which had been substantially completed in 1065, on 28 December. Edward probably entrusted the kingdom to Harold and Edith shortly before he died at Westminster on 5 January 1066. On 6 January he was buried in Westminster Abbey , and Harold was crowned on the same day. Starting as early as William of Malmesbury in
801-507: A sister, Godgifu . In charters he was always listed behind his older half-brothers, showing that he ranked beneath them. During his childhood, England was the target of Viking raids and invasions under Sweyn Forkbeard and his son, Cnut . Following Sweyn's seizure of the throne in 1013, Emma fled to Normandy , followed by Edward and Alfred, and then by Æthelred. Sweyn died in February 1014, and leading Englishmen invited Æthelred back on
890-427: A son as hostage, who were sent to Normandy. The Godwins' position disintegrated as their men were not willing to fight the king. When Stigand, who was acting as an intermediary, conveyed the king's jest that Godwin could have his peace if he could restore Alfred and his companions alive and well, Godwin and his sons fled, going to Flanders and Ireland. Edward repudiated Edith and sent her to a nunnery, perhaps because she
979-406: A style must be assessed as an integral whole rather than an aggregate of features, and while some include these developments within the Norman or Romanesque styles, others describe them as transitional or "Norman–Gothic Transitional". A few websites use the term "Norman Gothic", but it is unclear whether they refer to the transitional style or to the Norman style as a whole. Neo-Norman architecture
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#17327906950631068-510: A successful skirmish near Southampton , and then retreated back to Normandy. He thus showed his prudence, but he had some reputation as a soldier in Normandy and Scandinavia. In 1037, Harold was accepted as king, and the following year he expelled Emma, who retreated to Bruges . She then summoned Edward and demanded his help for Harthacnut, but he refused as he had no resources to launch an invasion, and disclaimed any interest for himself in
1157-444: A succession of receding semicircular arches, often decorated with mouldings, typically of chevron or zig-zag design; sometimes there is a tympanum at the back of the head of the arch, which may feature sculpture representing a Biblical scene. Norman windows are mostly small and narrow, generally of a single round-headed light; but sometimes, especially in a bell tower , divided by a shaft into two lights. Viking invaders arrived at
1246-463: A typical member of the rustic nobility". He appeared to have a slim prospect of acceding to the English throne during this period, and his ambitious mother was more interested in supporting Harthacnut, her son by Cnut. Cnut died in 1035, and Harthacnut succeeded him as king of Denmark . It is unclear whether he intended to keep England as well, but he was defending his position in Denmark and thus
1335-523: Is a defining point of Norman architecture. Grand archways are designed to evoke feelings of awe and are very commonly seen as the entrance to large religious buildings such as cathedrals. Norman arches are semicircular in form. Early examples have plain, square edges; later ones are often enriched with the zig-zag and roll mouldings. The arches are supported on massive columns , generally plain and cylindrical , sometimes with spiral decoration; occasionally, square-section piers are found. Main doorways have
1424-553: Is a type of Romanesque Revival architecture based on Norman Romanesque architecture. There is sometimes confusion, especially in North America, between this style and revivalist versions of vernacular or later architecture of Normandy , such as the " Norman farmhouse style " popular for larger houses. Romanesque Revival versions focus on the arch and capitals, and decorated doorways. There are two examples in Manchester:
1513-464: Is regarded by most historians as an unlikely saint, and his canonisation as political, although some argue that his cult started so early that it must have had something credible to build on. Edward displayed a worldly attitude in his church appointments. When he appointed Robert of Jumièges as Archbishop of Canterbury in 1051, he chose the leading craftsman Spearhafoc to replace Robert as Bishop of London . Robert refused to consecrate him, saying that
1602-408: The opus gallicum technique to Italy. Their clever use of the local stone artisans, together with the vast riches amassed from their enslaved population, made such tremendous feats possible, some as majestic as those of the ancient Roman structures they tried to emulate. Besides the encastellation of the countryside, the Normans erected several religious buildings which still survive. They edified
1691-481: The Church of Saint-Étienne at Caen, in 1067. This would eventually form a model for the larger English cathedrals some 20 years later, after they had invaded and conquered England. In England, Norman nobles and bishops had influence before the Norman Conquest of 1066, and Norman influences affected late Anglo-Saxon architecture . Edward the Confessor was brought up in Normandy and in 1042 brought masons to work on
1780-547: The Isle of Wight . There, Edward was received as king in return for his oath that he would continue the laws of Cnut. According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle , Edward was sworn in as king alongside Harthacnut, but a diploma issued by Harthacnut in 1042 describes him as the king's brother. Following Harthacnut's death on 8 June 1042, Godwin, the most powerful of the English earls, supported Edward, who succeeded to
1869-534: The cathedral at Messina consecrated in 1197. However, here the high Gothic campanile is of a later date and should not be confused with the early Gothic built during the Norman period; which featured pointed arches and windows rather than the flying buttresses and pinnacles later to manifest themselves in the Gothic era. After its Norman conquest in 1091, Malta saw the construction of several Norman pieces of architecture. Many have been demolished and rebuilt over
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#17327906950631958-462: The 11th and 12th centuries. In particular the term is traditionally used for English Romanesque architecture . The Normans introduced large numbers of castles and fortifications including Norman keeps , and at the same time monasteries , abbeys , churches and cathedrals, in a style characterised by the usual Romanesque rounded arches (particularly over windows and doorways) and especially massive proportions compared to other regional variations of
2047-497: The 11th century have the saintly reputation which he later enjoyed, largely through the efforts of the Westminster monks themselves". After 1066, there was a subdued cult of Edward as a saint, possibly discouraged by the early Norman abbots of Westminster, which gradually increased in the early 12th century. Osbert of Clare , the prior of Westminster Abbey, then started to campaign for Edward's canonisation, aiming to increase
2136-480: The Battle of Hastings, Harold sent William an envoy who admitted that Edward had promised the throne to William but argued that this was overridden by his deathbed promise to Harold. In reply, William did not dispute the deathbed promise but argued that Edward's prior promise to him took precedence. In Stephen Baxter 's view, Edward's "handling of the succession issue was dangerously indecisive, and contributed to one of
2225-823: The Confessor built the original Westminster Abbey in Romanesque style (now all replaced by later rebuildings), its construction predates the Norman Conquest: it is still believed to have been the earliest major Romanesque building in England. No other significant remaining Romanesque architecture in Britain can clearly be shown to predate the Norman Conquest. However, historians believe that many surviving "Norman" elements in buildings–nearly all churches–may well in fact be Anglo-Saxon elements. The Norman arch
2314-525: The Conqueror's grandfather, Duke Richard II , was the brother of Edward the Confessor's mother, Emma of Normandy , so the two men were first cousins once removed, and there was a blood tie between them. William may have visited Edward during Godwin's exile, and he is thought to have promised William the succession at this time, but historians disagree on how seriously he meant the promise, and whether he later changed his mind. Edmund Ironside's son, Edward
2403-524: The Exile , had the best claim to be considered Edward's heir. He had been taken as a young child to Hungary , and in 1054 Bishop Ealdred of Worcester visited the Holy Roman Emperor , Henry III to secure his return, probably with a view to becoming Edward's heir. The exile returned to England in 1057 with his family but died almost immediately. His son Edgar , who was then about six years old,
2492-519: The Godwin brothers controlled all of England subordinately apart from Mercia . It is not known whether Edward approved of this transformation or whether he had to accept it, but from this time he seems to have begun to withdraw from active politics, devoting himself to hunting, which he pursued each day after attending church. In the 1050s, Edward pursued an aggressive and generally successful policy in dealing with Scotland and Wales . Malcolm Canmore
2581-595: The Great 's son – and his own half-brother – Harthacnut . He restored the rule of the House of Wessex after the period of Danish rule since Cnut conquered England in 1016. When Edward died in 1066, he was succeeded by his wife's brother Harold Godwinson , who was defeated and killed in the same year at the Battle of Hastings by the Normans under William the Conqueror . Edward's young great-nephew Edgar Ætheling of
2670-400: The House of Wessex was proclaimed king after the Battle of Hastings, but was never crowned and was peacefully deposed after about eight weeks. Historians disagree about Edward's fairly long 24-year reign. His nickname reflects the traditional image of him as unworldly and pious. Confessor reflects his reputation as a saint who did not suffer martyrdom as opposed to his uncle, King Edward
2759-957: The Irish. The years between 1177 and 1310 saw the construction of some of the greatest of the Norman castles in Ireland. The Normans settled mostly in an area in the east of Ireland, later known as the Pale , and among other buildings they constructed were Swords Castle in Fingal (North County Dublin), Dublin Castle and Carrickfergus Castle in County Antrim. The Normans began constructing castles, their trademark architectural piece, in Italy from an early date. William Iron Arm built one at an unidentified location (Stridula) in Calabria in 1045. After
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2848-470: The Martyr . Some portray Edward the Confessor's reign as leading to the disintegration of royal power in England and the advance in power of the House of Godwin , because of the infighting that began after his death with no heirs to the throne. Biographers Frank Barlow and Peter Rex, on the other hand, portray Edward as a successful king, one who was energetic, resourceful and sometimes ruthless; they argue that
2937-643: The Mezzogiorno ;: Sicily 's Norman period lasted from c. 1061 until about 1200. The architecture was decorated in gilded mosaics such as that at the cathedral at Monreale . The Palatine Chapel in Palermo built in 1130 is perhaps the strongest example of this. The interior of the dome , (itself a Byzantine feature), is decorated in a mosaic depicting Christ Pantocrator accompanied by his angels . During Sicily's later Norman era early Gothic influences can be detected such as those in
3026-530: The Norman conquest shortly after his death tarnished his image. However, Richard Mortimer argues that the return of the Godwins from exile in 1052 "meant the effective end of his exercise of power", citing Edward's reduced activity as implying "a withdrawal from affairs". About a century after his death, in 1161, Pope Alexander III canonised the king. Edward was one of England's national saints until King Edward III adopted Saint George (George of Lydda) as
3115-473: The Romanesque style of the Franks. By 950, they were building stone keeps . The Normans were among the most travelled peoples of Europe, exposing them to a wide variety of cultural influences which became incorporated in their art and architecture. They elaborated on the early Christian basilica plan. Their churches were originally longitudinal with side aisles and an apse. They then began to add towers , as at
3204-463: The aim of adding it to his territory. In 1053, Edward ordered the assassination of the south Welsh prince Rhys ap Rhydderch in reprisal for a raid on England, and Rhys's head was delivered to him. In 1055, Gruffydd ap Llywelyn established himself as the ruler of Wales, and allied himself with Ælfgar of Mercia, who had been outlawed for treason. They defeated Earl Ralph at Hereford, and Harold had to collect forces from nearly all of England to drive
3293-482: The anniversary of his death, 5 January, the date he is inscribed in the Martyrologium Romanum . The Church of England 's calendar of saints designates 13 October as a Lesser Festival . Each October the abbey holds a week of festivities and prayer in his honour. Edward is also regarded as a patron saint of difficult marriages. The Vita Ædwardi Regis states "[H]e was a very proper figure of
3382-405: The brothers to join them in marching south. They met Harold at Northampton, and Tostig accused Harold before the king of conspiring with the rebels. Tostig seems to have been a favourite with the king and queen, who demanded that the revolt be suppressed, but neither Harold nor anyone else would fight to support Tostig. Edward was forced to submit to his banishment, and the humiliation may have caused
3471-575: The church. Edward the Confessor was the only king of England to be canonized by the pope, but he was part of a tradition of (uncanonised) Anglo-Saxon royal saints, such as Eadburh of Winchester , a daughter of Edward the Elder , Edith of Wilton , a daughter of Edgar the Peaceful , and the boy-king Edward the Martyr . With his proneness to fits of rage and his love of hunting, Edward the Confessor
3560-493: The clergy and monks of Canterbury elected a relative of Godwin as Archbishop of Canterbury in 1051, Edward rejected him and appointed Robert of Jumièges, who claimed that Godwin was in illegal possession of some archiepiscopal estates. In September 1051, Edward was visited by his brother-in-law, Godgifu's second husband, Eustace II of Boulogne . His men caused an affray in Dover , and Edward ordered Godwin as earl of Kent to punish
3649-493: The concentrated spaces of capitals and round doorways as well as the tympanum under an arch. The "Norman arch" is the rounded, often with mouldings carved or incised onto it for decoration. chevron patterns , frequently termed "zig-zag mouldings ", were a frequent signature of the Normans. The cruciform churches often had deep chancels and a square crossing tower which has remained a feature of English ecclesiastical architecture . Hundreds of parish churches were built and
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3738-452: The condition that he promised to rule 'more justly' than before. Æthelred agreed, sending Edward back with his ambassadors. Æthelred died in April 1016, and he was succeeded by Edward's older half-brother Edmund Ironside , who carried on the fight against Sweyn's son, Cnut. According to Scandinavian tradition, Edward fought alongside Edmund; as Edward was at most thirteen years old at the time,
3827-508: The control of earldoms. In 1055, Siward died, but his son was considered too young to command Northumbria , and Harold's brother, Tostig , was appointed. In 1057, Leofric and Ralph died, and Leofric's son Ælfgar succeeded as Earl of Mercia, while Harold's brother Gyrth succeeded Ælfgar as Earl of East Anglia. The fourth surviving Godwin brother, Leofwine , was given an earldom in the south-east carved out of Harold's territory, and Harold received Ralph's territory in compensation. Thus by 1057,
3916-462: The court of King Macbeth around 1050. His successor Máel Coluim III overthrew him with English and Norman assistance, and his queen, Margaret , encouraged the church. The Benedictine order founded a monastery at Dunfermline . Her sixth and youngest son, who became King David , built St. Margaret's Chapel at the start of the 12th century. The Normans first landed in Ireland in 1169. Within five years earthwork castles were springing up, and in
4005-547: The death of Robert Guiscard in 1085, the Mezzogiorno (peninsular southern Italy) experienced a series of civil wars and fell under the control of increasingly weaker princes. Revolts characterised the region until well into the twelfth century and minor lords sought to resist ducal or royal power from within their own castles. In the Molise , the Normans embarked on their most extensive castle-building programme and introduced
4094-409: The early 1030s. He probably received support from his sister Godgifu, who married Drogo of Mantes , count of Vexin in about 1024. In the early 1030s, Edward witnessed four charters in Normandy, signing two of them as king of England. According to William of Jumièges , the Norman chronicler, Robert I, Duke of Normandy attempted an invasion of England to place Edward on the throne in about 1034 but it
4183-425: The early 12th century, historians have puzzled over Edward's intentions for the succession. One school of thought supports the Norman case that Edward always intended William the Conqueror to be his heir, accepting the medieval claim that Edward had already decided to be celibate before he married, but most historians believe that he hoped to have an heir by Edith at least until his quarrel with Godwin in 1051. William
4272-469: The end of Edward's reign. After the mid-1050s, Edward seems to have withdrawn from affairs as he became increasingly dependent on the Godwins, and he may have become reconciled to the idea that one of them would succeed him. The Normans claimed that Edward sent Harold to Normandy in about 1064 to confirm the promise of the succession to William. The strongest evidence comes from a Norman apologist, William of Poitiers . According to his account, shortly before
4361-502: The first Romanesque building in England, Westminster Abbey . In 1051 he brought in Norman knights who built "motte" castles as a defence against the Welsh. Following the invasion, Normans rapidly constructed motte-and-bailey castles along with churches, abbeys , and more elaborate fortifications such as Norman stone keeps . The buildings show massive proportions in simple geometries using small bands of sculpture. Paying attention to
4450-627: The fleet at Sandwich . Beorn's elder brother, Sweyn II of Denmark "submitted himself to Edward as a son", hoping for his help in his battle with Magnus for control of Denmark, but in 1047 Edward rejected Godwin's demand that he send aid to Sweyn, and it was only Magnus's death in October that saved England from attack and allowed Sweyn to take the Danish throne. Modern historians reject the traditional view that Edward mainly employed Norman favourites, but he did have foreigners in his household, including
4539-508: The following year, he retreated and was killed by Welsh enemies. Edward and Harold were then able to impose vassalage on some Welsh princes. In October 1065, Harold's brother, Tostig, Earl of Northumbria, was hunting with the king when his thegns in Northumbria rebelled against his rule , which they claimed was oppressive, and killed some 200 of his followers. They nominated Morcar , the brother of Edwin of Mercia, as earl and invited
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#17327906950634628-584: The former Stock Exchange building and a synagogue in Fallowfield . Edward the Confessor Edward the Confessor ( c. 1003 – 5 January 1066) was an Anglo-Saxon English king and saint . Usually considered the last king of the House of Wessex , he ruled from 1042 until his death in 1066. Edward was the son of Æthelred the Unready and Emma of Normandy . He succeeded Cnut
4717-481: The great English cathedrals were founded from 1083. After a fire damaged Canterbury Cathedral in 1174 Norman masons introduced the new Gothic architecture . Around 1191 Wells Cathedral and Lincoln Cathedral brought in the English Gothic style, and Norman became increasingly a modest style of provincial building. Bibliography Scotland also came under early Norman influence with Norman nobles at
4806-463: The greatest catastrophes to which the English have ever succumbed." Edward's Norman sympathies are most clearly seen in the major building project of his reign, Westminster Abbey , the first Norman Romanesque church in England. This was commenced between 1042 and 1052 as a royal burial church, consecrated on 28 December 1065, completed after his death in about 1090, and demolished in 1245 to make way for Henry III's new building, which still stands. It
4895-567: The head of his Barony. Robert Gernon (or Robert Greno as he is referred to in the Domesday Book of 1086) came over from France with William the Conqueror , and was rewarded with this lordship and several others in the county. The male line of the Gernon family continued for only five generations. Mountfitchet Castle is a scheduled monument . In the 1980s the castle was reconstructed as a tourist attraction. The grounds were cleared to reveal
4984-488: The historian Richard Mortimer notes, 'contains obvious elements of the ideal king, expressed in flattering terms – tall and distinguished, affable, dignified and just.' Edward was allegedly not above accepting bribes. According to the Ramsey Liber Benefactorum , the monastery's abbot decided that it would be dangerous to publicly contest a claim brought by "a certain powerful man", but he claimed he
5073-424: The invaders back into Wales. Peace was concluded with the reinstatement of Ælfgar, who was able to succeed as Earl of Mercia on his father's death in 1057. Gruffydd swore an oath to be a faithful under-king of Edward. Ælfgar likely died in 1062, and his young son Edwin was allowed to succeed as Earl of Mercia, but Harold then launched a surprise attack on Gruffydd. He escaped, but when Harold and Tostig attacked again
5162-485: The irregularity of Stigand's position. Edward usually preferred clerks to monks for the most important and richest bishoprics, and he probably accepted gifts from candidates for bishoprics and abbacies. However, his appointments were generally respectable. When Odda of Deerhurst died without heirs in 1056, Edward seized lands which Odda had granted to Pershore Abbey and gave them to his Westminster foundation; historian Ann Williams observes that "the Confessor did not in
5251-562: The last legitimate Anglo-Saxon king. The shrine of Saint Edward the Confessor in Westminster Abbey remains where it was after the final translation of his body to a chapel east of the sanctuary on 13 October 1269 by Henry III. The day of his translation, 13 October (his first translation had also been on that date in 1163), is an optional memorial in the Catholic dioceses of England only. Saint Edward may also be commemorated on
5340-518: The more war-like figure of Saint George, and in 1348 he established the Order of the Garter with Saint George as its patron. At Windsor Castle , its chapel of Saint Edward the Confessor was re-dedicated to Saint George, who was acclaimed in 1351 as patron of the English race. Edward was a less popular saint for many, but he was important to the Norman dynasty, which claimed to be the successor of Edward as
5429-566: The mouth of the river Seine in Normandy in 911, at a time when Franks were fighting on horseback and Frankish lords were building castles. Over the next century the population of the territory ceded to the Vikings (now called Normans ) adopted these customs as well as Christianity and the langue d'oïl . Norman barons built timber castles on earthen mounds, beginning the development of motte-and-bailey castles , and great stone churches in
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#17327906950635518-548: The national patron saint in about 1350. Saint Edward's feast day is 13 October and is celebrated by both the Church of England and the Catholic Church . Edward was the seventh son of Æthelred the Unready , and the first by his second wife, Emma of Normandy . Edward was born between 1003 and 1005 in Islip, Oxfordshire , and is first recorded as a 'witness' to two charters in 1005. He had one full brother, Alfred , and
5607-401: The opportunity to renew Edward's claim. This time, it had the full support of the king and the English hierarchy, and a grateful pope issued the bull of canonisation on 7 February 1161, the result of a conjunction of the interests of Westminster Abbey, King Henry II and Pope Alexander III. He was called 'Confessor' as the name for someone who was believed to have lived a saintly life but was not
5696-451: The original earthworks and mounds and after years of battling with planners, in 1980 the work began to reconstruct Mountfitchet Castle. After many years of work the restoration of Mountfitchet Castle was complete, and it was opened to the public in 1985. It is unique in being the only wooden Motte and Bailey reconstruction on its original site anywhere in the world. The castle is the home of livestock, that would have been kept by people during
5785-417: The period when the castle was in use. In 2013, one of the castle's cockerels , a Light Brahma named ' Little John ', was nominated for the world record for tallest chicken, standing at 66 centimetres tall. Norman architecture The term Norman architecture is used to categorise styles of Romanesque architecture developed by the Normans in the various lands under their dominion or influence in
5874-526: The pope had forbidden it, but Spearhafoc occupied the bishopric for several months with Edward's support. After the Godwins fled the country, Edward expelled Spearhafoc, who fled with a large store of gold and gems which he had been given to make Edward a crown. Stigand was the first archbishop of Canterbury not to be a monk in almost a hundred years, and he was said to have been excommunicated by several popes because he held Canterbury and Winchester in plurality. Several bishops sought consecration abroad because of
5963-579: The shrine at Monte Sant'Angelo and built a mausoleum to the Hauteville family at Venosa . They also built many new Latin monasteries, including the famous foundation of Sant'Eufemia Lamezia . Other examples of great importance are the portal of the Shrine of Mary Queen of Anglona and the ambulatory and radiating chapels of the Aversa Cathedral . Here is a list of Norman architecture in
6052-444: The southern earldoms. He had no personal power base, and it seems he did not attempt to build one. In 1050–51 he even paid off the fourteen foreign ships which constituted his standing navy and abolished the tax raised to pay for it. However, in ecclesiastical and foreign affairs he was able to follow his own policy. King Magnus I of Norway aspired to the English throne, and in 1045 and 1046, fearing an invasion, Edward took command of
6141-461: The story is disputed. Edmund died in November 1016, and Cnut became undisputed king. Edward then again went into exile with his brother and sister; in 1017 his mother married Cnut. In the same year, Cnut had Edward's last surviving elder half-brother, Eadwig , executed. Edward spent a quarter of a century in exile, probably mainly in Normandy, although there is no evidence of his location until
6230-601: The style. These Romanesque styles originated in Normandy and became widespread in northwestern Europe, particularly in England, which contributed considerable development and where the largest number of examples survived. At about the same time, a Norman dynasty that ruled in Sicily produced a distinctive variation–incorporating Byzantine and Saracen influences–also known as Norman architecture (or alternatively Sicilian Romanesque). The term Norman may have originated with eighteenth-century antiquarians , but its usage in
6319-443: The support of King Stephen , but he lacked the full support of the English hierarchy and Stephen had quarrelled with the church, so Pope Innocent II postponed a decision, declaring that Osbert lacked sufficient testimonials of Edward's holiness. In 1159, there was a disputed election to the papacy , and Henry II 's support helped to secure the recognition of Pope Alexander III. In 1160, a new abbot of Westminster, Laurence, seized
6408-552: The throne. Harthacnut, his position in Denmark now secure, planned an invasion, but Harold died in 1040, and Harthacnut was able to cross unopposed, with his mother, to take the English throne. In 1041, Harthacnut invited Edward back to England, probably as his heir because he knew he had not long to live. The 12th-century Quadripartitus states that he was recalled by the intervention of Bishop Ælfwine of Winchester and Earl Godwin. Edward met "the thegns of all England" at Hursteshever, likely near modern-day Hurst Spit opposite
6497-720: The throne. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle describes the popularity he enjoyed at his accession – "before he [Harthacnut] was buried, all the people chose Edward as king in London." Edward was crowned at the cathedral of Winchester , the royal seat of the West Saxons , on Easter Sunday, 3 April 1043. Edward complained that his mother had "done less for him than he wanted before he became king, and also afterwards". In November 1043, he rode to Winchester with his three leading earls, Leofric of Mercia , Godwin, and Siward of Northumbria , to deprive her of her property, possibly because she
6586-433: The town's burgesses, but he took their side and refused. Edward seized the chance to bring his over-mighty earl to heel. Archbishop Robert accused Godwin of plotting to kill the king, just as he had killed his brother Alfred in 1036, while Leofric and Siward supported the king and called up their vassals. Sweyn and Harold called up their own vassals, but neither side wanted a fight, and Godwin and Sweyn appear to have each given
6675-543: The wealth and power of the Abbey. By 1138, he had converted the Vita Ædwardi Regis , the life of Edward commissioned by his widow, into a conventional saint's life. He seized on an ambiguous passage which might have meant that their marriage was chaste, perhaps to give the idea that Edith's childlessness was not her fault, to claim that Edward had been celibate. In 1139, Osbert went to Rome to petition for Edward's canonisation with
6764-525: The years (especially after the 1693 Sicily earthquake which destroyed many old Norman buildings), however some fortresses and houses still exist in Mdina and Vittoriosa . As master masons developed the style and experimented with ways of overcoming the geometric difficulties of groin vaulted ceilings, they introduced features such as the pointed arch that were later characterised as being Gothic in style. Architectural historians and scholars consider that
6853-425: Was a continuing source of dispute with the pope. Until the mid-1050s Edward was able to structure his earldoms to prevent the Godwins from becoming dominant. Godwin died in 1053, and although Harold succeeded to his earldom of Wessex, none of his other brothers were earls at this date. His house was then weaker than it had been since Edward's succession, but a succession of deaths from 1055 to 1057 completely changed
6942-520: Was an exile at Edward's court after his father, Duncan I , was killed in battle in 1040, against men led by Macbeth who seized the Scottish throne. In 1054, Edward sent Siward to invade Scotland. He defeated Macbeth, and Malcolm, who had accompanied the expedition, gained control of southern Scotland. By 1058, Malcolm had killed Macbeth in battle and had taken the Scottish throne. In 1059, he visited Edward, but in 1061, he started raiding Northumbria with
7031-524: Was appointed to an earldom in the south-west midlands, and on 23 January 1045 Edward married Godwin's daughter Edith . Soon afterwards, her brother Harold and her Danish cousin Beorn Estrithson were also given earldoms in southern England. Godwin and his family now ruled subordinately all of Southern England . However, in 1047 Sweyn was banished for abducting the abbess of Leominster . In 1049, he returned to try to regain his earldom, but this
7120-541: Was blown off course to Jersey . He also received support for his claim to the throne from several continental abbots, particularly Robert , abbot of the Norman abbey of Jumièges , who later became Edward's Archbishop of Canterbury. Edward was said to have developed an intense personal piety during this period, but modern historians regard this as a product of the later medieval campaign for his canonisation. In Frank Barlow's view "in his lifestyle would seem to have been that of
7209-418: Was brought up at the English court. He was given the designation Ætheling , meaning throne-worthy, which may mean that Edward considered making him his heir, and he was briefly declared king after Harold's death in 1066. However, Edgar was absent from witness lists of Edward's diplomas, and there is no evidence in the Domesday Book that he was a substantial landowner, which suggests that he was marginalised at
7298-413: Was captured by Godwin, Earl of Wessex , who turned him over to Harold Harefoot. He had Alfred blinded by forcing red-hot pokers into his eyes to make him unsuitable for kingship, and Alfred died soon after as a result of his wounds. The murder is thought to be the source of much of Edward's hatred for Godwin and one of the primary reasons for Godwin's banishment in autumn 1051. Edward is said to have fought
7387-409: Was childless, and Archbishop Robert urged her divorce. Sweyn went on pilgrimage to Jerusalem (dying on his way back), but Godwin and his other sons returned, with an army following a year later, and received considerable support, while Leofric and Siward failed to support the king. Both sides were concerned that a civil war would leave the country open to foreign invasion. The king was furious, but he
7476-498: Was descended from a family which had served Æthelred. Siward was probably Danish, and although Godwin was English, he was one of Cnut's new men, married to Cnut's former sister-in-law. However, in his early years, Edward restored the traditional strong monarchy, showing himself, in Frank Barlow's view, "a vigorous and ambitious man, a true son of the impetuous Æthelred and the formidable Emma." In 1043, Godwin's eldest son Sweyn
7565-454: Was forced to give way and restore Godwin and Harold to their earldoms, while Robert of Jumièges and other Frenchmen fled, fearing Godwin's vengeance. Edith was restored as queen, and Stigand , who had again acted as an intermediary between the two sides in the crisis, was appointed Archbishop of Canterbury in Robert's place. Stigand retained his existing bishopric of Winchester, and his pluralism
7654-495: Was holding on to treasure which belonged to the king. Her adviser, Stigand , was deprived of his bishopric of Elmham in East Anglia . However, both were soon restored to favour. Emma died in 1052. Edward's position when he came to the throne was weak. Effective rule required keeping on terms with the three leading earls, but loyalty to the ancient house of Wessex had been eroded by the period of Danish rule, and only Leofric
7743-453: Was said to have been opposed by Harold and Beorn, probably because they had been given Sweyn's land in his absence. Sweyn murdered his cousin Beorn and went again into exile. Edward's nephew Ralph was given Beorn's earldom, but the following year Sweyn's father was able to secure his reinstatement. The wealth of Edward's lands exceeded that of the greatest earls, but they were scattered among
7832-494: Was unable to come to England to assert his claim to the throne. It was therefore decided that his elder half-brother Harold Harefoot should act as regent, while Emma held Wessex on Harthacnut's behalf. In 1036, Edward and his brother Alfred separately came to England. Emma later claimed that they came in response to a letter forged by Harold inviting them to visit her, but historians believe that she probably did invite them in an effort to counter Harold's growing popularity. Alfred
7921-435: Was very similar to Jumièges Abbey , which was built at the same time. Robert of Jumièges must have been closely involved in both buildings, although it is not clear which is the original and which is the copy. Edward does not appear to have been interested in books and associated arts, but his abbey played a vital role in the development of English Romanesque architecture, showing that he was an innovative and generous patron of
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