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‘Rocamadour in Quercy above all other Churches’: The Healing of Henry II.1

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 March 2016

Emma Mason
Emma Mason*
Affiliation:
Birkbeck College, University of London
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Extract

In the month of September (1170), King Henry fell sick almost to the point of death, at La Mote de Gerin (near Domfront). But by the divine mercy, and the supplication of the servants of God, to Whom he humbly commended himself... he recovered his health ... Then (he) travelled to Rocamadour to pray, This place, in the district of Quercy, is encircled by mountains and horrible wilderness.... King Henry, travelling hither in order to pray, as we said, gathered a great company of armed men, both cavalry and footsoldiers, since he was approaching the lands of his enemies, (and) came to pray equipped as though for battle, doing harm to no-one, (but) providing generously for all, and especially for the poor, with alms.

This account of Henry II’s pilgrimage to Rocamadour comes from Robert de Torigny, a well-informed contemporary, hence the significance of the details which he included. From Domfront, on the frontiers of Normandy, the king travelled hundreds of kilometres to the south.

Type
Research Article
Information
Studies in Church History , Volume 19: The Church and Healing , 1982 , pp. 39 - 54
Copyright
Copyright © Ecclesiastical History Society 1982

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Footnotes

1

I am grateful to Brenda M. Bolton for her advice and encouragement in the preparation of this paper, and to Jennifer Bray and Stuart Adam for various references to works on Quercy.

References

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