Leodegar

Leodegar, also known as Léodegar, Leger, or Leodegarius, was a 7th-century bishop of Autun in Gaul (present-day France). He is one of the better known Merovingian-era bishops and was later venerated as a saint in Western Christianity. His episcopate occurred during a period of political factionalism within the Frankish kingdoms, and he is remembered for supporting the rights and privileges of the church against powerful nobles.

In the course of these conflicts, Leodegar was captured and died in captivity. His death is regarded by many of his followers as martyrdom, and his memory was preserved through hagiographical and liturgical traditions. Over time, his cult spread across the Frankish realms, and he came to be venerated in various local calendars and churches.

Veneration and legacy: Leodegar’s cult contributed to the prestige of Autun and to the tradition of church leadership defending ecclesiastical independence during the early medieval period. His relics became associated with Autun Cathedral, which is traditionally linked to Saint Leodegar in the region’s hagiographic and devotional practices. He remains a symbolic figure of medieval church-state tensions and of episcopal authority in early medieval Gaul. In later centuries, his memory influenced place-names and church dedications, reflecting his enduring regional significance as a saint in parts of France and beyond.