The Diffusion and Use of the Institutio canonicorum in Ninth-Century West Francia. A Study of the Preserved Manuscripts

The Council of Aachen in 816 resulted in the compilation of the Institutio canonicorum (IC), a text that was to become the foundation of canonical life in the Carolingian empire. Despite its undeniable long-term success, no systematic research has yet been conducted on the IC’s influence on canonical life in West Francia. This article provides an impetus for such research by studying the diffusion and use of the ninth-century manuscripts of the IC, originating in France. The study reveals that by the mid-ninth century, many manuscripts had been produced in scriptoria spread across West Francia, indicating a successful diffusion in the first decades following the Council of Aachen. Interest in procuring the IC moreover extended beyond the text’s initial novelty, with manuscripts continuing to be copied and exchanged throughout the ninth century. While most of these copies adhered to the original text compiled in Aachen, additional chapters could be included to meet specific local needs. With regard to their provenance, the study suggests that the IC’s copies might have been primarily distributed to cathedral chapters, which aligns with the council’s objective of disseminating the rule through the (arch)bishops. Although it has proven challenging to identify many of the manuscripts’ possessors, the IC’s copies reflect a genuine engagement with the text, as most of them were intensively studied, often by multiple readers. Later additions to the codices suggest that the Carolingian rule of life continued to spark interest among their possessors, even in the centuries after the reform councils.