Lanfranc, << LAN frangk >> (1005?-1089), was an important medieval teacher and scholar. He was an adviser to William the Conqueror, the first Norman king of England, and served under him as archbishop of Canterbury.
Lanfranc was born in Pavia, Italy. He became a monk in the Benedictine order at Bec, in Normandy, about 1042. Lanfranc was head of the monastery school for about 18 years, and achieved distinction as a teacher of theology. Under his leadership, the school became one of the most famous in Europe. Saint Anselm and the future Pope Alexander II were among Lanfranc’s students. Lanfranc also wrote several influential books on monastic life and the sacrament of Communion.
In 1070, William appointed Lanfranc archbishop of Canterbury. As archbishop, Lanfranc reformed the guidelines for the marriage of priests, and set up the church’s court system in England. Lanfranc died on May 28, 1089.
See also William I, the Conqueror .
