Vidame, a French corruption of the official Latin term vicedominus ('vice-lord'), was a feudal title in France. The vidame was originally, like the avoué (advocatus), a secular official chosen by the bishop of the diocese, with the consent of the count, to perform functions in the church's earthly interest, canonically incompatible with the clerical state, or at least deemed inappropriate, especially involving violence, even in the service of justice, and to act as protector, rather in the tradition of the Roman Defensores. Feudalism comes from the Late Latin word feudum, itself borrowed from a Germanic root *fehu, a commonly used term in the Middle Ages which means fief, or land held under certain obligations by feodati. ... A bishop is an ordained member of the Christian clergy who, in certain Christian churches, holds a position of authority. ... Pope Pius XI blesses Bishop Stephen Alencastre as fifth Apostolic Vicar of the Hawaiian Islands in a Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace window. ... Look up Count in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Countess redirects here. ...

Unlike the advocate, however, the vice-dominus was at the outset an ecclesiastic, who acted as the bishop's lieutenant (locum tenens) or vicar. But the causes that changed the character of the advocatus operated also in the case of the vidame. During the Carolingian epoch, indeed, advocatus and vice-dominus were interchangeable terms; and it was only in the 11th century that they became generally differentiated: the title of avoué being commonly reserved for nobles charged with the protection of an abbey, that of vidame for those guarding an episcopal see. It has been suggested that Barrister#Advocates in Scotland be merged into this article or section. ... Dominus is the Latin word for master or owner. ... This article is about the Christian buildings of worship. ... A Lieutenant is a military, paramilitary or police officer. ... Locum tenens is a Latin phrase literally meaning holding place. ... In the broadest sense, a vicar (from the Latin vicarius) is anyone acting as a substitute or agent for a superior (compare vicarious). In this sense, the title is comparable to lieutenant. ... The Carolingians (also known as the Carlovingians) were a dynasty of rulers that eventually controlled the Frankish realm and its successors from the 8th to the 10th century, officially taking over the kingdoms from the Merovingian dynasty in 751. ... As a means of recording the passage of time, the 11th century was that century which lasted from 1001 to 1100. ... Look up Noble in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Noble can refer to: Nobility, a hereditary caste Nobel Prize, awarded to people who have made outstanding contributions to society Noble gas, chemical elements in group 18 (old-style Group 0) of the periodic table Noble metal, metals that are resistant to... An abbey (from the Latin abbatia, which is derived from the Syriac abba, father), is a Christian monastery or convent, under the government of an Abbot or an Abbess, who serve as the spiritual father or mother of the community. ... A see (from the Latin word sedem, meaning seat) is the throne (cathedra) of a bishop. ...

With the crystallization of the feudal system in the 12th century the office of vidame, like that of avoué, had become an hereditary fief. As a title, however, it was much less common and also less dignified than that of avoué. The advocati were often great barons who added their function of protector of an abbey to their own temporal sovereignty; whereas the vidames were usually petty nobles, who exercised their office in strict subordination to the bishop. (11th century - 12th century - 13th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 12th century was that century which lasted from 1101 to 1200. ... For the scientific journal Heredity see Heredity (journal) Heredity (the adjective is hereditary) is the transfer of characters from parent to offspring, either through their genes or through the social institution called inheritance (for example, a title of nobility is passed from individual to individual according to relevant customs and... Under the system of feudalism, a fiefdom, fief, feud or fee, consisted of heritable lands or revenue-producing property granted by a liege lord in return for a vassal knights service (usually fealty, military service, and security). ... Spaytans brader Baron is a specific title of nobility or a more generic feudal qualification. ... For alternate uses of time, see Time (disambiguation) or see TIME (magazine). ...

Their chief functions were: to protect the temporalities of the see, to represent the bishop at the count's court of justice, to exercise the bishop's temporal jurisdiction in his name (placitum or curia vice-domini) and to lead the episcopal levies to war. In return, they usually had a house near the episcopal palace, a domain within and without the city, and sometimes the right to levy certain dues on the city. A court is an official, public forum which a sovereign establishes by lawful authority to adjudicate disputes, and to dispense civil, labour, administrative and criminal justice under the law. ... Lady Justice - allegory of Justice as woman with sword and with book - statue at court building. ... In law, jurisdiction from the Latin jus, juris meaning law and dicere meaning to speak, is the practical authority granted to a formally constituted body or to a person to deal with and make pronouncements on legal matters and, by implication, to administer justice within a defined area of responsibility. ... A Curia in early Roman times was a subdivision of the people, i. ... A tax (also known as a duty) is a charge or other levy imposed on an individual or a legal entity by a state or a functional equivalent of a state (e. ... The only atomic weapons ever used in war - the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, Japan by the United States on August 9, 1945, effectively ending World War II. The bombs over Hiroshima (August 6) and Nagasaki immediately killed over 120,000 people. ... House - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... The quintessential medieval European palace: Palais de la Cité, in Paris, the royal palace of France. ... Domain has several meanings: // General some kind of territory, such as (for example) a demesne or a realm synonymous with a metaphorical field, e. ...

The vidames usually took their title from the see they represented, but not infrequently they styled themselves, not after their official fief, but after their private seigneuries. Thus the vidame de Picquigny was the representative of the bishop of Amiens, the vidame de Gerberoy of the bishop of Beauvais (since king Philip August himself a pair de France, i.e. peer of the realm). The seigneurial system was the semi-feudal system of noble privilege in France and its colonies. ... The cathedral in Amiens Location within France Amiens is a city and commune in the north of France, 120 km north of Paris. ... Beauvais is a city and commune of northern France, préfecture (capital) of the Oise département. ...

In many sees there were no vidames, their function being exercised by viscounts or chatelains. With the growth of the central power and of that of the municipalities the vidames gradually lost all importance, and the title became merely honorary. A viscount is a member of the European nobility, especially, as in the British peerage, ranking above a baron, below a (British) earl or (his continental equivalent) count. ... Châtelain (Med. ... A municipality or general-purpose district (compare with: special-purpose district) is an administrative local area generally composed of a clearly defined territory and commonly referring to a city, town, or village government. ...

Sources and references

This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain. Encyclopædia Britannica, the 11th edition The Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition (1910–1911) is perhaps the most famous edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica. ... The public domain comprises the body of all creative works and other knowledge—writing, artwork, music, science, inventions, and others—in which no person or organization has any proprietary interest. ...

• Nouveau Larousse Illustré (undated, early XXth century; in French)

See also

• Prince of the church