Adam of Perseigne, Spiritual director to kings and clerics, nuns and nobles and adviser to Richard the Lion-hearted, Adam also found favor at the witty court of the Countess of Champagne.
Abbot of the Cistercian monastery at Perseigne, Adam was a 'director of souls' in the late twelfth century. By his letters he counselled clerics and kings, nuns and nobles with affection, respect, and candor. Because his monastery lay in Normandy, he enjoyed close ties with Norman England and acted as an adviser to the crusader-king, Richard the Lion-hearted. Yet this intimate of the high-born was himself the son of a serf. Nothing certain is ...
