Two previously unpublished letters from Pope Lucius III to the collegiate church of Notre-Dame in Mantes

Two hitherto unknown letters from Pope Lucius III are preserved as early modern copies in the "Collection du Vexin" at the Bibliotheque nationale de France. The first letter, dated 13 January [1184], belongs to a stereotypical category: the pope confirms the property of the collegiate church of Notre-Dame of Mantes, together with a recent acquisition. The second one, dated 16 February of the same year, is more usual in form and quite uncommon in content. On receiving a complaint from the canons against their abbot, the pontiff ruled that their income should not be alienated. The information in the documents might seem strictly local, but its relevance broadens considerably if compared with a series of letters issued at the same time for various beneficiaries in Paris, and in the context of the relations between the French and English kings. Both letters are part of the Capetian king's tenacious effort to gain ground in a borderline zone, and illustrate Philip Augustus' determination to pursue his father's policy in the Vexin.