Ursin Durand French historian, Benedictine monk. Date of Birth: 20.05.1682 Country: France

1. Dom Martin Durand, a French Benedictine Historian
2. Joint Research Expeditions
3. Publication of Historical Documents
4. Travel Accounts and Other Works

Dom Martin Durand, a French Benedictine Historian

Dom Martin Durand was a French Benedictine monk and historian who made significant contributions to the field. His most notable achievement was his 15-year collaboration with fellow monk Dom Edmond Martène.

Joint Research Expeditions

In 1709, Durand and Martène embarked on a research expedition through the monasteries of France, collecting rare historical documents. They visited approximately 800 abbeys and 100 cathedrals, returning in 1713 to the Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés.

Publication of Historical Documents

Some of the collected documents were included in a new edition of the "Gallia Christiana" collection, while others formed the basis of their own book, "Thesaurus novus Anecdotorum" (1717).

In 1718, Durand and Martène traveled to Germany and the Netherlands to gather materials for Martène Bouquet's "Rerum Gallicarum et Francicarum Scriptores." Returning once more, they contributed to this work and also published their remaining materials in nine volumes under the title "Veterum scriptorum et monumentorum historicorum, dogmatiorum et moralium amplissima collectio" (1724-1733).

Travel Accounts and Other Works

Following each of their expeditions, Durand and Martène published travel accounts and memoirs entitled "Voyage littéraire de deux Religieux Bénédictins de la Congrégation de St. Maur" (1717 and 1724).

Durand also collaborated with Dom Maur Dantine on the chronological compendium "Art de vérifier les dates des faits historiques, des chartes, des chroniques, et autres anciens monuments, depuis la naissance de Notre-Seigneur..." and contributed to various other Benedictine scholarly endeavors.