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Who was Lanfranc, and how did he influence St. Anselm of Canterbury?

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Luca della Robbia: St. Anselm of Canterbury — St. Anselm of Canterbury St. Anselm of Canterbury (center), terra-cotta altarpiece by Luca della Robbia; in the Museo Diocesano, Empoli, Italy.

Lanfranc (c. 1005–1089) was an influential Italian Benedictine monk, teacher, and theologian who served as the archbishop of Canterbury from 1070 to 1089. A trusted advisor to William the Conqueror, he was instrumental in reforming the English Church and navigating the complex relationship between ecclesiastical and secular authority following the Norman Conquest.1

Lanfranc’s influence on St. Anselm of Canterbury was foundational to Anselm’s early career. Anselm was drawn to the monastery at Bec specifically to study under Lanfranc, who was then the monastery’s renowned prior. When Lanfranc departed to become the abbot of Caen in 1063, Anselm succeeded him as prior of Bec. While Lanfranc was a celebrated theologian in his own right, Anselm eventually surpassed him in theological inquiry, building upon the intellectual environment Lanfranc had cultivated at the monastery.2