Gildas the Wise

Saint Gildas the Wise, born in Great Britain in the early 6th century, was an influential monk and historian of the Sub-Roman period. His major work, "De Excidio et Conquestu Britanniae", is a crucial text for understanding the history of post-Roman Britain, offering a scathing critique of the rulers and clergy of his time. After traveling and studying, notably in Gaul, he is said to have settled in Armorican Brittany, where tradition credits him with the foundation of the Abbey of Rhuys, in Morbihan, which became an important monastic center. He is revered for his piety, scholarship, and courage in denouncing injustice.