▁the ▁Low ▁Count ries . ▁According ▁to ▁Paul ▁Fou rac re , ▁the ▁rate ▁of ▁monaster y ▁building ▁is ▁the ▁best - record ed ▁indicator ▁that ▁Christian ▁culture ▁was ▁successfully ▁flow ing ▁through ▁the ▁coun tr ys ide ▁from ▁urban ▁cent ers ▁as ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁Frank ish ▁el ite ▁founded ▁monaster ies ▁on ▁their ▁lands , ▁greatly ▁influen cing ▁their ▁ten ants , ▁and ▁occupied ▁leading ▁posts ▁within ▁the ▁Catholic ▁Church . ▁ ▁Royal ▁ass ent ▁remained ▁cru cial ▁to ▁ecc les iast ical ▁appoint ments , ▁which ▁meant ▁that ▁the ▁Mer oving ian ▁monarch s ▁themselves ▁were ▁usually ▁important ▁pat rons ▁of ▁the ▁monaster ies . ▁Their ▁support ▁of ▁the ▁religious ▁communities ▁was ▁a ▁means ▁of ▁san ct ifying ▁and ▁legit im ating ▁their ▁royal ▁power . ▁Ch elles ’ ▁success ▁as ▁an ▁institution ▁of ▁learning ▁and ▁ren own ▁was ▁possibly ▁due ▁to ▁its ▁strong ▁royal ▁and ▁arist ocr atic ▁connections ▁from ▁its ▁in ception : ▁from ▁its ▁construction ▁at ▁the ▁beh est ▁of ▁B alth ild , ▁the ▁appointment ▁of ▁a ▁daughter ▁of ▁the ▁French ▁nob ility , ▁Ber th ild ▁of ▁Ch elles , ▁as ▁its ▁first ▁abb ess ▁and ▁the ▁powerful ▁influence ▁of ▁Char lemagne ’ s ▁sister , ▁G is ela , ▁Abb ess ▁of ▁Ch elles , ▁who ▁led ▁the ▁monaster y ▁from ▁ 8 0 0 - 8 1 0 . ▁Y itz h ak ▁Hen ▁supports ▁this , ▁suggesting ▁that ▁the ▁links ▁to ▁royal ty ▁encourag ed ▁local ▁inhabitants ▁to ▁attend ▁Sunday ▁Mass ▁regularly