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The dependence relationship between Saint Benedict and his serfs: constraint or protection? In the monastic domain of Fleury-sur-Loire, the relationship between the lord, Saint Benedict, and his serfs is atypical. Basically, this dependence brings with it mainly economic constraints for the dependents, some of whom are pressing for emancipation. But by being placed under the protection of that particular lord, the serfs benefit from a specific defense. Through the narratives of the Miracles of Saint Benedict, the hagiographers of Fleury relate, between the 9th and 12th Centuries, the various kinds of relationships between, and the demands of, the opposing parties, including both every individual’s expectations and the development of society as a whole, and demonstrate the complexity of a protection that offered advantages for each of the protagonists within the framework of a demanding relationship, in which every transgression was punished, but equally in which the Saint responded to every prayer.