He was the eldest son of Seigneur Dalmas I of Semur and Aremberge of Vergy,[2] daughter of Henry I, Duke of Burgundy.

His father wanted him to be a knight, but recognizing his evident aversion to that, entrusted him to his grand-uncle Hugh, Bishop of Auxerre, for preparation for the priesthood.

Under the protection of this relative, Hugh received his early education at the monastery school attached to the Priory of St.

In 1048 he accompanied the Bishop of Toul, pope-elect Bruno von Egisheim-Dagsburg, to Rome, where he was consecrated Pope Leo IX.

[5] Abbot Hugh built the third abbey church at Cluny, the largest structure in Europe for many centuries, with funds provided by Ferdinand I of León and Henry I of England.

Abbot Hugh died in the Lady Chapel at Cluny on the evening of Easter Monday, 28 April 1109.