Ename Abbey (1063–1795) was a

Benedictine , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , foun ...

monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer which ...

in the village of

Ename Ename is a Belgian village in the Flemish province of East Flanders. It stands on the right side of the river Scheldt and it is part of the municipality of Oudenaarde. The territory was inhabited during Prehistoric and Roman times, and became a t ...

, now a suburb of

Oudenaarde Oudenaarde (; french: Audenarde ; in English sometimes ''Oudenarde'') is a Belgian municipality in the Flemish province of East Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Oudenaarde proper and the towns of Bevere, Edelare, Eine, Ename, Heu ...

. It was founded by Adele of France, wife of

Baldwin V, Count of Flanders Baldwin V ( 1012 – 1 September 1067) was Count of Flanders from 1035 until his death. He secured the personal union between the counties of Flanders and Hainaut and maintained close links to the Anglo-Saxon monarchy, which was overthrown by hi ...

, and was confiscated during the

French Revolutionary Wars The French Revolutionary Wars (french: Guerres de la Révolution française) were a series of sweeping military conflicts lasting from 1792 until 1802 and resulting from the French Revolution. They pitted French First Republic, France against Ki ...

. It was then sold and dismantled. The archaeological development of the site began with the work of

Adelbert Van de Walle Adelbert Van de Walle (1922–2006) was a Flemish- Belgian architect, art historian and professor in the History of Art and Archaeology at the University of Ghent (UGent). Life Van de Walle obtained successively academic degrees in Architecture ...

in the 1940s. Since 1998 it has been part of the Provincial Archaeological Park attached to the provincial archaeological museum (PAM Ename).

History

During the first half of the 11th century the tension between the

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire was a Polity, political entity in Western Europe, Western, Central Europe, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its Dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire, dissolution i ...

and the

county of Flanders The County of Flanders was a historic territory in the Low Countries. From 862 onwards, the counts of Flanders were among the original twelve peers of the Kingdom of France. For centuries, their estates around the cities of Ghent, Bruges and Ypr ...

grew, especially in border territories. Ename was a stronghold on the river

Scheldt The Scheldt (french: Escaut ; nl, Schelde ) is a river that flows through northern France, western Belgium, and the southwestern part of Netherlands, the Netherlands, with its mouth at the North Sea. Its name is derived from an adjective corr ...

that marked the border of the Empire. In 1033 Baldwin V took possession of the keep and destroyed it; in 1047 the territory of Ename was definitively under his control. In order to demilitarise the area, in 1063 Adele of France founded the Abbey of Our Lady that received the village of Ename and other properties to provide financial income. The Benedictine abbey was established in the former Ottonian palace building, directed by a monk from the Saint Vedastus abbey in

Arras Arras ( , ; pcd, Aro; historical nl, Atrecht ) is the prefecture of the Pas-de-Calais Departments of France, department, which forms part of the regions of France, region of Hauts-de-France; before the regions of France#Reform and mergers of ...

. It was under the direct control of the Pope and through all its history it maintained a close relation with the counts of Flanders. Ename in 1065

The construction of the abbey complex started immediately around the Saint Salvator church, formerly part of the village. Around 1070 the new abbey was finished and was founded a second time with the dedication to Saint Salvator. The previous palace building became then a chapel dedicated to Our Lady. Ename abbey in 1085

In 1139 the Ottonian church of Saint Salvator was replaced by a bigger Romanesque church, inspired by the Benedictine abbeys of

Cluny Cluny () is a commune in the eastern French department of Saône-et-Loire, in the region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté. It is northwest of Mâcon. The town grew up around the Benedictine Abbey of Cluny, founded by Duke William I of Aquitaine in 9 ...

Hirschau Hirschau () is a municipality in the Amberg-Sulzbach district, Upper Palatinate, Bavaria, Germany. Geography Hirschau lies directly on the Bundesstraße 14 (Nuremberg - Rozvadov), 13 km northeast of Amberg and about 65 km east of Nur ...

and

Affligem Affligem (; anciently written Afflighem) is a municipality located some west-north-west of Brussels in the Belgian province of Flemish Brabant, not far from the city of Aalst and the important railway junction of Denderleeuw. Affligem is situa ...

. The abbey was flourishing as it had acquired many properties that provided a steady income. Around 1165 the abbey buildings were replaced by larger and more decorated buildings in the new

Gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...

style. In the second half of the 13th century the abbey was extended with a

hospital A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment with specialized health science and auxiliary healthcare staff and medical equipment. The best-known type of hospital is the general hospital, which typically has an emerge ...

, and an infirmary for sick monks. Ename 1290 zoom

The woods around Ename had been intensively exploited. For this reason during the 13th century the abbey started a programme of

forestry Forestry is the science and craft of creating, managing, planting, using, conserving and repairing forests, woodlands, and associated resources for human and environmental benefits. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands. Th ...

by planting trees and harvesting the wood. This action seems to be the oldest record of

reforestation Reforestation (occasionally, reafforestation) is the natural or intentional restocking of existing forests and woodlands (forestation) that have been depleted, usually through deforestation, but also after clearcutting. Management A debate ...

in Europe. During the 16th century, Europe and Flanders were shaken by revolts and civil wars provoked by an economic crisis and the diffusion of the

Protestantism Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...

. Many religious buildings, including the abbey of Ename, were destroyed. Minor damage occurred during the 1566

Iconoclastic Fury ''Beeldenstorm'' () in Dutch and ''Bildersturm'' in German (roughly translatable from both languages as 'attack on the images or statues') are terms used for outbreaks of destruction of religious images that occurred in Europe in the 16th centu ...

, while the occupation of

by the Protestant troops of the city of

Ghent Ghent ( nl, Gent ; french: Gand ; traditional English: Gaunt) is a city and a municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of the East Flanders province, and the third largest in the country, exceeded in ...

in 1578 was disastrous for the abbey. The monks had to flee, the abbey buildings were plundered. Their ruins were used as a stone quarry until the return of the monks. In 1596 they started the rebuilding of the abbey. At the end of this period, more than half of the population of Ename had left their houses. With the return of the monks, the abbey reclaimed its property in the village and influence on the lives of the inhabitants of Ename. To emphasise this, a

cross A cross is a geometrical figure consisting of two intersecting lines or bars, usually perpendicular to each other. The lines usually run vertically and horizontally. A cross of oblique lines, in the shape of the Latin letter X, is termed a sa ...

and a

pillory The pillory is a device made of a wooden or metal framework erected on a post, with holes for securing the head and hands, formerly used for punishment by public humiliation and often further physical abuse. The pillory is related to the stocks ...

were erected on the rectangular square of the village. Klooster Ename - 1641

During the 17th century the abbey was very rich and its buildings were majestic. In 1657 abbot Antoon de Loose enlarged the abbot's quarters and also asked Pieter Hemony, a famous Dutch bell-founder, to cast the bells and the chimes for the carillon tower that he wanted at the entrance of the abbey. Abbot de Loose was a skilled manager of the abbey properties. Thanks to his accurate register, several details of everyday life are known today.Guido Tack, Anton Ervynck, Gunther van Bost, ''De monnik-manager: Abt De Loose in zijn abdij t'Ename'' (Davidsfonds, 1999). Abbots were involved in the political life of the county as members of the

States of Flanders The States of Flanders were a representative institution in the medieval and early modern County of Flanders. Initially it consisted only of the Third Estate, with representatives of the three cities of Bruges, Ghent and Ypres. Around 1350 the rura ...

. As it was forbidden to discuss political matters inside the walls of the abbey, a large, modern

French garden The French formal garden, also called the (), is a style of garden based on symmetry and the principle of imposing order on nature. Its epitome is generally considered to be the Gardens of Versailles designed during the 17th century by the ...

with fountains and pavilions was built in front of the abbey. There it was possible for the abbots to meet other politicians and discuss affairs of state with them. Ename 1730

The abbey was dismantled in 1795, when the

French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are considere ...

arrived in Flanders. Today it is possible to visit the remains of the foundations in the Provincial archaeological park of Ename.

Archaeology

The archaeological excavations on the site of the abbey turned up several objects that today are on display in the Provincial Archaeological Museum (pam) in Ename. All the data collected by archaeological analysis, landscape archaeology, and historical research have been used to create 3D reconstructions showing the development of the site of the abbey over time. They are on display in the TimeScope application, which is open to the public on the archaeological site from April to November. The daily life of monks in the abbey during the 13th century can be experienced in the Provincial Heritage Centre through an interactive game and walkthrough 3D reconstruction.

Beer

Brewery Roman, a sponsor of the museum, brews a range of beers under the name Ename Abbey Beer.

References

External links

Website of PAM Ename
accessed 21 January 2015.
Website of the Provincial Heritage Centre
accessed 18 March 2016.
Visualisation of the Benedictine abbey of Ename
accessed 21 March 2016

{{Authority control Christian monasteries in East Flanders 1060s establishments in the Holy Roman Empire 1063 establishments in Europe 1795 disestablishments in France 1795 disestablishments in the Southern Netherlands Ruined abbeys and monasteries Benedictine monasteries in Belgium Christian monasteries established in the 11th century Oudenaarde Archaeological sites in Belgium