Maroilles Abbey (french: Abbaye de Maroilles) was a Benedictine monastery in Maroilles in the

department Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...

Nord Nord, a word meaning "north" in several European languages, may refer to: Acronyms * National Organization for Rare Disorders, an American nonprofit organization * New Orleans Recreation Department, New Orleans, Louisiana, US Film and televisi ...

, France. It was founded around 650 and suppressed in the French Revolution.

History

The abbey was founded by Count Chonebert (or Radobert). Its first abbot was Saint Humbert of Maroilles. Humbert was succeeded by

Saint Curcodomus Saint Curcodomus (died ca. 680) was a Benedictine abbot and saint In religious belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of Q-D-Š, holiness, likeness, or closeness to God. However, the use of the term ''s ...

. From the 9th century to the time of the French Revolution in the late 18th century, the abbey followed the Rule of St. Benedict. The abbey was repaired and restored in 1025 by Gerard of Florennes (Gérard de Cambrai) after the Norman invasions. It suffered damage in the 14th and 15th centuries in wars involving the

County of Hainaut The County of Hainaut (french: Comté de Hainaut; nl, Graafschap Henegouwen; la, comitatus hanoniensis), sometimes spelled Hainault, was a territorial lordship within the medieval Holy Roman Empire that straddled what is now the border of Belg ...

. Reconstruction projects took place during the 16th and 18th centuries. The abbey reached its peak in terms of power and wealth during the 18th century.

During French Revolution

During the French Revolution, on July 28, 1789, the wealth and power of the abbey caused it to become a target of anger, and it was sacked by the villagers of

Taisnières-en-Thiérache Taisnières-en-Thiérache (, literally ''Taisnières in Thiérache'') is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. Heraldry See also *Communes of the Nord department The following is a list of the 648 communes of the Nord departme ...

. Between 1791 and 1794, the abbey was used as a quarry, and the abbey church, the cloister, and some of the walls disappeared. Today only parts of the portal and guesthouse remain, as well as the windmill and tithe barn (''grange dimière''). The tithe barn has been restored and converted into a tourism and information center, providing information on the natural and cultural patrimony of the local region.

Maroilles cheese

Maroilles cheese is often reported to have first been made in 962 by a monk in Maroilles Abbey.

References

External links

Patrimoine de France: Abbaye de Maroilles
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Maroilles Abbey Benedictine monasteries in France Buildings and structures in Nord (French department)