Ardenne Abbey (french: Abbaye Notre-Dame d'Ardenne), the Abbey of Our Lady of Ardenne, is a former

Premonstratensian The Order of Canons Regular of Prémontré (), also known as the Premonstratensians, the Norbertines and, in Britain and Ireland, as the White Canons (from the colour of their habit), is a religious order of canons regular of the Catholic Church ...

abbey founded in the 11th century and located near

Saint-Germain-la-Blanche-Herbe Saint-Germain-la-Blanche-Herbe () is a commune in the Calvados department in the Normandy region in northwestern France. Population See also * Ardenne Abbey Ardenne Abbey (french: Abbaye Notre-Dame d'Ardenne), the Abbey of Our Lady of Ard ...

Calvados Calvados (, , ) is a brandy from Normandy in France, made from apples or pears, or from apples with pears. History In France Apple orchards and brewers are mentioned as far back as the 8th century by Charlemagne. The first known record of Nor ...

, near

Caen Caen (, ; nrf, Kaem) is a commune in northwestern France. It is the prefecture of the department of Calvados. The city proper has 105,512 inhabitants (), while its functional urban area has 470,000,Institute of Contemporary Publishing Archives. Several buildings of the abbey have been preserved, including the church. These are protected as historic monuments. In June 1944, 18 Canadian soldiers were executed at the abbey by members of the 12th SS Panzer Division ''Hitlerjugend''. Evidence showed they were shot in the back of the head. The event has become known as the

Ardenne Abbey massacre The Ardenne Abbey massacre occurred during the Battle of Normandy at the Ardenne Abbey, a Premonstratensian monastery in Saint-Germain-la-Blanche-Herbe, near Caen, France. In June 1944, 20 Canadian soldiers were massacred in a garden at the abbe ...

History

Founding in the 12th century

According to legend, in 1121, a bourgeois from Caen named Ayulphe du Marché (Latinized as Ayulfus de Foro) and his wife Asseline, who were pious and practiced

charity Charity may refer to: Giving * Charitable organization or charity, a non-profit organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being of persons * Charity (practice), the practice of being benevolent, giving and sharing * Ch ...

, had a vision of the

Virgin Mary Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother o ...

ordering them to build a chapel in that place. They acquired seven acres of the plot named "Saxons' wells" and erected a

priory A priory is a monastery of men or women under religious vows that is headed by a prior or prioress. Priories may be houses of mendicant friars or nuns (such as the Dominicans, Augustinians, Franciscans, and Carmelites), or monasteries of mon ...

, which was headed by

Canon Canon or Canons may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Canon (fiction), the conceptual material accepted as official in a fictional universe by its fan base * Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture ** Western ca ...

Gilbert from

Picardy Picardy (; Picard and french: Picardie, , ) is a historical territory and a former administrative region of France. Since 1 January 2016, it has been part of the new region of Hauts-de-France. It is located in the northern part of France. Hi ...

. In 1138, the Romanesque church which had replaced the original chapel was consecrated by the Bishop of Bayeux, Richard of Gloucester. In 1144, the priory was attached to

La Lucerne Abbey La Lucerne Abbey (''Abbaye Sainte-Trinité de La Lucerne''later also known as "La Lucerne-d'Outremer", from its connection to the English crown, whence the name of the present commune) is a Premonstratensian monastery situated in the forests of th ...

, which brought it into the

Order of Canons Regular of Prémontré The Order of Canons Regular of Prémontré (), also known as the Premonstratensians, the Norbertines and, in United Kingdom, Britain and Ireland, as the White Canons (from the colour of their religious habit, habit), is a religious order of canon ...

, also known as the Premonstratensians or Norbertines. In 1160 it became an independent abbey. Abbot Robert is known to have received the donation of a stone quarry at

Bretteville-sur-Odon Bretteville-sur-Odon (, literally ''Bretteville on Odon'') is a commune in the department of Calvados in the Normandy region in northwestern France. It lies on the river Odon, about west of Caen. Population Twin towns * Woodbury, Devon, U ...

, an important indication of a construction campaign in the 12th century.

Middle Ages

The Ardenne Abbey expanded rapidly, and its heritage became very important. * Priory of Saint Vincent de Lebisey ( Hérouville Saint-Clair) in 1291. * Priory of the Hermitage ( Saint-Martin-des-Besaces) in the late 12th century. * Priory of St. Thomas (

Lion-sur-Mer Lion-sur-Mer (, literally ''Lion on Sea'') is a commune in the Calvados department in the Normandy region in northwestern France. Geography Lion-sur-Mer is located on the edge of the English Channel, more precisely on the '' Côte de Nacre'' ...

) in 1328. * The priests of twelve

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or m ...

es in

and

Orne Orne (; nrf, Ôrne or ) is a département in the northwest of France, named after the river Orne. It had a population of 279,942 in 2019.Hundred Years' War The Hundred Years' War (; 1337–1453) was a series of armed conflicts between the kingdoms of Kingdom of England, England and Kingdom of France, France during the Late Middle Ages. It originated from disputed claims to the French Crown, ...

. On December 14, 1417, during the siege of

Caen Caen (, ; nrf, Kaem) is a commune in northwestern France. It is the prefecture of the department of Calvados. The city proper has 105,512 inhabitants (), while its functional urban area has 470,000,Caen Caen (, ; nrf, Kaem) is a commune in northwestern France. It is the prefecture of the department of Calvados. The city proper has 105,512 inhabitants (), while its functional urban area has 470,000,Charles VII of France Charles VII (22 February 1403 – 22 July 1461), called the Victorious (french: le Victorieux) or the Well-Served (), was King of France from 1422 to his death in 1461. In the midst of the Hundred Years' War, Charles VII inherited the throne of F ...

, who only left it after the surrender of the English garrison on July 5. After the war ended, Abbot Robert Chartier began to rebuild the cloister and a conventual building.

16th century

During the early 16th century the abbey was held ''

in commendam In canon law, commendam (or ''in commendam'') was a form of transferring an ecclesiastical benefice ''in trust'' to the ''custody'' of a patron. The phrase ''in commendam'' was originally applied to the provisional occupation of an ecclesiastical ...

'' and began to decline. During the

Wars of Religion A religious war or a war of religion, sometimes also known as a holy war ( la, sanctum bellum), is a war which is primarily caused or justified by differences in religion. In the modern period, there are frequent debates over the extent to wh ...

the canons twice had to seek refuge in Caen. In 1562 the abbey was sacked and many buildings were abandoned. The abbey remained in a state of ruin for many years, only occupied by two or three canons at a time. The abbey gradually rebuilt and by 1587 there were eight canons, four novices and their master. The rebuilding was overseen by Prior Jean de la Croix, who came from the Belle-Étoile Abbey in 1596. He restored the abbey and remained the spiritual head of the Abbey for nearly 58 years, following the visit of

Servais de Lairuelz Annibal-Servais de Lairuelz (1560 – 18 October 1631), a native of Hainaut in what is now Belgium, was a canon and reformer of the Premonstratensian Order. Biography De Lairuelz was born in 1560 in Soignies in the County of Hainaut. He w ...

, the

vicar general A vicar general (previously, archdeacon) is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority and possesses the title of local ordinary. As vicar of the bishop, the vicar general exercises the bishop's ...

of the

Premonstratensians The Order of Canons Regular of Prémontré (), also known as the Premonstratensians, the Norbertines and, in Britain and Ireland, as the White Canons (from the colour of their habit), is a religious order of canons regular of the Catholic Church ...

17th century

The restoration continued into the 17th century following a concordat in 1602 between the prior and the new commendator, Pierre de Villemor, despite hesitations regarding the financial side of the restoration. In 1609 the church was consecrated. By 1639 a dormitory, library and a new altar were built. It is thought that under the leadership of John of the Cross that the Gothic cloisters were closed. On November 12, 1627, the prior, in conflict with his abbot Guillaume Galodé, adopted most of the reforming statutes of

Pont-à-Mousson Pont-à-Mousson () is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in north-eastern France. Its inhabitants are known as ''Mussipontains'' in French. It is an industrial town (mainly steel industry), situated on the river Moselle. Pont-à-Mouss ...

. The abbey only adhered to the Congregation of Lorraine only after obtaining guarantees on regionalisation, as Lorriane was not a part of the Kingdom of France. John of the Cross convinced other abbeys to adhere to this reform, despite strong opposition, and Ardenne became one of the most influential abbeys in Normandy. John of the Cross died on January 4, 1654, and a manuscript says that he was buried beneath the sanctuary towards the east of the complex. After his death, more building works were completed, including the Saint-Norbert gate, giving access to the complex from the north in 1672. In 1686 the ruined vaults of the abbey were replaced by frames of wooden ogives, the gallery running along the cloister was restored in 1689 and two chapels were built against the northern wall of the church.

18th century

The press was restored and, on the north side, a new abbey house was built after 1711 outside the complex for the commendatory abbot. In 1766, the eastern gallery of the cloister was rebuilt and the old chapter house was demolished. During 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 ...

the canons were expelled and the abbey was sold as a national property on 1 May 1791 to a Parisian named Chauffrey. In 1795, three successive sales dispersed the furniture and numerous paintings. In 1799 the abbey was acquired by Englishman William Russell, a Unitarian, who lived there until 1814. With the encouragement of Protestant pastor, M. Fontbonne du Vernet, Russell approached the Prefect of the Department to request a church to assemble in at Caen. This was refused, but Russell was permitted to open the small church on his property at the Ardenne Abbey. Russell repaired, and refurnished the church, and the first service was held there early in October 1801. It was the first Protestant church to open in France, since the Revolution. The church was soon overflowing, and, by November 1803, the congregation was able to move to a larger chapel in Caen.

19th century

The high altar with its two

panel painting A panel painting is a painting made on a flat panel of wood, either a single piece or a number of pieces joined together. Until canvas became the more popular support medium in the 16th century, panel painting was the normal method, when not paint ...

s representing

Saint Norbert Norbert of Xanten, O. Praem (c. 1075 – 6 June 1134) (Xanten-Magdeburg), also known as Norbert Gennep, was a bishop of the Catholic Church, founder of the Premonstratensian order of canons regular, and is venerated as a saint. Norbert was c ...

and

Saint Augustine Augustine of Hippo ( , ; la, Aurelius Augustinus Hipponensis; 13 November 354 – 28 August 430), also known as Saint Augustine, was a theologian and philosopher of Berber origin and the bishop of Hippo Regius in Numidia, Roman North Af ...

was transferred in 1812 to the Church of Saint John of Caen. Beginning in 1814, the abbey and its land was divided up between different owner, being occupied by three separate farms. By 1830, the cloister as well as most of the abbey house had been demolished.

Arcisse de Caumont Arcisse de Caumont (20 August 1801, Bayeux – 16 April 1873) was a French historian and archaeologist. Biography Arcisse Caumont was born at Bayeux to François de Caumont and Marie-Louise de Mathan Hue. One of his mentors was Charles de Gervil ...

witnessed further destruction of the site due to the removal of stone for new constructions, including the agricultural building built by the new owners.

20th century

In 1918 a large part of the old abbey (church, north door, perimeter wall, barn and west gate) was classified as a

monument historique ''Monument historique'' () is a designation given to some national heritage sites in France. It may also refer to the state procedure in France by which National Heritage protection is extended to a building, a specific part of a building, a coll ...

, with the remainder of the Abbey classified in 1947. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

one of the owners, Roland Vico, was a member of the resistance. The buildings were used to store weapons until its occupation by German soldiers, who used the towers of the abbey to observe the surroundings.

Ardenne Abbey Massacre

In June 1944, 20 Canadian soldiers were

massacred A massacre is the killing of a large number of people or animals, especially those who are not involved in any fighting or have no way of defending themselves. A massacre is generally considered to be morally unacceptable, especially when per ...

in a garden at the abbey by members of the 12th SS Panzer Division ''Hitlerjugend'' over the course of several days and weeks. During the course of the Normandy Campaign an estimated "156 Canadian prisoners of war are believed to have been executed by the 12th SS Panzer Division (the Hitler Youth) in the days and weeks following the D-Day landings. In scattered groups, in various pockets of the Normandy countryside, they were taken aside and shot."

References

{{Subject bar , portal1= Catholicism , portal2= France Buildings and structures in Calvados (department) Premonstratensian monasteries in France 1121 establishments in Europe 1120s establishments in France Christian monasteries established in the 12th century