Maroilles Abbey (french: Abbaye de Maroilles) 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 whi ...

in Maroilles in the department of Nord,

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

. It was founded around 650 and suppressed in 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 coup of 18 Brumaire, November 1799. Many of its ...

History

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

Humbert of Maroilles Humbert of Maroilles (died ca. 680) was a Frankish monk, abbot, and saint. He founded Maroilles Abbey. Life Humbert was born at Mézières-sur-Oise in the early 7th century. His parents, Evrard and Popita, were of the nobility. He trained as ...

. Humbert was succeeded by Saint Curcodomus. From the 9th century to the time of the

in the late 18th century, the abbey followed the

Rule of St. Benedict The ''Rule of Saint Benedict'' ( la, Regula Sancti Benedicti) is a book of precepts written in Latin in 516 by St Benedict of Nursia ( AD 480–550) for monks living communally under the authority of an abbot. The spirit of Saint Benedict's Ru ...

. The abbey was repaired and restored in 1025 by

Gerard of Florennes Gerard of Florennes (ca 975, bishop 1012 – 14 March 1051), bishop of Cambrai as Gerard I, had formerly been chaplain to Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor, and helpful to the latter in his political negotiations with Robert the Pious, King of France. In ...

(Gérard de Cambrai) after the

Norman Norman or Normans may refer to: Ethnic and cultural identity * The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries ** People or things connected with the Norm ...

invasions. It suffered damage in the 14th and 15th centuries in wars involving the County of Hainaut. 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. Between 1791 and 1794, the abbey was used as a

quarry A quarry is a type of open-pit mine in which dimension stone, rock, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, gravel, or slate is excavated from the ground. The operation of quarries is regulated in some jurisdictions to reduce their envir ...

, 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 A tithe barn was a type of barn used in much of northern Europe in the Middle Ages for storing rents and tithe A tithe (; from Old English: ''teogoþa'' "tenth") is a one-tenth part of something, paid as a contribution to a religious orga ...

(''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 Maroilles (; also known as Marolles, or simply known as Maroilles) is a cow's-milk cheese made in the regions of Picardy and Nord-Pas-de-Calais in northern France. It derives its name from the village of Maroilles in the region in which it is sti ...

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
*

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