The Abbey of St. Martin, Laon, established in 1124 in

Laon Laon () is a city in the Aisne Departments of France, department in Hauts-de-France in northern France. History Early history The Ancient Diocese of Laon, which rises a hundred metres above the otherwise flat Picardy plain, has always held s ...

in the modern department of

Aisne Aisne ( , ; ; ) is a French departments of France, department in the Hauts-de-France region of northern France. It is named after the river Aisne (river), Aisne. In 2020, it had a population of 529,374. Geography The department borders No ...

in northern

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

, was one of the earliest foundations of the

Premonstratensian Order 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 in the Catholic Church ...

. Along with

Cuissy Abbey Cuissy Abbey was a Premonstratensian abbey in France in the diocese of Soissons, and was among the earliest foundations of the Premonstratensian Order. History The abbey was situated at Cuissy-et-Geny, near Laon, in the ''département'' of Aisne. ...

and

Floreffe Abbey Floreffe Abbey () is a former Premonstratensian monastery, the second of the order to be founded, situated on the Sambre at Floreffe, about south-west of Namur, Wallonia, Belgium. History When Norbert of Xanten, founder of the Premonstratensia ...

it counted as one of the ''primarii inter pares'', or senior houses, of the order. The Premonstratensian community was founded by Barthélemy of Jur,

bishop of Laon The diocese of Laon in the present-day département of Aisne, was a Catholic diocese for around 1300 years, up to the French Revolution. Its seat was in Laon, France, with Laon Cathedral. From early in the 13th century, the bishop of Laon was ...

, in co-operation with Saint

Norbert of Xanten Norbert of Xanten, O. Praem (c. 1080 – 6 June 1134), also known as Norbert Gennep, was a German Catholic bishop who was the Archbishopric of Magdeburg, Archbishop of Magdeburg, founder of the Premonstratensian order of canons regular, and is ...

, who settled it with twelve canons from

Prémontré Abbey Prémontré Abbey was the mother house of the Premonstratensian Order and was located at Prémontré about twelve miles west of Laon, ''département'' of Aisne, France. History It was founded by Saint Norbert of Xanten in 1120 on waste land tha ...

. It took over the site of an earlier college of

canons regular The Canons Regular of St. Augustine are Catholic priests who live in community under a rule ( and κανών, ''kanon'', in Greek) and are generally organised into Religious order (Catholic), religious orders, differing from both Secular clergy, ...

, established in the

Carolingian The Carolingian dynasty ( ; known variously as the Carlovingians, Carolingus, Carolings, Karolinger or Karlings) was a Frankish noble family named after Charles Martel and his grandson Charlemagne, descendants of the Arnulfing and Pippinid c ...

period, which had fallen into decay. It was dissolved in the French Revolution. The church of St. Martin in

, dating from the mid to late 12th century, is still in use as a parish church. The former monastic buildings were converted into a hospital in 1810.

References

External links

saintmartindetours.eu: Abbatiale Saint-Martin, Laon
Premonstratensian monasteries in France 1124 establishments in Europe 1120s establishments in France 18th-century disestablishments in France Monasteries dissolved during the French Revolution Monasteries in Aisne Christian monasteries established in the 1120s Churches in Aisne Laon {{France-RC-church-stub