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Brogne Abbey

Coordinates: 50°37′14″N 4°57′18″E / 50.6205°N 4.9549°E / 50.6205; 4.9549
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Brogne Abbey
Abbaye Saint-Gérard de Brogne
Monastery information
OrderBenedictine
Establishedbefore 920
Disestablished1796
DioceseLiège (to 1559); Namur (from 1559)
Architecture
Heritage designationlisted building
Designated date1995
Site
Coordinates50°37′14″N 4°57′18″E / 50.6205°N 4.9549°E / 50.6205; 4.9549
Websitewww.brogne.be

Brogne Abbey (French: Abbaye de Brogne), also known as Saint-Gerard Abbey, was a Benedictine abbey founded in the early 10th century by Gerard of Brogne in the village of Brogne (now the Saint-Gérard subdivision of Mettet, Wallonia, Belgium).[1]

Gerard founded the abbey on his own land, with the blessing of Stephen of Liège (died 920), and obtained a relic of St Eugenius from the abbot of Saint-Denis. A charter of 923 granted land in Hesbaye to the monastery.

In 992 Otto III visited the abbey together with Notker of Liège and confirmed its independence and privileges.[2] In 1183 Pope Lucius III confirmed the abbey in all its possessions.[3]

In 1566 the revenues of the abbacy were assigned to the recently founded Diocese of Namur by a bull of Pope Pius IV. Thereafter the monastery was governed by a prior on behalf of the bishop of Namur. In 1656 the monastery was incorporated into the Bursfelde Congregation.[4] Just which revenues were due to the bishop remained subject to dispute, petitions and sometimes litigation until the abbey was suppressed in 1796.[5]

The buildings of the former monastery were acquired by the municipality of Mettet in 1974,[6] and were listed as built heritage in 1995. At least for some years, the early 80's, the abbey was used as a youth hostel by the Belgian Youth hostels association.[7] Since 2013 they have housed a microbrewery,[8] and since 2015 a centre for viticulture.

Abbots

[edit]
Brogne Abbey in 1604
  • Gerard of Brogne (died 959)
  • Heribert
  • Guinebald
  • Reiner
  • Gonther
  • Boso (died 1085)
  • Guerimond
  • Thomas
  • Arnold (died 1106)
  • Stephen (died 1114)
  • Ebroin (died 1140)
  • Gerard (died 1156)
  • Godfrey (died 1161)
  • Libuin (died 1185)
  • Lambert (died 1234)
  • Arnold (died 1192)
  • Robert (died 1221/22)
  • Thomas (died 1268)
  • Gerard (died 1291)
  • Lambert (died 1293)
  • Baldwin of Riwenchies (died 1301)
  • Thomas de Hanèche (died 1310)
  • Gerard (died 1313)
  • Alard (died 1353)
  • Henri de Falize (died 1380)
  • Jean Buffetial (died 1400)
  • Walter de Falize
  • Jean de Liernu (died 1433)
  • Nicolas de Lesves (died 1448)
  • Nicolas Cardin (died 1452)
  • Guillaume de Graux (died 1483)
  • Jacques Le Tourier (died 1503)
  • Guillaume de Beez (died 1507)
  • Thomas Badry (resigned 1512; died 1516)
  • Guillaume Caulier (died 1550)
  • Benoît de Mailly (died 1564)

Thereafter the bishops of Namur held the abbacy in commendam.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Ursmer Berlière, Monasticon Belge (Maredsous, 1897), pp. 28-38.
  2. ^ Berlière, p. 31.
  3. ^ Berlière, p. 33.
  4. ^ Berlière, p. 36.
  5. ^ fr:Pierre Héliot, review of Dom G. François, Notice archéologique sur l'ancienne abbaye de Saint-Gérard (Maredsous, 1956), in Bibliothèque de l'école des chartes, 114/1 (1956) pp. 304-306.
  6. ^ "St-Gérard de Brogne: Inauguration du centre vivant de la vigne ces 21 et 22 mars".
  7. ^ "Aménagement du territoire, Logement, Patrimoine et Énergie".
  8. ^ "Home". abbayedebrogne.be.