Liessies Abbey
Encyclopedia
Liessies Abbey was a Benedictine monastery in the village of Liessies
, near Avesnes-sur-Helpe
, in the Archdiocese of Cambrai
and the département of Nord, France
.
. It seems to have been destroyed twice in the following centuries. By tradition the founder is named as Wilbert, a Poitevin
nobleman, and the first abbot as his son Guntrad or Gondrad. Wilbert's daughter, Hiltrude, refused to marry and became a nun here. She died in 785. After miracles were reported at her tomb, the Bishop of Cambrai organised her formal veneration, but was unable to establish monks here, as the house was at that time in the possession of a community of canons
, who refused to co-operate.
The abbey was badly damaged during the Hundred Years' War
and continued in decline until the mid-16th century.
(1506–1566), otherwise known as Blosius, became abbot. He had been a monk at Liessies since the age of 14, and at once began the reform of the abbey, successfully re-introducing strict Benedictine observance. He was also well-known in the world as a mystical writer whose works were in favour at the court of Emperor Charles V
.
, at that time Archbishop of Cambrai, accordingly held a visitation of the abbey in 1702 and left certain instructions of which the abbot circulated a largely fictitious account. The archbishop, however, having secured the changes he desired, refrained from any public disavowal of the abbot's declaration.
Bouillon is however also credited with the expansion and improvement of the abbey buildings, along with his successor, Abbot Agapit d'Ambrine.
The site became the property of the Lhomme family, who gradually demolished the major buildings.
The chapel of St. Hiltrude still stands in the forest, although the procession in honour of the saint took place for the last time in 1963.
Liessies
-References:*...
, near Avesnes-sur-Helpe
Avesnes-sur-Helpe
Avesnes-sur-Helpe is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department Nord-Pas Calais. Avesnes-sur-Helpe is known as "the little Switzerland of the north." This region is filled with spacious country parks areas and leisure facilities, including Val...
, in the Archdiocese of Cambrai
Archdiocese of Cambrai
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cambrai is an archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic church in France, comprising the arrondissements of Avesnes-sur-Helpe, Cambrai, Douai, and Valenciennes within the département of Nord, in the region of Nord-Pas-de-Calais. The current archbishop is...
and the département of Nord, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
First foundation
It was founded about the middle of the 8th century and dedicated to Saint LambertSaint Lambert (martyr)
Saint Lambert was the bishop of Maastricht from about 670 until his death. Lambert was from a noble family of Maastricht, a protégé of his uncle, Bishop Theodard of Maastricht. When Theodard was murdered soon after 669, the councillors of Childeric II made Lambert bishop of Maastricht...
. It seems to have been destroyed twice in the following centuries. By tradition the founder is named as Wilbert, a Poitevin
Poitou
Poitou was a province of west-central France whose capital city was Poitiers.The region of Poitou was called Thifalia in the sixth century....
nobleman, and the first abbot as his son Guntrad or Gondrad. Wilbert's daughter, Hiltrude, refused to marry and became a nun here. She died in 785. After miracles were reported at her tomb, the Bishop of Cambrai organised her formal veneration, but was unable to establish monks here, as the house was at that time in the possession of a community of canons
Canon (priest)
A canon is a priest or minister who is a member of certain bodies of the Christian clergy subject to an ecclesiastical rule ....
, who refused to co-operate.
Benedictine foundation
The Benedictine monastery was finally established between about 1095 and 1110 by Theodoric of Avesnes and his wife Ada. From this time its continuous history is on record, but without much detail.The abbey was badly damaged during the Hundred Years' War
Hundred Years' War
The Hundred Years' War was a series of separate wars waged from 1337 to 1453 by the House of Valois and the House of Plantagenet, also known as the House of Anjou, for the French throne, which had become vacant upon the extinction of the senior Capetian line of French kings...
and continued in decline until the mid-16th century.
Blosius
In 1530 Louis de BloisLouis de Blois
Abbot Louis de Blois, O.S.B., was a Flemish monk and mystical writer, generally known under the name of Blosius.-Life:...
(1506–1566), otherwise known as Blosius, became abbot. He had been a monk at Liessies since the age of 14, and at once began the reform of the abbey, successfully re-introducing strict Benedictine observance. He was also well-known in the world as a mystical writer whose works were in favour at the court of Emperor Charles V
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I, of the Spanish Empire from 1516 until his voluntary retirement and abdication in favor of his younger brother Ferdinand I and his son Philip II in 1556.As...
.
Bouillon
After his death the next six abbots seem to have maintained his high standards, but the 41st abbot, Lambert Bouillon (d. 1708), was of a different type. He is said to have lived extravagantly, exhausted the monastery exchequer with lawsuits, and diverted the revenues to the advantage of his nephews and nieces. FénelonFrançois Fénelon
François de Salignac de la Mothe-Fénelon, more commonly known as François Fénelon , was a French Roman Catholic archbishop, theologian, poet and writer...
, at that time Archbishop of Cambrai, accordingly held a visitation of the abbey in 1702 and left certain instructions of which the abbot circulated a largely fictitious account. The archbishop, however, having secured the changes he desired, refrained from any public disavowal of the abbot's declaration.
Bouillon is however also credited with the expansion and improvement of the abbey buildings, along with his successor, Abbot Agapit d'Ambrine.
Suppression
In 1791 the last abbot, Dom Mark Verdier, and his community signed a declaration, as ordered by the decree of 14 October 1790, in which they confirmed their desire to remain in religion, but the suppression followed nevertheless. The property of the monastery was sold in 1791 and 1792 and the church pillaged and destroyed. The valuable paintings for which the abbey was famous, which included a series of "religious founders", were burned or dispersed; a few survived in neighbouring churches.The site became the property of the Lhomme family, who gradually demolished the major buildings.
Remains
Although the major structures are destroyed, a number of small monastic working buildings still survive scattered about the abbey's former park, which has been preserved as an open space.The chapel of St. Hiltrude still stands in the forest, although the procession in honour of the saint took place for the last time in 1963.