Gembloux Abbey ( Fr. Gembloux ) - Benedictine abbey in Belgium , in the city of Gembloux , province of Namur . Founded in the 10th century, one of Belgium's oldest medieval abbeys. Famous writers and chroniclers of the 11th – 13th centuries Sigebert of Gembloux , Gilbert Martin of Gembloux And others, labored in the Gembloux Abbey. It was closed during the French Revolution , now the buildings of the former abbey belong to the Faculty of Agronomy and Bioengineering of the University of Liege .
| Monastery | |
| Gembloux | |
|---|---|
| Gembloux | |
 | |
| A country |  Belgium |
| Provinces | Namur |
| Denomination | Catholicism |
| Order affiliation | Benedictines |
| Type of | Abbey |
| Architectural style | |
| Founder | Saint Hilbert of Gembloux |
| condition | University |
History
The monastery on the banks of the small river Orno was founded around 945 by the Benedictine monk Hilbert , who was later ranked as a saint. The abbey was dedicated to St. Peter and the locally revered St. Exuper. A year later, Emperor Otton I approved the founding of the abbey and granted him a number of privileges. Erluin became the first abbot; at the same time, Hilbert also patronized the monastery until his death and was buried in it.
The heyday of the monastery fell on the XI-XII centuries. The abbey then became dependent on the Liege bishop , then restored its independent status. Under the abbot Olberta (1012-1048), a monastery church was built, he and the subsequent abbots Miesach (1048-1071), Titmar (1071-1092), Litkhard (1092-1115) and Anselm (1115-1136) did a lot for the development of the abbey, monastery library and the transformation of Gembloux into one of the main intellectual centers of the region. The town of Gembloux gradually grew around the monastery.
The famous medieval historian, chronicler and hagiographer Sigebert of Gembloux spent almost his entire life in the abbey. After his death, two of his main works were also continued by the monks of Gembloux, the world chronicle by the abbot of the monastery Anselm, and the history of the priors of Gambloux by the monk Gottshalk. Another famous historian and chronicler of the abbey was Gilbert Martin of Gembloux (1124-1213).
In 1157 and 1185, the monastery suffered from fires, after which it began to gradually decline. In 1598 it was plundered by the Huguenots, in the XVIII century it burned several more times. Attempts were made to restore, in particular, a new abbey residence was built in the classical style, but in 1793 the monastery was finally closed by the revolutionary government.
Modernity
From historical buildings of the X-XII centuries to our days almost nothing has survived. The only surviving buildings are the Abbey's residence (XVIII century) and several auxiliary outbuildings. Currently, the Abbey Palace is used as an educational building by the Faculty of Agronomy and Bioengineering of the University of Liege .