Affligem Abbey
Affligem Abbey | |
---|---|
Abdij Affligem (Dutch) | |
General information | |
Type | Abbey |
Town or city | Affligem, Flemish Brabant |
Country | Belgium |
Construction started | 1086 |
Affligem Abbey (
History
First foundation
On 28 June 1062, an hermitical fraternity was founded in Affligem by six knights who repented of their violent way of life.
The first abbot of the abbey was Fulgentius (1088–1122), a monk of Saint-Vanne Abbey in Verdun, originally from
The counts of
During the 12th century, the abbey became known for the strict adoption of the
In 1523, Affligem joined the Bursfelde Congregation, a union of Benedictine monasteries formed in the 15th century for the stricter observance of the Benedictine rule. In 1569, the Archbishop of Mechelen became secular abbot and the spiritual duty was exercised by a provost (praepositus), a measure that lasted until the dissolution of the abbey in 1796.[1] In 1580 the abbey was destroyed by soldiers of William the Silent, but subsequently rebuilt.
Archbishop
In 1796, during the
Second foundation
In 1869/70, Affligem Abbey was re-established and agricultural activity resumed. A new church was erected in 1880. The brewery was re-opened in 1885, followed by a new dairy and cheese farm in the mid-1890s. During World War I, copper fittings and fixtures were requisitioned, but the brewery resumed operation in 1921. The brewery was destroyed in World War II. The brand name is used under license from the monks of Affligem, by the Op-Ale brewery in the neighbouring village of Opwijk, now owned by Heineken and renamed Affligem Brewery.[4]
Affligem Abbey is a member of the Flemish Province of the Subiaco Cassinese Congregation within the Benedictine Confederation.
Building history
During its nine hundred years of existence, the abbey church did not escape war. Located on the border with the county of Flanders, it was in the 14th century destroyed twice by troops of the county of Flanders (War of the Brabantian Succession). In the process, the Romanesque basilical church lost three of its original five towers. In 1580, the abbey was set on fire by the troops of William the Silent.
The monastery experienced a new flowering under provost Benedictus van Haeften († 1648). To embellish the restored building, he called on the famous painters Peter Paul Rubens and Gaspar de Crayer. For the abbey church, prominent Antwerp sculptor Joannes Cardon created the choir stalls. In the late 17th century, the abbey was ravaged once again, this time by the armies of Louis XIV.
The complex revived in the 18th century thanks to the monumental classicist structures of the famous architect Laurent-Benoît Dewez. In 1768, his plans were approved for the renovation of the convent buildings, grouped around two square courtyards, with integration of the modified west facade of the church as the central element for a long, symmetrically extended façade composition with two risalites under triangular pediments. The foundation stone of the new structure was laid in 1770 and three monastery buildings were sacrificed for the new construction.
Abbots
The first abbot of the abbey was Fulgentius (1088–1122), a monk of Saint-Vanne Abbey in Verdun. Among his prominent successors may be mentioned:
- Franco (1122–1135), author of De Gratia Dei in twelve books (Patrologia Latina, vol. 166, 717-080);
- Albert, whose devotion to the Virgin Mary won him the title Abbas Marianus;
- William de Croÿ (bishop) (1518–1521)
- Charles de Croÿ (1521–1564)
Provosts
- Benedictus van Haeften, author of several religious works
- Beda Regaus, historian
Burials
- Godfrey I of Leuven
- Adeliza of Leuven, Queen of England
- Marie of France, Duchess of Brabant
Notes
References
- ^ a b c Brock, Henry. "Afflighem." The Catholic Encyclopedia Vol. 1. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1907. 17 October 2022 This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ Michel Huglo, L'auteur du traité de musique dédié à Fulgence d’Affligem, in: Revue belge de Musicologie / Belgisch Tijdschrift voor Muziekwetenschap 31 (1977), S. 5–19.
- ^ Huneycutt, Lois L., Matilda of Scotland: A Study in Medieval Queenship. Woodbridge: The Boydell Press, 2003. p. 38
- ^ "Our Abbey", Affligem
Further reading
- Wilfried Verleyen, Negen eeuwen Affligem, 1083-1983 (Affligem, Abdij Affligem, 1983)
External links
- Media related to Abdij van Affligem at Wikimedia Commons
- Official website (in Dutch)
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Brock, Henry Matthias (1907). "Afflighem". In Herbermann, Charles (ed.). Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 1. New York: Robert Appleton Company.