Ename Abbey

It was founded by Adele of France, wife of Baldwin V, Count of Flanders, and was confiscated during the French Revolutionary Wars.

During the first half of the 11th century the tension between the Holy Roman Empire and the county of Flanders grew, especially in border territories.

In order to demilitarise the area, in 1063 Adele of France founded the Abbey of Our Lady that received the village of Ename and other properties to provide financial income.

The construction of the abbey complex started immediately around the Saint Salvator church, formerly part of the village.

[4][5] During the 16th century, Europe and Flanders were shaken by revolts and civil wars provoked by an economic crisis and the diffusion of the Protestantism.

Minor damage occurred during the 1566 Iconoclastic Fury, while the occupation of Oudenaarde by the Protestant troops of the city of Ghent in 1578 was disastrous for the abbey.

With the return of the monks, the abbey reclaimed its property in the village and influence on the lives of the inhabitants of Ename.

The daily life of monks in the abbey during the 13th century can be experienced in the Provincial Heritage Centre through an interactive game and walkthrough 3D reconstruction.

A 17th-century map of the abbey's property [ 1 ]
3D reconstruction of Ename in 1065 based on archaeological finds. On the left the former palace building and the chapel of Our Lady, in the center the abbey under construction around Saint Salvator church, on the right the village of Ename.
3D reconstruction of the first Saint Salvator abbey around 1085
3D reconstruction of Ename and Saint Salvator abbey at the end of 13th century.
Ename abbey in the first half of 17th century. Drawing from the book "Flandria Illustrata" by Antonius Sanderus
3D reconstruction of Saint Salvator abbey in 1730. In this period the abbey was at its maximal splendour. A French garden with fountains and orangerie was built next to the church.