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.