Marchiennes Abbey

After the death of Adalbert I of Ostrevent in 642 AD, his widow, Rictrude, made it a double monastery with herself as the first Abbess.

The monastery managed to grow as the city and region bought clearing, drainage and exploitation of marshes and bogs.

In 1712, at the famous siege of Marchiennes, the Abbey and town are bombed for four days and partially destroyed.

The Tower of the Abbey Church was pulled down in 1817, following the fate of other buildings sold at the turn of the century as national property.

Today the remains include the Abbey gate dating from 1748, some operations building built by the monks and the brewery is being restored.