Brogne Abbey

Brogne Abbey

Abbaye Saint-Gérard de Brogne
Monastery information
Order	Benedictine
Established	before 920
Disestablished	1796
Diocese	Liège (to 1559); Namur (from 1559)
Architecture
Heritage designation	listed building
Designated date	1995
Site
Coordinates	50°37′14″N 4°57′18″E / 50.6205°N 4.9549°E / 50.6205; 4.9549Coordinates: 50°37′14″N 4°57′18″E / 50.6205°N 4.9549°E / 50.6205; 4.9549
Website	www.brogne.be

Brogne Abbey, also known as Saint-Gerard Abbey, was a Benedictine abbey founded in the early 10th century by Gerard of Brogne in the village of Brogne (now the Saint-Gérard subdivision of Mettet).^[1]

Gerard founded the abbey on his own land, with the blessing of Stephen of Liège (died 920), and obtained a relic of St Eugenius from the abbot of Saint-Denis. A charter of 923 granted land in Hesbaye to the monastery.

In 992 Otto III visited the abbey together with Notker of Liège and confirmed its independence and privileges.^[2] In 1183 Pope Lucius III confirmed the abbey in all its possessions.^[3]

In 1566 the revenues of the abbacy were assigned to the recently founded Diocese of Namur by a bull of Pope Pius IV. Thereafter the monastery was governed by a prior on behalf of the bishop of Namur. In 1656 the monastery was incorporated into the Bursfelde Congregation.^[4] Just which revenues were due to the bishop remained subject to dispute, petitions and sometimes litigation until the abbey was suppressed in 1796.^[5]

The buildings of the former monastery were acquired by the municipality of Mettet in 1974,^[6] and were listed as built heritage in 1995.^[7] Since 2013 they have housed a microbrewery,^[8] and since 2015 a centre for viticulture.

Abbots

Brogne Abbey in 1604

• Gerard of Brogne (died 959)
• Heribert
• Guinebald
• Reiner
• Gonther
• Boso (died 1085)
• Guerimond
• Thomas
• Arnold (died 1106)
• Stephen (died 1114)
• Ebroin (died 1140)
• Gerard (died 1156)
• Godfrey (died 1161)
• Libuin (died 1185)
• Lambert (died 1234)
• Arnold (died 1192)
• Robert (died 1221/22)
• Thomas (died 1268)
• Gerard (died 1291)
• Lambert (died 1293)
• Baldwin of Riwenchies (died 1301)
• Thomas de Hanèche (died 1310)
• Gerard (died 1313)
• Alard (died 1353)
• Henri de Falize (died 1380)
• Jean Buffetial (died 1400)
• Walter de Falize
• Jean de Liernu (died 1433)
• Nicolas de Lesves (died 1448)
• Nicolas Cardin (died 1452)
• Guillaume de Graux (died 1483)
• Jacques Le Tourier (died 1503)
• Guillaume de Beez (died 1507)
• Thomas Badry (resigned 1512; died 1516)
• Guillaume Caulier (died 1550)
• Benoît de Mailly (died 1564)

Thereafter the bishops of Namur held the abbacy in commendam.

References