On the occasion of the tenth anniversary of its renovation, the Institute of Walloon Heritage (L’Institut du Patrimoine wallon) is publishing a book (1) which retraces the colourful history of the Abbey of Stavelot. The author is Christophe Masson, who holds the PhD in History, Art and Archaeology from the University of Liège. The book presents an exhaustive and copiously illustrated history of the ancient abbey from its construction during the 7th century to the present day.

The town of Stavelot is tucked away in the heart of the Ardennes forest, along the banks of the Amblève, but it can claim to have seen a turbulent history. To the north of the current structures, ruins only suggest the imposing church that dominated the area in the 11th century. Between the original construction of an abbey during the 7th century, up to its abandonment as a religious institution at the end of the 18th century, five worship centres were built in succession upon a single site, each accompanied by the buildings of a convent. The book by Christophe Masson, a volunteer assistant working for the Service d’Histoire du Moyen-Âge tardif et de la Renaissance of the University of Liège, retraces the most significant episodes in the abbey’s history, including reconstructions and demolitions, its abundant association with artistic production, and its transformation, as an architectural grouping, into a major cultural and museum centre of the Walloon region.

The book was commissioned by the Institute of Walloon Heritage and the non-profit foundation Espaces Tourisme et Culture, which is responsible for the management of the abbey site. It is presented as a synthesis of what is known about the several abbey churches and convents of Stavelot. “The book sums up what is currently known, bringing together elements of knowledge that were scattered in dozens of short articles published in different places at different times. First it was necessary to collect as many articles as possible, and then to weave them together in a story. There had been no precise account of the different periods of construction, and this has now been accomplished thanks to reports on archaeological diggings at the site. I have blended together the question of architecture and the different periods of reconstruction with the political history, in a broad sense, of the lands under the abbey’s control, the principality of Stavelot at a former time,” Masson says. The book is richly illustrated, and intended both for a wider public and for scientists seeking a basis for research. Christophe Masson has also established a list of the men who succeeded one another in the office of abbot over more than a millennium. Before this, prior records of those holding the office, extending up to 1930, were also dispersed in various collegiate libraries, and thus not easily accessible to members of the public.

The veneration of Saint Remacle

Stavelot was an important centre of medieval spirituality, and owed this status in large measure to the veneration of St. Remacle. The abbey of Stavelot was founded  in 647-648 when Remacle, motivated by religious, political and geographical factors, founded two monasteries, under the direction of a single father abbot, one at Stavelot and the other at Malmedy. “Remacle came here to spread the Gospel and to build a worship centre for the Ardennes, including a centre where monks could live in a place that was separated from the rest of the world.” The land under the control of the abbey that would be very influential during the Middle Ages was defined as a circle 26 km in diameter, containing two centres. Very quickly the abbots showed their preference for Stavelot as a residential site. The abbey at Stavelot was better protected from flooding at times when the Amblève would flow out of its banks, and Stavelot claimed ascendancy over the abbey at Malmedy, which nonetheless attempted over the centuries to reclaim its independence.

In 685, the construction of the abbey church in stone was completed. The church was dedicated to Saint Peter and Saint Paul. Relics from the body of Remacle, who had died some years earlier, were installed behind the altar of saints, which conferred an aura of sanctity upon them. The abbey experienced two centuries of prosperity thanks to many donations; the money allowed the monks to live more comfortably and improved the cultural, architectural and financial health of the abbey. In the middle of the 8th century, a cult of adoration emerged, celebrating the personality of Saint Remacle. His figure would continue to increase in importance, despite the catastrophes that would shake the abbey.

« L’abbaye de Stavelot. Un avenir pour un passé recomposé », IPW.