Prémontré Abbey

Prémontré Abbey, situated in Prémontré about twelve miles west of Laon in the département of Aisne, France, holds the distinction of being the mother house of the Premonstratensian Order. Its establishment in 1120 by Saint Norbert of Xanten marked the genesis of a significant religious movement, with the abbey itself becoming a pivotal center for the order's administration and spiritual life.

History and Development

The abbey's founding site, known as "Præmonstratus" or "pratum monstratum," was initially waste land that had proven difficult to cultivate. The name, interpreted as "a place foreshown," gained spiritual resonance, reflecting the divine calling perceived by its founder and early disciples. By 1131, during a visit by Pope Innocent II and Saint Norbert, the abbey already housed some five hundred religious, including priests, clerics, and lay-brothers, all dedicated to their communal observance under Abbot Hugh of Fosse. A notable development was the decision in the general chapter of 1141 to establish a minimum distance between male and female monastic communities, a shift from the earlier practice of double monasteries.

The abbey's history was not without its challenges. During the 16th century, it endured periods of commendatory abbacy, with Cardinals Francis of Pisa and Ippolito d'Este holding the abbey and its revenues, actions later described by the abbey's historian as "the scourges of Prémontré." Following these difficult years, Jean Des Pruets, an earnest priest and Doctor of the Sorbonne, was elected abbot in 1572 and undertook the vital task of restoring financial stability and enforcing conventual discipline. Despite the efforts of subsequent zealous abbots, Cardinal Richelieu also served as a commendatory abbot.

The French Revolution brought an end to Prémontré Abbey as a functioning monastic institution. It was suppressed, confiscated, and its site sold. The property underwent transformations, serving as a potassium and saltpetre factory before being purchased by the Bishop of Soissons. Ultimately, the Département of Aisne acquired the site, converting the remaining buildings into an asylum or psychiatric hospital, a function that persists to this day.

Architectural Legacy

Of the original monastic complex dating from the 12th to 16th centuries, very little survives. However, three substantial buildings erected in the 17th and 18th centuries remain. One of these structures is still in use as a church, dedicated to Saint Norbert. The majority of the abbey's former grounds are presently occupied by the psychiatric hospital that was established in 1867, integrating the historical site into modern utility.