Ename Abbey, Benedictine monastery in Ename, Belgium.
Ename Abbey is a former Benedictine monastery in Oudenaarde now accessible as an archaeological park with remains from different building periods. The ruins sit near the Scheldt River and reveal how a medieval monastic complex was spatially organized.
The monastery was founded in 1001 by Adele of France and grew into an important religious center. It was dissolved in 1795 during the French Revolutionary Wars.
The monastery was a center for manuscript work and prayer, where monks performed daily rituals and passed down their craft. You can sense this dedication through the remaining fragments and how the site emphasizes monastic routines.
The archaeological park has pathways through the ruins with information boards and occasional interactive exhibits about monastic daily life and work. Comfortable shoes are helpful since the ground is uneven with varying elevation levels.
Excavations at the site uncovered pottery fragments from Roman times, showing the area was inhabited long before the monastery was founded. These older layers beneath the medieval ruins tell of different peoples who lived at this location.
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