Flône Abbey

The Abbey of Flône, Belgium, is located on the banks of the Meuse River at Flône (Amay), in the province of Liège (Belgium). It was founded in 1075.

In 1075, three lay brothers decided to devote themselves to the religious life and established themselves on land donated by Henry I of Verdun, Bishop of Liège, near the village of Flône. The site would serve as a convenient resting-place for travelers on the Tongres-Amay-Arlon road, and the lay brothers built a water mill and an oratory dedicated to Saint Matthew.

In 1189, the site became an abbey and became associated with the order of the Augustinian regular canons. A brewery was established in 1550 during the administration of Abbot Philippe d'Orjo (d. 1555), whose tomb is conserved in the church. In 1568, the abbey was plundered and destroyed by the Calvinist troops of William the Silent.

Thomas de Vinalmont (1608–1623) built the dovecote, porch, and mill, and under the Abbot Guillaume de Hemricourt (1636–1670) and his nephew Abbot Dieudonné de Hemricourt (1670–1692), the church, convent, and tour d'angle (junction tower) were built, the last of which became the emblematic image of the old abbey. These buildings formed a double court, at the center of which can be found the church of Saint-Matthieu. The Church of Saint-Matthieu, formerly the abbey church and now the parish church of Flône, contains five tombstones, of black marble, dedicated to various prelates of Flône; 17th century baptismal fonts; 17th century choral stalls; and two by Jean Del Cour (1631–1707) on the walls of the apse. These tableaux depict Saint Matthew and St. Augustine of Hippo. The church also contains a pipe organ built in 1710 by Karel Dillens. The church also contains a reliquary associated with the remains associated with St. Denise, an early Christian martyr. The relics are visible through small openings; in the modern era this saint is invoked for protection against bicycle and motorcycle accidents and headaches.

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