Maredsous Abbey

Maredsous Abbey is a Benedictine monastery at Maredsous, in the municipality of Anhée, Wallonia, Belgium. It is a founding member of the Annunciation Congregation of the Benedictine Confederation. The abbey was founded as a priory on 15 November 1872 by Beuron Abbey, with the financial support of the Desclée family, who donated some land and paid for the plans and construction of the buildings which were designed by Jean-Baptiste Bethune. In 1878, the priory was raised to the status of abbey by Pope Leo XIII and became a member of the Congregation of Beuron. The abbey was subsequently affiliated with the Congregation of the Annunciation within the Benedictine confederation, 1920. By a pontifical letter of Pope Pius XI dated 12 October 1926 the abbey church was awarded the title of minor basilica. Though various cheeses are products of the abbey's own dairy, Maredsous Beer is no longer brewed there but in the Duvel Moortgat brewery om Flanders which has been authorised to make and supply it. Maredsous Abbey was founded on 15 November 1872 by Beuron Abbey in Germany, the founder of many religious houses, at the instigation of Hildebrand de Hemptinne, a Belgian monk at Beuron and later abbot of Maredsous. The foundation was supported financially by the Desclée family, who paid for the design and construction. The Desclée brothers, printers of liturgical publications, were interested in the restoration of Christian art. Like Hemptinne, Jules Desclée had served in the Papal Zouaves. The brothers chose a picturesque site on an estate of Henri Desclée's in the Province of Namur, for the erection of a monastery in which to establish the monks of Beuron. The buildings are the masterwork of the architect Jean-Baptiste de Béthune (1831–1894), leader of the neo-gothic style in Belgium. The overall plan is based on the 13th century Cistercian abbey of Villers at Villers-la-Ville in Walloon Brabant. Construction was finished in 1892. Along the aisles are arranged side chapels.