Dieleghem Abbey (French: Abbaye de Dieleghem) or Dielegem Abbey (Dutch: Abdij van Dielegem) is a former abbey located in the Brussels municipality of Jette, Belgium. It was abolished in 1796.

Dieleghem Abbey
  • Abbaye de Dieleghem (French)
  • Abdij van Dielegem (Dutch)
The abbot's mansion is the only remaining building of Dieleghem Abbey
Map
General information
TypeAbbey
Town or cityJette, Brussels-Capital Region
CountryBelgium
Coordinates50°53′02″N 4°19′10″E / 50.88389°N 4.31944°E / 50.88389; 4.31944
ClosedDeconsecrated in 1796

History

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Dieleghem Abbey, engraving by Lucas Vorsterman II, published in Sanderus, Chorographia Sacra Brabantiae (1659)

The oldest reference to the abbey dates from 1095, when the Bishop of Cambrai issued a charter in its favour. Initially administered by Augustinian canons, in 1140, the abbey's monks switched to the rules of the Premonstratensian order. In the 13th century, the abbey now called Dieleghem possessed half of the municipality's territory and played an important social and economic role until the French Revolution. The abbots, mitred from 1532, sat in the States of Brabant, the representation of the three estates (nobility, clergy and commoners) to the court of the Duke of Brabant.

In November 1796, the canons regular were evicted and deported to an island off the shores of Brittany, France.[1] Dieleghem Abbey was looted and subsequently destroyed, sparing only the abbot's residence. Other abbeys in Flanders, like Afflighem, Grimbergen and Groot-Bijgaarden, shared a similar fate.

The abbot's former residence now houses the collections of the museum of the County of Jette.[2]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ (in Dutch) HET NOTITIEBOEKJE VAN PASTOOR MICHEL, mosenghem.skynetblogs.be
  2. ^ County of Jette Communal Museum Archived 2016-03-03 at the Wayback Machine, brusselsmuseums.be

Further reading

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  • G. Paulus, De abdij van Dielegem, in the series Brussel, stad van kunst en geschiendenis, 41 (Brussels, 2005), 48p. ISBN 978-2-96005-028-8
  • G. Paulus, L’abbaye de Dieleghem, in the series Bruxelles, ville d’art et d’histoire (Brussels, 2005), 48 p.
  • G. Paulus, Jette, in the series Guides des communes de la Région bruxelloise (Brussels, 2000), 83 p.
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