Saint-Amand Abbey

The Abbey of Saint Amandus (Latin: Elnonense Sancti Amandi monasterium, French: Abbaye de Saint- Amand ), once known by its Latin name Elno, is a former monastery of the Benedictine Order in Saint- Amand- les -Eaux, Nord-Pas -de -Calais in France.

The monastery was founded in 630 as Coenobium Elnonense by St. Amandus of Maastricht under Foundation of Dagobert I.. The founding place was in the forest area of Vicoigne on a hill at the mouth of the creek Elno in the Scarpe. The monastery was a central writing location ( Schola Elnonensis ) during the Carolingian Renaissance. Significant members of the monastic community was Arn of Salzburg (Abt 782-785, then first archbishop of Salzburg), Milo of St- Amand ( Milo Elnonensis, died 872 ), hagiographer of Amand of Maastricht, and whose nephew Hucbald of St -Amand.

End of the 9th century, the monastery was completely sacked by the Normans and then destroyed. In the following century, the abbey was due to the boundary layer target of attacks in armed conflicts and Brandkatatrophen. Today's architecture complies with the rebuilding and restoration of the 17th century in the Baroque style by the then abbot Nicolas du Bois.

The abbey was declared at the time of the French Revolution in 1789 to the people, property, secularized, and pulled down in 1797 and 1820 parts. The former courthouse and the baroque church tower have been preserved until today.

In 1672, Jean Mabillon discovered at the end of a Carolingian manuscript collection of the monastery stock from the 9th century the Old High German Ludwig song.