Ten Duinen Abbey

Ten Duinen Abbey or the Abbey of the Dunes (Dutch: Abdij Ten Duinen) was a Cistercian monastery at Koksijde in what is now Belgium. It was one of the richest and most influential religious institutions in the medieval County of Flanders. It later relocated from Koksijde to the city of Bruges. History A religious community was founded in the dunes near Koksijde by the hermit Ligerius in 1107. In 1120 the community took the Rule of St Benedict as its rule of life, and in 1139 it became affiliated to the Cistercian Order. Partly through donations and partly through land reclamation work in the dunes and polders, the monastery developed extensive landholdings on which the lay brothers reared sheep, producing wool for the cloth trade. A dependent house was established at Eastchurch, in Kent, to export wool from England, but was later sold to Boxley Abbey. The daughter house Ter Doest Abbey was founded in 1175 and also became rich and influential. New buildings were begun in 1214 and completed in 1237, to house a community of approximately 400 monks and lay brothers. The new church was consecrated by the bishops of Thérouanne and Tournai on 13 October 1262. The church was vandalised by Protestant iconoclasts in 1566, and the monastery was sacked by Calvinist rebel forces in 1578. The community was scattered but regrouped in 1583. After decades in temporary accommodation the community was established in Bruges in 1627, in a house that had been the refugium of Ter Doest, which had been re-amalgamated to Ten Duinen in 1624. New monastery buildings (51.218°N 3.231°E﻿ / 51.218; 3.231﻿ (Ten Duinen Abbey (Bruges))) were erected in Bruges in the years 1628–1642. Work on a new church was begun in 1775 and completed in 1788. On 9 April 1796, during the French occupation of Belgium, the abbey was suppressed and its goods confiscated. In 1833 the diocesan seminary of Bruges was established in the former monastic buildings in Bruges. Excavations of the ruins of the medieval buildings in the dunes near Koksijde began in 1897. Several campaigns have been undertaken since, most notably in 1955 and in 1987–88. The ruins are now a museum site. Abbots Fulco, 1128–1138 Robert of Bruges, 1138–1153 Albero, 1153–1155 Idesbald, 1155–1167 Walter van Dickebusch, 1167–1179 Hacket, 1179–1185 Walter van Dickebusch, 1185–1189 Elias of Koksijde, 1189–1203 Petrus, 1203–1215 Amelius, 1215–1221 Gilles de Steene, 1221–1226 Solomon of Ghent, 1226–1232 Nicolas van Belle, 1232–1253 Lambert van Kemmele, 1253–1259 Diederik of Brabant, 1259–1265 Thomas of Ghent, 1265–1277 Willem Cucht, 1277–1280 Johannes of Oostburg, 1280–1299 Jacobus of Biervliet, 1299–1303 Thomas of Aardenburg, 1303–1305 William of Hulst, 1305–1318 Lambert Uppenbrouck of Westouter, 1318–1354 Walter Bredereep of Kaprijke, 1354–1376 Jan Maes of Bassevelde, 1376–1406 Thomas de Corenbytere of Kaprijke, 1406–1418 Peter van der Marct of Hontenesse, 1418–1442 Everard van Overtvelt of Bruges, 1442–1457 Johannes Crabbe, 1457–1488 Pierre Vaillant of Bruges, 1488–1492 Josse de Werere of Bruges, 1492–1495 Christian de Hondt of Bruges, 1495–1509 Jan Terlinck of Ghent, 1509–1515 Pieter Onderberch of Ghent, 1515–1519 Robert le Clercq of Arras, 1519–1559 Antoine Wydoot of St-Omer, 1559–1566 Pierre Helline of Axel, 1566–1575 Robrecht Holman of Sluys, 1575–1579 Laurent van den Berghe of Ingelmunster, 1579–1583–1606 André du Chesne of Ath, 1606–1610 Adrianus Cancellier of Dunkirk, 1610–1623 Bernard Campmans of Douai, 1623–1642 Josse du Corron of Ath, 1642–1649 Bernard Bottyn of Bruges, 1649–1653 Gerard de Baere of Laarne, 1654–1667 Michel Bultynck of Tielt, 1667–1678 Eugeen van de Velde of Bruges, 1678–1680 Martin Colle of Ypres, 1680–1699 Lucas De Vriese of Ypres, 1699–1725 Benedictus van Steenberghe of Ghent, 1725–1729 Bernard van Thienen of Bruges, 1729–1734 Antoine De Blende of Bruges, 1734–1744 Louis de Coninck of Ghent, 1744–1748 Robert van Severen of Bruges, 1748–1792 Maur De Mol of Ghent, 1792–1799 Notable monks Aegidius de Roya (1415-1478), diplomat and historian Jan Sindewint (died 1319), professor of theology at the University of Paris References