Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

Saint Vincent de Laon Abbey, founded around 580 as a Dominican abbey, adopted the Benedictine rule in 948. Located in the present department of Aisne, it is a major religious place in Laonnois. In 882, the Vikings plundered and destroyed her, decimating her monks. Bishop Adalberon of Laon was buried there in 1030 or 1031, stressing his episcopal importance.

In the 12th century, the abbey was rebuilt: cloister, refectory, and vaulted abbey church. In 1145, a fire ravaged the church, rebuilt under Abbé Hugues (1175–1205). In the 13th century, a wall painting discovered the tombs of the knights of Eppes, including Jehan (1273) and Jehan the Cadet (1293). During the Hundred Years War (1359), the English d'Édouard III burned down the abbey, destroying its library.

In the 17th century, the reform of Saint-Maur revived its restoration. Geoffroy de Billy (1601–1612), a trading abbot, oversees major works. The Maurists, who arrived in 1640, rebuilt the convent buildings in 1771, but the Revolution led to the sale of the abbey as a national property in 1797. Only the abbey and enclosure remain.

In the 19th century, the army turned the site into an arsenal (1876), adding brick hangars and powderbox. In 1926–27, the abbey house, the remains of the church, and the cellars were classified as historical monuments, followed by the large pond and archaeological soils in 1999. A criminal arson in 2008 destroyed roofs and floors.

In 2019, the city of Laon buys the abbey for €260,000, planning to install a high-end hotel. This site, marked by 1,400 years of history, illustrates the transitions between religious, military and heritage power in the Hauts-de-France.

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