| Brogne Abbey | |
| Native Name: | Abbaye Saint-Gérard de Brogne |
| Native Name Lang: | fr |
| Order: | Benedictine |
| Established: | before 920 |
| Disestablished: | 1796 |
| Diocese: | Liège (to 1559); Namur (from 1559) |
| Heritage Designation: | listed building |
| Designated Date: | 1995 |
| Coord: | 50.6205°N 4.9549°W |
Brogne Abbey (French: Abbaye de Brogne), also known as Saint-Gerard Abbey, was a Benedictine abbey founded in the early 10th century by Gerard of Brogne in the village of Brogne (now the Saint-Gérard subdivision of Mettet, Wallonia, Belgium).[1]
Gerard founded the abbey on his own land, with the blessing of Stephen of Liège (died 920), and obtained a relic of St Eugenius from the abbot of Saint-Denis. A charter of 923 granted land in Hesbaye to the monastery.
In 992 Otto III visited the abbey together with Notker of Liège and confirmed its independence and privileges.[2] In 1183 Pope Lucius III confirmed the abbey in all its possessions.[3]
In 1566 the revenues of the abbacy were assigned to the recently founded Diocese of Namur by a bull of Pope Pius IV. Thereafter the monastery was governed by a prior on behalf of the bishop of Namur. In 1656 the monastery was incorporated into the Bursfelde Congregation.[4] Just which revenues were due to the bishop remained subject to dispute, petitions and sometimes litigation until the abbey was suppressed in 1796.[5]
The buildings of the former monastery were acquired by the municipality of Mettet in 1974,[6] and were listed as built heritage in 1995.At least for some years, the early 80's, the abbey was used as a youth hostel by the Belgian Youth hostels association.[7] Since 2013 they have housed a microbrewery,[8] and since 2015 a centre for viticulture.
Thereafter the bishops of Namur held the abbacy in commendam.