Sint-Wivinaklooster
THE ABANDONED MONASTERY IN BELGIUM
‘Sint-Wivinaklooster’ is an abandoned monastery in Dilbeek, Belgium. At the present time, the buildings are in use as care appartments. For this reason, they were reconverted in 2014.
According to old documents, the holy Saint Wivina built the first foundation on these grounds. In fact, she built a priory here in 1126. Many years later, from 1513 to 1531 a restoration of the buildings is mentioned. However, this was followed by devastation and looting during the religious fights. The following years the site was sold to different owners who built and demolished buildings from time to time.
Brothers of the Christian Schools
The buildings of the former Benedictine abbey, you still can see today, date mainly from the 17th and 18th centuries. On the other hand, during the French Revolution, several buildings were demolished again. At the end of the 19th century the abbey came into the hands of the ‘Brothers of the Christian Schools’ who founded a new convent. The brothers expanded their provincial house considerably with a chapel, a novitiate, and a rest home. A secretariat was built at the site of the former vegetable garden. The buildings of the monastery were modified numerous times during the whole of the 20th century.
Today the domain is reconverted to apartments with a residential care function. The following remainder of the abbey are still visible today: the old infirmary (1631), the Gate building (1730), the priest’s house (1756), the confessional court (1775) and the fence wall (17th century). The Sint-Wivinaklooster and the surrounding walls have been protected since 1996. I visited the site in 2013.
