The Abbey of Saint Bertin was a Benedictine monastic abbey in Saint-Omer, France. The buildings are now in ruins, which are open to the public. It was initially dedicated to but was rededicated to its second abbot, . The abbey is known for its Latin cartulary () whose first part is attributed to Folcwin.
The abbey was founded on the banks of the Aa in the 7th century by Bishop Audomar of Thérouanne, who is now better known as . He sent the monks Bertin, Momelin, and Ebertram from Sithiu (now St-Omer) to proselytize among the pagans in the region. The abbey soon became one of the most influential monasteries in northern Europe and ranked in importance with Elnon (now St-Amand Abbey) and . Its library included the codex of the Leiden Aratea, from which two copies were made. The Annals of St Bertin are an important source of the history of 9th-century France.
Already in the 9th century, the abbey had a priory in Poperinge. A Romanesque church was constructed in the mid-11th century.Some carved capitals and fragments of mosaics from this structure are conserved in the museum in Hôtel Sandelin, St-Omer. It was high with a tower. It included a large 14th-century semi-circular sanctuary with five side-chapels. It served as a model for the church, whose construction was not completed until the beginning of the 16th century.
By the eleventh century it was one of the most important abbeys in the area, and represented the Flemish dynasty. Its importance rested in no small part on having the body of Silvin of Auchy, whose body had been stolen by Arnulf I and moved to Saint-Bertin; he, along with the saints Folcwin, Bertin, and Winnoc were essential to the foundational identity of the abbey. The abbey was also closely associated with the abbey of Saint-Silvain in Auchy, and had strict control over the election of that abbey's abbot. The reference to the theft of Silvin's body was whitewashed: a twelfth-century copy of Folcuin's Gesta abbatum Sancti Bertini, "Deeds of the Abbots of Saint-Bertin", makes no mention of it.
Bishop Herman of Ramsbury was a monk at the abbey from 1055 to 1058, having abandoned his duties but not his title, which he resumed upon his election as bishop of Sherborne. From 1106, the abbey had the right of appointing the priests at Lissewege and Ruiselede. William Clito was buried here in 1128. The abbey had a 'refuge-house' in the now-demolished Sint-Lodewijkscollege in Bruges.
The abbey ceased to flourish after the 13th century, although it survived until its closure during the French Revolution. In 1830, the commune ordered the demolition of the church, though they spared the tower. The buttress they erected to support it is still visible, although the tower itself collapsed in 1947 owing to damage sustained in the shelling of the town during World War II. St-Omer's town hall was constructed with stone removed from the site in 1834.
Outside the abbey is a marble statue of Suger by Jean-Baptiste Stouf, one of twelve statues installed in the Palace of Versailles in 1836. When it was decided in 1931 that the statues be moved to the birth places of their representatives, Suger's was moved to Saint-Omer from a local legend that he was born there.
List of abbots
638–659 — Mummolin I 655–700 — Bertin 700–??? — Rigobert Erlefred 712 — Erkembode — Waimar Nantharius I Dadbert Hardrad 795–804 — Odland 804–820 — Nantharius II 820–834 — Fridugisus 834–844 — Hugh I 844–859 — Adalard (first time) 859–881 — Hugh II 861–864 — Adalard (second time) 864–866 — Hunfrid I 866–878 — 878–883 — Fulk the Venerable (first time) 884–892 — Rudolf 893–900 — Fulk the Venerable (second time) The following were abbots in commendam: 900–918 Baldwin II, Margrave of Flanders 918–933 Adelolf, Count of Boulogne 933–958 Arnulf I, Count of Flanders 958–962 Baldwin III, Count of Flanders 965–987 Arnulf II, Count of Flanders 944–947 — Gérard of Brogne 947–950 — Guy 950–954 — Hildebrand (first time) 954–961 — Ragenold 961–962 — Adolf 962–971 — Hildebrand (second time) 973–984 — Walter I 985–986 — Trutgaud 986–1007 — Odbert 1008–1021 — Hunfrid II 1021–1043 — Roderic 1043–1065 — Bovo 1065–1081 — Heribert 1081–1095 — John I 1095–1124 — Lambert 1124–1131 — John II of Furnes 1131–1136 — Simon I of Ghent 1138–1163 — 1163–1176 — Godescal 1176–1186 — Simon II 1186–1230 — John III of Ypres 1230–1237 — Jacques I of Furnes 1237–1249 — Simon III of Ghent 1249–1264 — Gilbert 1265–1268 — Jacques II 1268–1271 — Guillaume I d'Oye 1271–1278 — Jean IV Dubois 1278–1294 — Walter II Bloc 1294–1297 — Eustache Gomer 1297–1311 — Gilles d'Oignies 1311–1334 — Henri de Coudescure 1334–1365 — 1365–1383 — 1383–1407 — Jacques III de Condète 1407–1420 — Jean VI de Blicquère 1420–1425 — Alard Trubert 1425–1447 — Jean VII de Griboval 1447–1450 — Jean VIII de Medon 1450/1–1473 — Guillaume Fillastre 1473–1492 — Jean IX Launay 1492–1493 — Jacques IV Duval 1493–1531 — Antoine I de Berghes 1531–1544 — Angelbert d'Espagne 1544–1571 — Gérard II de Haméricourt 1571–1583 — vacancy 1583–1603 — Waast de Grenet 1604–1611 — Nicolas Mainfroy 1612–1623 — Guillaume III Loemel 1623–1631 — Philippe Gillocq 1631–1641 — vacancy 1641–1650 — Antoine II Laurin 1650–1674 — François I de Lières 1674–1677 — François II Boucault 1677–1705 — Benoît I de Béthune des Plancques 1706–1723 — Mommelin II Le Riche 1723–1723 — Guillaume IV Dubois 1723–1744 — Benoît II Petit Pas 1744–1763 — Charles de Gherboode d'Espaing 1764–1774 — Antoine III Clériade de Choiseul-Beaupré 1774–1791 — Joscio d'Allesnes
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