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1146
In 1146, knight Gauthier de Marbais and his mother Judith invited monks from Clairvaux Abbey (France) to found a new abbey on their lands. A small group of 17 monks settled in Villers.
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1147
The future Saint Bernard of Clairvaux visits the young community of Villers.
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1197
A new Romanesque-style construction site began in 1197. Twelve years later, the abbey adopted the Gothic style. Its construction took nearly a century to complete.
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1219
The former abbot of Villers, Conrad of Urach, was appointed cardinal. It is said that he later refused to become pope.
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1231
Foundation by Villers of a daughter abbey in Grandpré (followed in 1237 by another foundation in Saint-Bernard sur l’Escaut.).
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1263
Burial in the cloister of Gobert of Aspremont, a former crusader who became a monk.
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1270
Under the leadership of Abbot Arnulphe de Gistelles, the abbey had 100 monks and 300 lay brothers. During this period of great wealth, the monastery was home to around 400 religious men and owned nearly 10,000 hectares of land.
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1508
Starting in 1508, the year of the first invasion, and until the end of the 17th century, the monks had to leave the abbey nine times due to insecurity. During their absence, bricks from the abbey were used to renovate the damaged buildings.
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1715-1784
The 18th century marks the second golden age of the abbey. The medieval buildings were renovated in the Neoclassical style. The abbatial palace and its gardens were built.
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1796
The French Revolution drove the monks away. In 1794, the abbey was ransacked and looted, then sold to a materials merchant who dismantled it piece by piece. Nature and rain did the rest... The abbey fell into ruins.
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1830
The majestic ruins attracted romantics and royalty throughout the 19th century. Victor Hugo, who visited the abbey five times in the 1860s, sketched the ruins of the guesthouse/brewery.
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1854-1855
The Ottignies-Charleroi railway line was built, bringing the first tourists to the abbey. As public awareness of heritage preservation was still low, the railway line ran right through the abbot's palace gardens.
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1893-1914
The State, owner of the site for a year, began a major restoration and consolidation project. Under the direction of Belgian architect Charles Licot in 1893, the abbey church nave was cleared, and the cut stones were sorted.
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1972
In 1972, the ruins were listed as a historical monument. With 650 years of monastic occupation, they bear witness to the evolution of architectural styles.
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1992
In 1992, the abbey was designated as exceptional heritage of Wallonia. The entire estate has been preserved: its 50,000 m² of above-ground walls and 5,000 m² of Romanesque and Gothic vaults make it one of the largest archaeological sites in Belgium.
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2016
Inauguration of the new visitor center and the new tour route: reunification of the estate to its medieval extent.
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2024
Today, after the monks, the poor, and the pilgrims, the Abbey continues to attract 160,000 visitors per year, in search of escape, relaxation, or spirituality.
