The French Revolution marked a decisive rupture. The abbey was dissolved, the last abbot fled with parts of the archive and personal belongings, and valuable artworks, farms and mills were dispersed, forgotten or lost. Yet the story did not end in loss. Over the centuries, the community demonstrated remarkable resilience in the face of conflict, unrest and change.

From 4 April, Erfgoedsite Ename presents the temporary exhibition Power, Loss and Renewal in Ename. For the first time, original abbey possessions and long-hidden collection pieces are brought together. Highlights include a Flemish Masterpiece, a parchment leaf from the Ename Codex by the monk Martijn van Torhout, and an eleventh-century corbel from the abbey church, which serves as a guiding thread throughout the exhibition. The painting Portrait of Four Surveyors with Abbot Antoon De Loose of the Abbey of Saint Salvator in Ename, from the collection of The Phoebus Foundation, will also be on display.