L'Étanche

Title

L'Étanche

Also Known As

L'Estanche, L'Etange, Lestainge, Piscina, Stagnum, Stanchia, Stanchium, Stancnum

Dates

Founded by 1144; dissolved 18th c.

Dedication

Annunciation of Mary

Affiliation

Belval

Medieval Diocese

Verdun

Circary

Lorraine

History

L'Étanche was founded by 1144 on land given by uncle and nephew Bertaud and Albert Leloup. It was initially a double house. Its church was consecrated in 1147.

L'Étanche was never a large house. The monastic complex was substantially rebuilt in the early 17th century, and again in the mid-18th century. The abbey was suppressed at the Revolution.

Not to be confused with the Cistercian abbey of L'Étanche (Vosges).

Heads of Community

Abbots

Philippe, fl. bef. 1144
Otto, fl. 1174
Pierre, fl. bef. 1180
Bonard, fl. 1180
Gerard, ca. 1186-1194
Herbert, fl. 1197
Anselme, fl. 1212
Garnier, fl. 1240
Jean, 1259-1260
Thibaud, 1267-1278
Nicolas, ?-1281
Jean II, 1281-?
Jacques, 1322-1325
Gerard, 1339-1371
André, 1385-1404
Waltrin de Manicourt, 1404-1407
Jean III d’Amance, 1407-1431
Rolin, fl. 1435
Michel Lambault, 1467-1482
Jean IV de Molley, 1484-1485
Jean V Damel, 1493-1500
Georges de Vannes, 1500-1512
Desiderius Vignon, 1512-1520
Ascelin I Guerrin, 1520-1542
Ascelin II Guerrin (or Valère), 1542-1553

Status

Abbey

Archival Sources

Bar-le-Duc, Archives Départementales de la Meuse

29 H 1-13 (12th-18th c.)

Bar-le-Duc, Médiathèque Jean Jeukens

Fonds Bellot-Herment, 3, no. 149 (19th c.; "Notices sur les abbayes de l'Ordre de Prémontré dans le Barrois (Riéval, Saint-Paul de Verdun, l'Étanche, Jendeures)")

Nancy, Bibliothèque Stanislas

MS 1768 (995, vol. 1), fols. 103-104, 363-365

Paris, Bibliothèque nationale

MS Français 4787, fol. 13 (1249)

Saint-Dié-des-Vosges, Médiathèque de La Boussole

MS 94 (18th c.; "Liste chronologique des abbez de l'Étanche, ordre de Prémontré")

Verdun, Bibliothèque municipale 

MS 409 (1657; "Inventaire et abbrégé de tous les tittres concernant... l'abbaye de l'Estanche, faict... par J. Beurthet, procureur de laditte abbaye")

Bibliography

Dumont, Charles Emmanuel. Histoire des Monastères de l’Étanche et de Benoite-Vaux (Rectifications et additions à l’Histoire des Monastères de l’Étanche, etc.). Nancy: Imprimerie de Dard, 1853. https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=BKRdAAAAcAAJ.

Martin, Jean-Baptiste. “L’abbaye de l’Étanche, à Deuxnouds-aux-Bois, sauvée d’une ruine annoncée.” L’Est Républicain, July 23, 2022. https://www.estrepublicain.fr/culture-loisirs/2022/07/23/l-abbaye-de-l-etanche-sauvee-d-une-ruine-annoncee.

Simonin, Pierre. “Un bâtiment à sauver: l’Abbaye des Prémontrés de l’Étanche à Deuxnouds-aux-Bois (Meuse).” Le pays lorrain 83 (2002): 206–8.

Image Credit

The remains of the abbey of L'Étanche, 2007. Wikimedia.

Files

Collection

Lorraine

Citation

“L'Étanche,” A Premonstratensian Atlas, accessed October 16, 2026, https://yvonneseale.org/atlas/items/show/407.

Geolocation

Item Relations

Item: Benoite-Vaux DependentOn This Item