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18-508: The abbey was founded by Itta of Metz , the widow of Pepin of Landen , Mayor of the Palace of the Kingdom of Austrasia , with their daughter, Gertrude of Nivelles . Christianity was not at all widespread in that place and time. It was only the development of cities and the initiative of bishops that led to a vast movement of evangelism, which led to the flowering of monasteries everywhere in

36-459: A hermit and was later canonized . Both her daughters were also canonized, as was she. Her feast day is celebrated on 8 May. Itta is honoured as the patron saint of the French village of Itteville , which was founded on the site of a farm which she had established. Collegiate Church of Saint Gertrude The Collegiate Church of St. Gertrude ( French : Collégiale Sainte-Gertrude )

54-438: A monastery was thus not completely out of the ordinary, and may have in fact been the norm for a widowed noblewoman. Upon Itta's death at about the age of 60 in 652, Gertrude took over the monastery. At this time, Gertrude took the "whole burden of governing upon herself alone," placing affairs of the family in the hand of "good and faithful administrators from the brothers." Some have argued that this implies that Gertrude ruled

72-592: A community of canonesses regular by the 15th century, at the latest. At that point, the church acquired its status of collegiate church . Claudine Donnay-Rocmans writes in the Patrimoine majeur de Wallonie that the interior dimensions recall: "the splendour of the Ottonian liturgy , as people are able to know it from the Abbey of Essen (Germany)". The westwork has been reconstructed. Its current appearance

90-462: Is a Roman Catholic collegiate church in Nivelles , Walloon Brabant , Belgium, which was built in the 11th century. It is dedicated to Saint Gertude , the patron saint of cats . This church was built to serve Nivelles Abbey , originally a monastery of Benedictine nuns founded by Itta of Metz , the widow of Pepin of Landen , and mother of Gertrude of Nivelles , the first abbess , in

108-612: The Battle of Belgium , but it was restored to its 11th and 13th centuries form after World War II . The site was excavated in 1941 and 1953. Nowadays, the basement of the old abbey holds a number of artifacts and a rich archaeology and is open to the public. The adjoining Romanesque - Gothic cloister dates from the 13th century. A procession is held every year on the Sunday after Michaelmas . Itta of Metz Itta of Metz , O.S.B. (also Ida , Itte or Iduberga ; 592–8 May 652)

126-549: The Bishop of Maastricht , she founded the Abbey of Nivelles . The abbey was originally just a community of nuns, but it later became a double monastery when the nuns were joined by a group of Irish monks who offered them support in the operations of the abbey. She might have appointed her daughter, Gertrude , as its first abbess , while she herself lived there as a simple nun , assisting the young abbess by her advice. Itta died at

144-787: The Middle Ages the abbey remained an Imperial Abbey , a semi-sovereign institution directly under the king. The abbey was suppressed after the invasion of the Duchy of Brabant in 1794 by the armies of the First French Republic . The old abbey church, which became the Collegiate Church of Saint Gertrude under the canonesses, was gutted by aerial bombs dropped by the German Luftwaffe in May 1940 during

162-464: The royal family , and played an important role in the social life of the palace. The abbey was part of the dower of Emperor Otto II to the Byzantine princess Theophanu . From the 12th century, the character of the community began to change to a more prestigious one, so that the members became canonesses regular who came from among the nobility , as attested in a document dated 1462. For most of

180-464: The 7th century, women in Neustrian - Burgundian families concentrated on the creation of a network of monasteries rather than on the conclusion of politically advantageous unions, while families whose holdings were in the northeastern parts of the kingdom, centering around the city of Metz , were more concerned with the acquisition of power through carefully arranged marriages." Itta 's move to start

198-546: The 7th century. Her remains are buried in a chapel of the church. This structure was built in the early 11th century and consecrated in 1046 by Wazo , Bishop of Liège , in the presence of the Emperor Henry III . It is an example both of Mosan art and of Ottonian architecture . With the growing membership of members of the nobility among the nuns starting in the 12th century, the community gradually changed its character from its monastic one until it had become

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216-493: The abbey on 8 May 652. Itta had another daughter by Pepin, Abbess Begga of Andenne , who had married Ansegisel , son of Arnulf of Metz prior to joining the monastery. By Begga, she is the grandmother of Pepin of Herstal and one of the matriarchs of the great Carolingian family. Her sons were Grimoald , later Mayor of the Palace, and father of King Childebert the Adopted ; Itta's second son Bavo (or Allowin), became

234-477: The monastery with an abbot. Frankish double monasteries were almost always led by an abbess, or jointly by an abbess and abbot . Nivelles Abbey was founded in 640 by the widow of Pepin of Landen , Itta of Metz , along with her daughter, Gertrude of Nivelles , with the support of the bishop , Saint Amand . The abbey began as a community of nuns ; they were joined later by Irish monks from Mont Saint-Quentin Abbey , sent by Abbot Foillan to give support to

252-460: The monastic life, Gertrude and her mother suffered, "no small opposition" from the royal family. During this period, trials for the family are mentioned involving the usurper Otto's bid to replace the Pippinids at the side of the king. There is some precedent for Gertrude and Itta's withdrawal to Nivelles with the intention of founding a monastery. According to Wemple, "during the second half of

270-423: The nuns. A group of the monks settled at Nivelles and it soon became a double monastery , led either by an abbot and abbess, later only by an abbess. At that point, the abbey came under the influence of Irish monasticism , with its heavy emphasis on a severe asceticism . In the 9th century there began a process of secularization of the community which possibly ended in the 12th century. The abbey had close ties to

288-480: The seventh and eighth centuries. Gertrude's Vita describes how Bishop Amandus came to Itta's home, "preaching the word of God. At the Lord's bidding, he asked whether she would build a monastery for herself and Christ's handmaid, Gertrude". Itta founded Nivelles as a Benedictine monastery of nuns . It later became a double monastery , with one section for monks and another for nuns. However, after they entered

306-488: Was a daughter of Arnoald , Bishop of Metz , son of Ansbertus . Her brother was Saint Modoald , Bishop of Trier , and her sister was the abbess , Saint Severa. She married Pepin of Landen , Mayor of the Merovingian Royal Palace . After Pepin's death in 640, Itta and her daughter, Gertrude, withdrew from the capital for a life of religious reflection. Later, around 647, on the advice of Amandus ,

324-566: Was the wife of Pepin of Landen , Mayor of the Palace of the Kingdom of Austrasia . After his death, she founded the Abbey of Nivelles , where she became a Colombanian nun along with her daughter, Gertrude of Nivelles . Both are honored as saints by the Catholic Church. There is no direct record of her parents, but it has been suggested that she came from a family of senatorial status which had originated in Aquitaine , and

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