ST. CALIXTUS ABBEY OF CYSOING

The abbey was built between 812 and 854 by Evrard of Friuli, a very important figure during the Carolingian Empire, and his wife Gisèle, Charlemagne's granddaughter. It was attached to the Augustinian order in 1129. Louis XV even stayed there in 1744! Alas, this great abbey is no longer there today, since it was destroyed by a huge fire in 1793 and its ruins were scattered. On the other hand, a well-studied itinerary allows us to find the persistent traces of the building, impressive if we visualize the area once occupied. The castle of Cysoing, built in the early nineteenth century, would occupy part of the former abbey enclosure.