La Ferme de la Ramée

During the Middle Ages in Western Europe, farmers were required to give one-tenth of their produce to the landowner, which was often the church. Monasteries often had a thite barn to store these goods.

The largest of Belgium is the one that belonged to the Ter Doest Abbey (Dutch: Abdij Ter Doest) in the present Lissewege, a district of Bruges. But much lesser-own is the second largest.

It stands in Jauchelette, a district of the municipality of Jodoigne. The Grande Abbaye de la Ramée was founded here around 1215 and belonged, like Ter Doest, to the powerful Cistercian order. A community of Cistercian nuns lived in nearby Kerkom but around 1215 they moved to a plot of land that was given to them by Gérard de Jauche and his daughter Helwide, abbess of the monastery in Nivelles.

La Ramée prospered in the early Middle Ages. They were responsable for a number of parishes (Orsmaal, Herbais, Marilles and Piétrain) and owned a domain with lands and forests in numerous surrounding villages (Perwez, Bomal, Opprebais, Glimes, Ramillies, Thorembisoul, Corbais, Noduwez, Rosières, Spy, Taviers, etc.). Te buildings included everything from a church, a kitchen, a bakery, pantries, a refectory, dormotorie, an infirmary, a guesthouse to a scriptorium that was highly regarded for its calligraphy and miniature painting. No less than six of the nuns have been beatified.

The late Middle Ages (16th-17th century) proved more challenging and the monastery was damaged and destroyed on several occassions. In the 18th century, under Austrian control, the order revived and started, amongst other things, a school for 80 students from the surrounding villages. Most of the buildings that can be seen today date from that period.The monastic and school activities ended in 1796 when Napoleon declared all monasteries national property (with a short revival as school and retirement home for elderly nuns in the 20th centrery).

The farm activities continue to operate and is still of the largest agricultural businesses in the region, although everything now is operated off-site in more modern companies. Most of the monastery and the farm is converted into a conference center, operated by a French group. The huge thite barn, know as La Grange Dimière, is one of the focal points. With 760 square meter it is the second largest in Belgium and it can house parties of upto 800 people.