Park Abbey

Jan Christiaen Hansche

Stucco ceiling

Cedric Verhelst - Openbaar Kunstbezit Vlaanderen

Abdij van Park 7, Leuven

At Park Abbey you will come face to face with the legacy of the Norbertines. These ‘Princes of Park’ left an impressive collection of literature and art.

Cedric Verhelst - Openbaar Kunstbezit Vlaanderen

Park Abbey

Park Abbey is known as one of the best preserved abbey sites in Western Europe. In addition to the abbey and its associated church, the site also includes a farm complex and a vast estate of meadows and ponds. Although the abbey mainly dates back to the 17th and 18th centuries, its history goes back to 1129, when the Duke of Brabant donated his hunting grounds in Leuven to the Norbertines. Known as prosperous and powerful, the Norbertines of Park were nicknamed the "Princes of Park". They led privileged lives focusing on literature and art. For example, the abbey library once housed a famous collection of manuscripts and old prints. The prelates embellished the interior with works of art, such as Jean de Caumont’s stained glass windows in the cloister aisle and Jan Christiaen Hansche's stucco ceilings.

Stucco ceiling, Jan Christiaen Hansche

In 1679 Abbot De Pape asked the Southern Netherlands artist Jan Christiaen Hansche to decorate the abbey's refectory. Hansche designed an impressive stucco ceiling in high relief depicting Old and New Testament tales based on an ingenious programme that emphasized the importance of food. The Last Supper refers to the Eucharist, a topical and carefully chosen subject since the monks ate in the dining hall twice a day. This created a playful contrast between the food actually being served in the refectory and the heavenly food in the shape of consecrated wafers.