Today we left Belgium, and spent the morning driving to our hotel in Chamouille, France, just outside Laon. We enjoyed lunch at the hotel’s restaurant overlooking a lake, and then boarded the bus bound for Prémontré. Norbertine scholar Martine Plouvier was our guide, with Rose Condette translating. Norbert was an itinerant preacher, but the bishop said he needed to settle in a location. Prémontré had been owned by the Benedictines, but they deserted the place, and Norbert chose that site. The altar of the first chapel Norbert had constructed using masons from France and Cologne cracked in half, so everything was torn down and a new chapel was built and dedicated around Christmas. Prémontré was a large abbey with many buildings, but much of it was destroyed during the French Revolution. The wall around the property had four entrances, to welcome people from all directions of the world. The buildings that remain intact are from the 17th and 18th centuries, although many were again damaged in WWI and had to be restored. Most of the property is now a psychiatric hospital.
Martine has written many books on the Norbertines. 
We were pleasantly surprised to find a group from Mondaye also at the site.
This is what’s left of the original St. John the Baptist Chapel. Work will be done later this year to shore up parts of the wall for the 900th anniversary of the order. There will also be a table with historical information on the order inside one of the buildings.
There’s a chapel inside this building, as well as the staircase seen in the photo at the top. The Abbot, who was also the Abbot General at the time, lived in the building in the photo above, far right.
Historic photos of the chapel and building. 
The chapel today.
The staircase is built so all the pressure is absorbed by the outer wall, no support columns needed. 
Our new friend Joel. 
It’s interesting and good to see that the big tree that was growing inside the ruins
of the chapel of St John the Baptist has been removed.
You’re all getting the best Norbertine guides everywhere you go.
The new SNC magazine arrived today. Fantastic issue about MAN ON FIRE.
Happy Fourth of July!
Andrew
We have had fantastic guides along the way! It’s been a great trip so far, and so meaningful to see all the abbeys I’ve heard about. So glad you’re enjoying the magazine