Augustin Bouvier, son of Thibault, says more about this new centerpiece which will soon be the property of his family, which has already owned Notre-Dame du Vivier in Marche-les-Dames for several years.
“The surface area of the Floref site? It’s vague, it’s very large, with a mind-boggling number of m2. It’s the 2nd largest abbey in Belgium, after Villers-la-Ville, which is in ruins. There’s land, too, with a portion of woods behind the Tuscan gallery, in particular. The amount of the sale is confidential. It’s not at all the symbolic euro envisaged in the press in 2016 – then, we had other projects – It’s a price that seems fair to us for the overall condition of the buildings, very good given their age. “The works of art in the rooms and corridors are part of the sale.
The priorities ? “We are going to restore the parts in poor condition: the Tuscan gallery which is sublime, the door which opens onto the Nangot woods, restore the main access to the abbey church (Editor’s note: for the moment, we only enter through the school, where the emergency exit is also located) to open it to a wide audience. The ambition is to develop tourism, to welcome more and more visitors, through concerts and events while respecting the place.”
The school and the Moulin-Brasserie protected for nearly 40 years
Naturally, Floreffe Abbey is not Notre-Dame du Vivier, abandoned and without other occupants when the Conotra company acquired it. On the heights of Florence, we will have to live together. Even if the sale is confirmed, there is no a priori concern for the school (which has use of the upper reception rooms) and the abbey cheese and drinks establishment, the Moulin-Brasserie (which the landoir rooms), the long leases remain valid until 2063.
“At first, we don’t touch anything, everything will continue, wants to reassure Augustin Bouvier. Esperanzah! will take place like other years. We will see for the future. We will little by little energize the place, while respecting classes and exams. We do not want to harm or break long-term leases. We will meet and discuss with all the actors present at the abbey, to see what is possible.“
The Bouvier family’s Abbey Road
What about a connection between the two abbeys?Notre-Dame du Vivier does not have the same scale as Floreffe. Thanks to the first, we have acquired experience and expertise which allow us to envisage these new colossal projects in Floreffe. Why not imagine a tourist tour between the two sites, an Abbey Road.“
