The Abbey of Orval is a Cistercian monastery with a rich history, stemming back to the 1100s when it was founded in the Gaume region of Belgium by a group of monks from southern Italy. The Abbey prospered for some time then suffered great hardship before later being restored.
The name “Orval” comes from a legend about the Abbey’s origins. The legends tells that the widowed Mathilda of Tuscany was visiting the site when her wedding ring fell into a spring. She prayed for the ring to be returned to her and before her eyes, a trout surfaced with her ring in its mouth. Filled with joy, she proclaimed “Truly, this place is a val d’or,” which translates to golden valley. Mathilda contributed the funds to establish a monastery on the site. The Abbey’s coat of arms depicts the trout and golden ring, and the spring still supplies water to the monastery and the on-site brewery.
In addition to that neat little legend, the Abbey of Orval holds several other mysterious tales. Evidence points to Nostradamus writing several of his prophecies at the Abbey, along with the Abbey being the temporary location of at least two hidden treasures.
The first treasure was the War Chest of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. In 1791, the French king and queen were hiding out in the fortress town of Montmedy for safety. They had become prisoners in their own country. In the event of an emergency, the royals could cross the border and flee to the refuge of the Abbey of Orval. Nostradamus prophesied about the flight of the French royals, which is what eventually came to pass. During the flight, the royal hairdresser, Leonard, was entrusted with the War Chest. The royals never made it—Louis XVI was arrested in Varennes and Marie Antoinette lost her head. Leonard, however, made it to Orval and disappeared with the treasure.
The second treasure was that of the Knights Templar. At one point, the Knights entrusted documents detailing secrets and treasure at the Abbey. In 1307, the Templars were arrested in their Paris headquarters, and the French king got word that the Templar treasure had vanished along with their fleet. Fortunately for the Templars, they had been tipped off about the arrests and some of the Knights were able to sneak the treasure out in hay-covered carts. They then fled to an unknown destination.
It’s no surprise that here at Provident, we love tales of treasure and precious metals. What are some of your favorite stories and legends?
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