Abbey path

Marchiennes is a commune in the Nord department in northern France.It was fictionally portrayed in Émile Zola's Germinal.

Marchiennes Abbey was a French monastery located on the Scarpe in Marchiennes. It was founded around 630 by Adalbard of Douai, and Irish monks, disciples of Saint Columbanus, on the advice of Saint Amand. One of its founders was Rictrude, who made it double monastery in 643. In around 1024 it became monastery of men again and adopted the Benedictine rule.