HOLY CROSS ABBEY

Adalbert II, Count of Metz, and his wife Judith wanted to build a monastery in Bouzonville. On his return from the Holy Land, Aldabert brought back a relic of the true Cross which unfortunately disappeared during the Revolution. From then on, the monastery became the Holy Cross Abbey of Bouzonville, thus founded in 1033. From an exterior point of view, the Gothic tower and its double bulbous bell tower in baroque style are worth a look! But the history of the abbey church is tormented. First of all, it was destroyed in 1340 during a conflict between the bishop of Metz and the Duke of Lorraine, then a fire in 1684 destroyed the cloister and the roofs of the church. From 1342 to 1375, the abbey church was entirely rebuilt in the Lorraine ogival Gothic style. The keystone of the choir houses a shield with the arms of Gutzon de Wyskirch, the master builder. Despite the absence of a transept, the choir is nicely decorated by the antique furniture of the stalls including: a statue of Saint Benedict from the ^17th century and two carved wooden lions from the end of the ^18th century. Like the stalls, the dome is in the baroque style. The windows date from the ^16th century and the stained glass windows with geometric patterns are contemporary, as is this illuminated prayer book placed on a lectern, made by an organist from Freistroff in the ^20th century. In 1999, the entire abbey church and its cloister (now partly disappeared) are classified as historical monuments. In 2016, several renovation works are undertaken in order to ensure him other beautiful decades!