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| At Ename, a number of extremely important and
varied monuments have been preserved from both the early-medieval
occupational phase and the period of the medieval and post-medieval
abbey. This rich evidence of continuous occupation has enabled the
Ename 974 Project to reconstruct the history of this living community
and its environment over a span of more than a millennium. This story
involves not only wars and kings and emperors, but also the lives
of countless common people who adapted to their environment and altered
the surrounding landscape to fit their changing needs.
Two interwoven stories are central to the presentation
of Ename's history. On the one hand, there is the history of the
local community, which is similar to that of many rural villages
throughout Europe, and indeed the world. On the other hand, there
is a unique period of 75 years when Ename, as an imperial frontier
outpost on the river Scheldt, suddenly played an important role
in Europe's political and military affairs. Thus the local and international
aspects of Ename's history are the two points of view on which the
presentation of its archaeological and historical monuments is based.
The Ename 974 Project is supported by several
governmental and academic partners
and corporate sponsors. It is carried out by the Ename
974 team, headed by Dirk Callebaut.
The interpretative program of the Ename 974
Project focuses on four points of archaeological and historical
importance, all situated within walking distance from each other.
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| A large archaeological
site, located in the meadows along the eastern bank of the Scheldt.
The excavated remains of the early-medieval fortress, the trading
settlement (portus), and the Benedictine abbey are located here. Computer
technology has helped to transform this site into an open-air museum. |
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| The Saint Laurentius
Church, which is the only standing monument from the Ottonian
period of Ename (974-1047). This church, with its two choirs and distinctive
architectural form and original decoration, is unique among Flemish
churches. It features the earliest preserved wall paintings in Flanders. |
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| The Ename Provincial
Museum occupies the historic Beernaert House and is located beside
the Saint Laurentius Church. It was opened to the public in September
1998. |
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| The "Bos
t'Ename" nature preserve is noted for its remarkable historic,
aesthetic and ecological value.
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Each of these well-preserved and well-documented
monuments comprises a unique aspect of Ename's history. Together,
they provide several distinctive historical perspectives that allow
visitors and scholars to study the history of Europe through archaeology,
architecture, community memory and environment.
These rich historical resources inspired the
Ename 974 Project team to communicate their historical and archaeological
findings to scholars and the general public through the use of innovative
presentation technologies. These pioneering efforts led to the establishment
of the Ename Center for Public Archaeology
and Heritage Presentation in 1998.
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