Church of Saint Anne, Aldeneik

The Church of Saint Anne in Aldeneik is a small but historically remarkable church in Aldeneik, now part of the town of Maaseik in the Belgian province of Limburg. Its walls combine Romanesque stonework nearly a thousand years old with a later Gothic choir, and its roots stretch back to the early Middle Ages.

Where did the church come from?

The story begins in 720, when two sisters, Harlindis and Relindis, founded a monastery on land belonging to their father Adelard, on the banks of the Meuse. The foundation had the backing of Willibrord of Utrecht, the missionary bishop active in the region at the time, and the community followed the Rule of Saint Benedict. Harlindis and Relindis became the abbey's first abbesses, and the house grew into one of the more significant religious centers of the area.

How did the abbey's status change over time?

In the 10th century, Emperor Otto I placed the monastery under the authority of the Prince-Bishopric of Liège. The move was a practical one: it shielded the abbey's property from local noblemen who, in that period, were prone to seizing church holdings for themselves. Not long after this transfer, the community of nuns was replaced by a chapter of canons — secular clergy living under a shared rule, though not monks in the strict sense.

When was the present building constructed?

It was these canons who, in the 12th century, built the Romanesque church whose core survives in the building standing today. The structure takes the form of a three-aisled basilica in the so-called Mosan style, named after the Meuse river valley where this architectural tradition flourished, and it lacks a transept, unlike many contemporary churches. In the 13th or 14th century, the choir was rebuilt in Gothic style, giving the church the layered, mixed character it still shows: a sturdy Romanesque nave set against a lighter, more open eastern end.

Why is it dedicated to Saint Anne?

The church was originally dedicated to the Virgin Mary, later to Mary together with Saint Peter. Only in the 18th century was the dedication changed to Saint Anne, Mary's mother, and the church has carried that name ever since. Since the 16th century it has served as a Roman Catholic parish church, meeting the everyday needs of the local community.

What does the church treasury hold?

Among the most valuable parts of the site's heritage is its treasury, to which the canons transferred a large share of the old Aldeneik Abbey's holdings in 1570. It preserves relics associated with the abbey's founders, Harlindis and Relindis, along with reliquaries — some dating as far back as the 9th century — gold and silver liturgical vessels, vestments, and old manuscripts. A particular highlight is a collection of early medieval textiles, including a garment attributed to Saint Relindis and Anglo-Saxon liturgical embroidery from the 8th or 9th century, considered among the oldest surviving examples of this craft from the British Isles.

Where exactly is the church located?

The Church of Saint Anne stands in Aldeneik, a historic settlement now administratively part of Maaseik, a town close to the Dutch border on the Meuse. Its coordinates are approximately 51.102°N, 5.806°E.

Frequently asked questions

Is the church Romanesque or Gothic? Both styles are present in the same building — the nave dates from the 12th-century Romanesque phase, while the choir was rebuilt in Gothic style in the 13th or 14th century.

Who founded the original monastery on this site? The sisters Harlindis and Relindis, who established a convent here in 720 on land belonging to their father Adelard, with the support of Willibrord of Utrecht.

What can visitors see in the church treasury? Relics and reliquaries connected to the abbey's founders, valuable liturgical vessels, old manuscripts, and a unique collection of early medieval textiles, including Anglo-Saxon embroidery among the oldest surviving pieces of its kind.

Why is the church dedicated to Saint Anne if it was originally dedicated to Mary? The dedication changed in the 18th century — the church had earlier been dedicated to Mary, and later also to Saint Peter, before taking on its present dedication to Saint Anne.