Saint-Martin Abbey, Tournai

The Saint-Martin Abbey (French: abbaye Saint-Martin) in the historic center of Tournai, in the Wallonia region of Belgium is a former Benedictine abbey, dating back to the 7th century. It was re-established in the late 11th century by Odo of Tournai and it immediately became an important Benedictine settlement. A fire devastated the abbey in 1340 in the Siege of Tournai during the Hundred Years' War. It was later rebuilt by renowned architect Laurent-Benoît Dewez in the 1760s. The abbey was dissolved during the French Revolution in 1796 and the buildings were largely demolished except for the abbot's palace, which today serves as the town hall.