theocracy · France and the Low Countries

Principality of Stavelot-Malmedy

651 CE – 1795 CE (approx.) · capital Stavelot

Tiny ecclesiastical principality of the Ardennes, ruled for over a thousand years by the abbots of twin monasteries.

Origins

Around 648 to 651 the missionary Remaclus founded twin abbeys at Stavelot and Malmedy in the Ardennes forest, on land granted by Sigebert III of Austrasia. The two houses shared a single abbot, and the community became one of the leading monasteries of the region.

Rule and society

In the Holy Roman Empire the abbots became princes with a seat in the Imperial Diet, ruling a small territory between the Prince-Bishopric of Liège and the Duchy of Luxembourg. Abbot Wibald in the 12th century was an adviser to emperors, and the abbey's workshops produced masterpieces of Mosan goldsmith work such as the Stavelot Triptych.

Decline and legacy

Revolutionary France annexed the principality in 1795 and dissolved the abbeys. In 1815 Stavelot went to the Netherlands, and later Belgium, while Malmedy passed to Prussia. Malmedy was transferred to Belgium in 1920, reuniting the two towns.

Connections (3)

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Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Principality of Stavelot-Malmedy. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/principality-of-stavelot-malmedy
MLA
“Principality of Stavelot-Malmedy.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/principality-of-stavelot-malmedy. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Principality of Stavelot-Malmedy.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/principality-of-stavelot-malmedy.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Principality of Stavelot-Malmedy’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/principality-of-stavelot-malmedy (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻