Notre-Dame d'Orval Abbey, generally called Orval Abbey, is a Trappist monastery. Founded by the Benedictines in the 11th century, it was attached to the Order of Cîteaux in 1131. Secularized at the end of the 18th century, the buildings were then abandoned. In 1926, the monastery was rebuilt and in 1936, the monastery regained its status as an abbey. The abbey is known for its brewery, which has been operational since 1931.
The Church of Saint-Martin stands in the heart of the citadel of Montmedy. The first mention of the church of Saint-Martin appears in a charter drawn up in 1156, by which the abbey of Orval (Belgium) obtains its patronage.
The Neo-Classical Church of Saint Laurent was opened to the public in 1834 and is the work of the contractor Jacques-Modeste Guillemard of Longwy. Its imposing portal of four colossal columns with Ionic capitals supports a triangular pediment decorated with a bas-relief. At the end of the 1950s, the interior of the church was redesigned by architect Alexis Bodson from Virton. Four stained glass windows by Louis-Marie Londot also date from this period.
The church of Saint-Martin in Vieux-Virton can be considered the original parish of Saint-Mard. Indeed, the title Saint-Martin, its extra muros location and the chronology revealed during the excavations point to a very old church. The early church dates from the 8th century and was built of stone. In the 9th or 10th century, a second building was erected. Two carved blocks from the High Roman Empire, which can still be seen today, were used as a replacement. A third construction phase took place in the 10th-11th centuries. It was at this time that the nave was extended.
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