Saint Willibrord

The first church on this spot was constructed around 698, when Abbess Irmina of Oeren (Trier) made a gift of her properties in Echternach to Archbishop Willibrord, the founder of the monastery, Upon his death in 739, Willibrord was buried in the chancel of the sanctuary. A new more spacious building was raised around 800, of which the crypt survives. The reconstruction from 1016 to 1031 created the Abbey Church much as it exists today. The addition of Gothic vaulting in the 13th century profoundly transformed the original Romanesque interior. In the 17th century, several side chapels were added. After its desecration by French Revolutionary troops, the church was re-consecrated in 1868. The destruction of 1944 required lengthy reconstruction work that was only completed in 1953.

St Willibrord’s Basilica, whose present form dates from the 11th and 13th centuries, was severely damaged during the Battle of the Ardennes and was partially rebuilt in the Neo-Romanesque style. The crypt dates from the Carolingian period and contains the remains of frescoes. It houses a magnificent white marble sarcophagus containing the mortal remains of Saint Willibrord. It also features the Saint Willibrord fountain, Renaissance confessionals and stained-glass windows.

Learn more about the history of this memorable building and the abbey's founder, Willibrord. 
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