Postel Abbey is a Premonstratensian abbey in the Belgian municipality of Mol. In 1138, Premonstratensian canons from Floreffe Abbey founded the monastery at Postel as a dependent priory. The church was dedicated in August 1040.
The canons practiced forestry, agriculture and cattle breeding. In 1613, Postel became independent of Floreffe and in 1618 was raised to the status of abbey. Besides pioneering quarrying work in the region, the canons offered hospitality to travellers, In 1797, the abbey was closed, and the canons expelled, in the course of the French Revolution, when French troops invaded the Austrian Netherlands. The carillon ws lost at this time.[3] In 1847, the community here was re-established, after which the abbey buildings were restored in several phases.
From 1943, until the end of World War II, Herman Van Breda hid part of the manuscripts of Edmund Husserl in the abbey. In September 1944, the abbey, full of refugees, was occupied by German soldiers. They left on September 22, with the near approach of British troops accompanied by a Resistance fighter from Mol.
The second abbey church, dedicated to St. Nicholas, was built in the Rhineland Romanesque style and dates from the end of the 12th century (1190). The church has since been rebuilt several times, as a result of which the building shows some characteristics of Gothic and Baroque styles. The abbey is still surrounded by walls, and partially by moats.
The norbertines of Postel work in parishes, mostly in the vicinity of the abbey.
Traditionally, Postel abbey produced Postel, the abbey beer. This beer is no longer brewed within the abbey itself but in a commercial brewery in Opwijk. The abbey started producing cheese in 1947. Since 1994, the monks have also developed a botanical garden of medicinal plants, where they cultivate ginseng.
In 1970 a guesthouse was opened. The information center provides tourist information about the region, cycling routes, walking brochures and regional curiosities and places of interest. The abbey is a venue for 'Musica Divina', the Festival of Flanders Mechelen/Kempen’s autumn concert series.
References:The ancient Argos Theater was built in 320 BC. and is located in Argos, Greece against Larissa Hill. Nearby from this site is Agora, Roman Odeon, and the Baths of Argos. The theater is one of the largest architectural developments in Greece and was renovated in ca 120 AD.
The Hellenistic theater at Argos is cut into the hillside of the Larisa, with 90 steps up a steep incline, forming a narrow rectilinear cavea. Among the largest theaters in Greece, it held about 20,000 spectators and is divided by two landings into three horizontal sections. Staircases further divide the cavea into four cunei, corresponding to the tribes of Argos A high wall was erected to prevent unauthorized access into the theatron and may have helped the acoustics, but it is said the sound quality is still very good today.
Around 120 CE, both theaters were renovated in the Roman style.