Abbaye de l'étanche

The association of the Friends of the Abbey Notre Dame de l'étanche, created in August 2016 at the initiative of Mr Mauduech, aims to safeguard and rehabilitate the Abbey of l'Etanche located in Deuxnouds-aux-bois. In 2017, Christine Hellin became president of this association.
This site reveals an exceptional richness managed by the Conservatoire d'Espaces Naturels de Lorraine. In 2017 the CEN leads the administrative and financial files, a temporary tarpaulin is then placed on the roof of the chapel in order to preserve the vaults.
After signing an agreement in 2018 with the Conservatoire d'Espaces Naturels de Lorraine, the association Les Amis de l'Abbaye became the project owner and carried out the second phase of the conservation and security work.

They are studied by a firm of chief architect of Historic Monuments. A public contract was launched, two local companies were selected.
The main lines of the work are:
Complete rebuilding of the wall between the chapel and the dwelling.
Restoration of the vaults.
Consolidation of sentences.
Consolidation of the sculptures on the pediment.
All the cornices of the chapel have been replaced, (a large part of which was financed through a call for sponsorship launched by the association in May 2018).
Installation of transparent polycarbonate panels on the bays
Installation of a permanent roof in anthracite-grey lacquered steel tank resting on a fir frame, equipped with gutters and rainwater downspouts.

The works are financed by the DRAC, the Conseil Régional Grand Est, the Conseil Départemental de la Meuse, GIP Objectif Meuse, the Mission Stéphane BERN, the Fondation du Patrimoine and the association Les Amis de l'Abbaye Notre Dame de l'Etanche through sponsorships, donations, memberships and actions throughout the year.

In parallel with the safeguarding work, the association joined the Union Rempart, and organized in the summer of 2018 and 2019 a workcamp of international volunteers for the reconstruction of the surrounding wall.

The chapel can pass the next few years without damage, today it is necessary to safeguard the dwelling which is in great danger and find a destination for this building so that it can continue to survive the centuries.