Herentals: Besloten Hof

The premonstratensian women's convent Besloten Hof (or fully: Onze Lieve Vrouw van het Besloten Hof) in Herentals was founded 1410 by the abbey of Tongerlo, and existed up till 1796.

In the 19th century a community of Franciscanessen-Penitentinnen, Sint-Jozefsdal, was founded in the buildings of Besloten Hof.

Manuscripts

Three of its liturgical manuscripts are preserved in the archive of the abbey of Tongerlo:

* B-TONGLna V 326, Graduale-Sequentiarium, 16th century
* B-TONGLna V 327, Graduale, 16th century
* B-TONGLna V 328, Graduale, 16th century
* F-Pa 8228, ordinarius in vernacular, ca 1500, may have belonged to Besloten Hof

Younger books are mentioned in Corthouts: Inventaris.

Literature

* Waltmann Van Spilbeeck: Het Herentalsch klooster Onzer-Lieve-Vrouwen Besloten-hof der Orde van Premonstreit heden Sint-Josephsdal der Franciskaner Penitentinnen (Averbode 1892) (including an edition of the necrologium)
* F. Prims: Onze Lieve Vrouw Besloten Hof te Herentals. Campinia sacra 3 (Antwerpen 1933) (including a list of prioresses and nuns)
* R. Geivers: Zes eeuwen Besloten Hof en de zusters Franciscanessen van Sint-Jozefsdal Herentals (Kasterlee 1986)
* De abdij van Tongerlo, pp. 151-161: De stichting van het 'Besloten Hof' te Herentals (1410)
* Monasticon Belge VIII, pp. 377-395
* Van Waefelghem: Répertoire ..., p. 112 (nr. 256)

The present archive of the former abbey, now Sint-Jozefsdal

In the archive of Sint-Jozefsdal some books from the 16th century and younger are kept. These have incorrectly been attributed to Het Besloten Hof (R. Geiver: Zes eeuwen Besloten Hof ..., photo p. 41); many of them are written by and for Franciscanessen.

Manuscripts

* Office book, 16th (?) century with some additions; humanist script; square notation on red staves. P. 1: temporale; p. 199: sanctorale; p. 229: In Festo S. Antonii de Padua Cnf. Ord. Minor.; p. 246: In Festo Sanctae Elisabeth Reg. Portugalliae; p. 260: In festo S. Clarae; p. 279: In festo SSmi. Nominis Mariae; p. 286: In solempnitate S.P.N. Francisci; p. 294: In festo s. Petri de Alcantara; p. 356: In festo S.P.N. Francisci. On the front cover a sticker 1600
* Graduale, 1615. On the front flyleaf: CABBEECK. volscreven int iaer doenmen screef 1615; on the front cover: Missaal voleindigd in 1615 door 'Suster Mayken Piret (according to a note in the back of the book). P. 208: Hier nae volcht de misse van sinte monica ons patroonsi moeder. Many Dutch notes and translations (poetry) of the Latin chant texts
* Clarissen-Processionale, on the front cover printed St. Clara and a sticker 1716. Title page: Ad Maiorem DEI Gloriam et B.M.V. Sine Macula Conceptae & S.P.N. Francisci & S.M.N. CLARA Anno Domini 1716. P. 1: Litanie de B.V. Mariae. P. 3: Tota pulchra es alternatim canters-chorus. P. 5: De groote Litanie (St Marcus dagh). P. 14: De processie van t H. Sacrament. P. 30: Als t maent processie is ... P. 37: De processie van den H. Artsengel Michael. P. 40: Den ommeganck op den sondag binnen octave van O.L. Vrouwe Hemelvaert (In t Werckhuijs / In den refter / In de keuken / In den Hof / In den Thoren / In de Brouwerij / In den Bichtpant ...). Table of contents in the back of the book, followed by the colophon: Sr Anna Theresia Prommen. P. 31: De s. mater Clara
* Antiphoner, on the front cover a sticker: 1740; 1st part: Temporale and Sanctorale, 2nd part: Commons, 3rd part: Hymns. P. 132: den 6 meert in festo s. coleta virgo; p. 148: den derden sondah naer paeschen festo patrocinia s. ioseph; p. 178: den 18 julii s. Elisabeth Reginae portugallie; p. 190: den 12 augus in festo s. Clara
* Graduael ghescreven ende to ghebruijck van S. Maria Agnes Prommen, religieuse van de derde orden van S. Franciscus tot Antwerpen, 1742. P. 137: Proprium sanctorum; p. 160: In festo patr. S. Ioseph; p. 201: SS. stigmata B.P.N. Francisci; p. 204: In solemnitate S.P.N. Francisci (p. 212: Franciscan adaption of the text of intr. Gaudeamus, All Saints). P. 241: In aspersione; p. 243: Kyrie de ordinis, p. 245: den Spaensen Kyrien, Kyrie de angelis minus etc; p. 254: den Spaensen Credo. Table of contents in the back of the book
* Antiphoner, on the front cover a sticker: 1751, a.o. feasts of Clara, Stigmata Francisci and S.P.N. Francisci

Imprints

* Graduale ad usum Cisterciensis ordinis : secundum Capituli generalis venerabilium patrum eiusdem ordinis difinitionem in sequenti pagina declaratam : noviter per quendam Clarevallensem monachum ad debitam formam utiliter redactum. Et Johannis Lecoq impressoris Trecis commoran (?) solertia diligenter impressum. Anno domini Millesimo quingentesimo vicesimo primo. On the front cover a sticker: Graduale 1521
* Psalterium dispositum per hebdomadam ... Back flyleaf: Antverpiae, ex officina plantiniana bathasaris moreti MDCLV. On the front cover two notes: 1655 and Psalterium gedrukt te Antwerpen bij Balthasar Plantijn Moretus 1655
* Supplementum ad antiphonale Romanum (In festo expectationis partus BMV; ss. Nominis Jesu; Gabrielis archangeli; Joseph Confessoris; Hermenegildi; Venantii martyris; Elisabeth reginae Portugalliae; Officium BVM de monte carmelo etc; recollectionis BMV, etc.); without year and place, probably 16th or early 17th century
* Supplementum continens missas proprias trium ordinum S.P.N. Francisci in usum fratrum minorum recollectorum (Mechelen 1859)
* Pastorale rituali Romano ... (Mechelen 1838)

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Visit to St Jozefsdal, May 2001
Last change: Thu 25 April 2002