The Abbey of Saints Peter and Mary in Mettlach, also known in older literature as Metloc Abbey, was a Benedictine monastery founded towards the end of the 7th century. The monastery buildings, abandoned during the French Revolution, now house the headquarters of the Villeroy & Boch company.
Both the building itself and the meticulously maintained grounds are worth seeing.
The facade, constructed largely of local red sandstone, is 112 meters long. The monumental structure, characterized by mighty pilasters, over which the strongly profiled roof cornice is projected, visually dominates the banks of the Saar.
The monastery has a long history.
The French Revolution, and above all the War of the First Coalition beginning in 1792, spelled dominion for Mettlach Abbey. The monks fled in 1793/1794. The traditional monastery was finally abandoned in 1802. The current abbey buildings, dating back to the 18th century, were declared French national property in 1802 as part of the secularization process. The entire property was then sold to the paper manufacturer Leistenschneider from Trier.
In 1809, Jean-François Boch, a member of the third generation of Bochs, acquired the severely damaged building from him and restored it. He had it partially converted into a factory. The building still houses the headquarters of the Villeroy & Boch company today. On August 13, 1921, the buildings were severely damaged by a major fire and subsequently restored.