Duchess Jeanne of Brabant had allotted the forest land to the priory and also to many other monasteries in the region. In 1304, an old shooting lodge of
Jean II was given to a
hermit on condition that after he died, it would go to another religious person who was serving God. Following this, a community was established at the site around 1343 by three canons who had left the
Church of St. Michael and St. Gudula (now Brussels' cathedral), seeking space outside the city,
John of Ruysbroeck, Jan Hinckaert and Frank van Coudenberg, which on 13 March 1349 became formalised as a
monastery of
Augustinian canons. Coudenberg became the first
provost and Ruysbroeck the first
prior. Their association with the canonical order of St. Augustine was very loose, despite attempts by the Augustinian abbey of
Abbey of St. Victor, Paris. Their revenue included selling wood, as well as bequests an legacies. The monastery became famous during the late 14th century, largely on account of Ruysbroeck's reputation as a spiritual guide and writer, with many people travelling to Groenendaal to visit him. After Ruysbroeck's death in 1381, his relics were preserved at the monastery. The importance of Groenendaal at that time was not just on account of the community that formed there, but also for the writings which resulted and had a large influence on later spiritual and mystical thought. This was particularly so in the case of Ruysbroeck's writings. The work and thought of other members of the Groenendaal community, including
Willem Jordaens (c. 1310-1372), who lived at Groenendaal from 1353 until his death, Jan van Leeuwen (c. 1310-1378), Godeverd van Wevele (c. 1320-1396) and Jan van Schoonhoven, has also been increasingly studied in recent years. The works of these writers received some attention at the time, especially among Dutch readers. Groenendaal's existence as an independent monastery did not last long, however. The religious group continued in the late 14th and early 15th centuries, with a religious choir, without
lay brothers. The
necrology includes the names of the brothers. The monks lived on the produce from their estate, which included orchards, a nursery, and kitchen gardens. The Benedictine nuns of the forest lived next to the priory. Groenendael lost the title of monastery and became a priory, which was rebuilt and enlarged between 1450 and 1500. In 1520,
Philip of Cleves erected a palace near the monastic buildings which often served as hunting accommodations for
Holy Roman Emperor Charles V; the
Infanta Isabella stayed there frequently and also contributed to its embellishment. Charles V frequently came to Groenendael with other royalty to indulge in the sport of hunting. A banquet occurred there at the end of a hunting party which brought together Charles V,
Philip II of Spain,
Eleanor of Austria (widow of
Francis I of France),
Mary of Hungary,
Ferdinand of Austria and his
wife, as well as
Mulay Hassan (former king of
Tunis). By the late 18th century, the site had lost its use. It was referred to as a 'useless convent' in 1784; the church and other buildings were sold by Holy Roman Emperor
Joseph II and demolished three years later in 1787. The furniture was scattered. An attempt to restore the priory by the Council of Brabant in 1790 failed with the arrival of the French. A coup de grâce occurred in 1796. Ruysbroeck's relics, which were preserved at the Priory until 1783, were taken to Brussels on the demolition of the priory, only to be lost during the
French Revolution. ==Architecture and fittings==