The seventh destination of “In cammino”, still in Belgium, was the Trappist Abbey of Orval. Adjacent to the first monastic complex dating back to the 12th century, which was destroyed by a fire set during the French Revolution and of which only the majestic ruins remain today, the new Abbey was built between 1926 and 1948. The Church maintains the same layout and dimensions as the ancient building. A large statue of the Madonna with Child stands prominently in the middle of the new Church’s facade, welcoming visitors to Orval.

On the morning of Tuesday, April 23, 2024, our day began with a visit to the ruins of the ancient Abbey. Water surrounds these lands and penetrates the monastic structure, which in its turn is famous for its production of cheese and the Trappist beer that shares its name: Orval, bearing the symbol of a fish with a ring in its mouth. This image refers to the legend of Matilde of Canossa, who, having lost her gold ring in a nearby spring, vowed to build a magnificent church if she recovered it. Legend says a trout emerged from the water with Matilde’s ring in its mouth, prompting her to exclaim, “This valley is truly golden”, hence the name Orval (Aura Vallis). The spring is located within the walls of the ancient Abbey, and its water is still used today to produce its renowned beer.

Visiting these ruins is truly evocative, transporting one to a dimension where time seems to stand still. The walls of the abbey Church, still standing despite the roof being consumed by the fire, testify to its grandeur, made even more awe-inspiring by the blue sky overhead. A centuries-old oak tree extends its lush branches over the main courtyard before entering what remains—only the traces of the perimeter walls, now collapsed—of the cloister dating back to the 11th century.

During our visit to the ruins, we were joined by Father Xavier, who highlighted key points in the history of the monastic community of Orval.

After the guided tour, the morning continued at the Florentin Hȏtel in Florenville, where the conference “Reflections in Water. From Matilde of Canossa to the Climate Emergency: History, Science, and the Current Relevance of a Primary Resource for Humanity” took place, chaired by Livia Pomodoro, holder of the UNESCO Chair “Food Systems for Sustainable Development and Social Inclusion” at the State University of Milan.

After the greeting and introduction by Allegra Iafrate, Regent of the Italian Institute of Culture in Brussels, who coordinated the presentations, Pietro Pizzuti, actor, director, and playwright, took the floor. He is a promoter and leading exponent of the “Charte mondiale des artistes pour l’eau” a document inspired by Riccardo Petrella’s Manifesto of Water. For a Global Agreement. Its main points defend the right to water for all, calling for this right to be included in the constitution of every democratic state and in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It also proposes that water should not be managed by multinational corporations but by the UN, to be distributed equitably and remain a common good.

In his impassioned analysis, Pizzuti emphasized the urgent need to raise awareness in our society on this fundamental issue: according to UNICEF data, 2 billion people worldwide lack safe drinking water, and 3.6 billion—approximately half of the world’s population—use sanitation services that leave human waste untreated. From this, Pizzuti asserted, arises the necessity not only for government choices aimed at preserving water resources and combating drought due to climate change but also for individual choices that translate into changes in our needs, habits, lifestyles, and attitudes toward daily water consumption.

Valter Quistini, Grand Master of the “Ambasciata Italiana Sossons d’Orvaulx”, present at the meeting alongside Pier Beretta, a knight of the same association, explained the main goals of the Embassy, including raising awareness about the history of the Abbey and Orval beer, promoting activities and initiatives in Italy and abroad for charitable purposes. Quistini then introduced Louis-Marie Kemp, Grand Master of “Les Sossons d’Orvaulx”, the Belgian “mother” association that inspired the Italian Embassy, which shares similar social goals and objectives. Quistini, Beretta, and Kemp wore the toga, beret, and distinctive insignia of their association.

Finally, Anne-Françoise Pypaert, an engineer and the first woman to earn the title of master brewer in a Trappist brewery, spoke about water in the production of Orval beer, beginning with the source central to the legendary tale of Matilde of Canossa and her lost ring. Anne-Françoise Pypaert is also manager of the cheese factory associated with the Abbey, which produces approximately 260 tons per year of a semi-hard cheese known as Orval cheese.

The master brewer clarified that the infusion water used in brewing comes from Matilde’s spring, which undergoes demineralization through reverse osmosis before minerals removed from the water are added back in. This method reduces the acidity from 5.3 to 5.5.

Orval beer also proudly bears the ATP (Authentic Trappist Product) label and is one of the historic breweries included in the International Trappist Association.

After Anne-Françoise Pypaert’s presentation, it was time for a video message from Salvatore Carrubba, Honorary Consul of Belgium in Milan, who greeted the participants of the sixth and seventh stages of “In cammino”, thanking Livia Pomodoro for the splendid initiative.

Also present at the meeting were Councillors Nathalie Lejeune, Philippe Lambert, and Xavier Lecat, representing Florenville’s mayor, Caroline Godfrin, along with a group of students from the Sainte-Anne school in Florenville.

Livia Pomodoro concluded the conference, expressing her gratitude to the participants and the audience, and announced the next Abbey and the eighth stage of “In cammino”!

At 6 p.m., in the Florentin Hôtel hall, the performance “Eaudyssée: l’eau en concert” began.

Following the voice and music of Arthmony (Emanuel and Donata Vilardi), Mattisix, and Thomas Arnett, the audience was immersed in an experiential journey, enhanced by projected images on the walls where water was the absolute protagonist, appearing as droplets, rain, sea, and ocean. From the finely detailed view of a dewdrop to the infinite expanse of ocean waves, colors and sounds accompanied us throughout the concert, transporting us to another dimension, parallel to our everyday lives. It revealed the fragility of planet Earth, alongside the transparent beauty and hidden sounds of water.