Paul Bellot
Encyclopedia
Paul Louis Denis Bellot (born, Paris
June 7, 1876 - Montreal
July 5, 1944) was a French monk
and modern architect
.
He became an architect in 1900 having studied at the École des Beaux-Arts
. In 1902 he became a monk of the Benedictines of Solesmes
. These monks were in exile in England, and Bellot began building Quarr Abbey
on the Isle of Wight
.
In the Netherlands
Bellot designed St Paul's Abbey at Oosterhout
for the Order. He designed several churches in the Netherlands, France
, Belgium
, Canada
and Portugal
. Most of these are built largely of concrete or brick which were his preferred materials.
Bellot was a member of L'Arche
, an organisation whose goal it was to use modern materials and art for religious purposes. In Canada
, where he moved in 1937, he influenced several architects (i.e. Dom Claude-Marie Côté, also a Benedictine monk, and Adrien Dufresne, a layperson) and his architectural influence became known as "Bellotism".
His ideas are expounded in Propos d'un bâtisseur du Bon Dieu which was published posthumously in 1949; it is based on lectures he gave in Canada in 1934.
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
June 7, 1876 - Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
July 5, 1944) was a French monk
Monk
A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
and modern architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
.
He became an architect in 1900 having studied at the École des Beaux-Arts
École des Beaux-Arts
École des Beaux-Arts refers to a number of influential art schools in France. The most famous is the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts, now located on the left bank in Paris, across the Seine from the Louvre, in the 6th arrondissement. The school has a history spanning more than 350 years,...
. In 1902 he became a monk of the Benedictines of Solesmes
Order of Saint Benedict
The Order of Saint Benedict is a Roman Catholic religious order of independent monastic communities that observe the Rule of St. Benedict. Within the order, each individual community maintains its own autonomy, while the organization as a whole exists to represent their mutual interests...
. These monks were in exile in England, and Bellot began building Quarr Abbey
Quarr Abbey
Quarr Abbey is a monastery between the villages of Binstead and Fishbourne on the Isle of Wight in southern England. The name is pronounced as "Kor" . It belongs to the Order of St Benedict. The present imposing brick construction was completed in 1912. A community of about a dozen monks maintains...
on the Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
.
In the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
Bellot designed St Paul's Abbey at Oosterhout
Oosterhout
Oosterhout is a municipality and a city in the South of the Netherlands. At June, 2008, the city population was 54,015.-History:Oosterhout is mentioned for the first time in 1277, although archaeological excavations showed the existence of human settlements in the area in prehistoric times. The...
for the Order. He designed several churches in the Netherlands, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
. Most of these are built largely of concrete or brick which were his preferred materials.
Bellot was a member of L'Arche
L'Arche
L'Arche is an International Federation dedicated to the creation and growth of homes, programs, and support networks with people who have intellectual disabilities...
, an organisation whose goal it was to use modern materials and art for religious purposes. In Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, where he moved in 1937, he influenced several architects (i.e. Dom Claude-Marie Côté, also a Benedictine monk, and Adrien Dufresne, a layperson) and his architectural influence became known as "Bellotism".
His ideas are expounded in Propos d'un bâtisseur du Bon Dieu which was published posthumously in 1949; it is based on lectures he gave in Canada in 1934.
Chief works
- Quarr AbbeyQuarr AbbeyQuarr Abbey is a monastery between the villages of Binstead and Fishbourne on the Isle of Wight in southern England. The name is pronounced as "Kor" . It belongs to the Order of St Benedict. The present imposing brick construction was completed in 1912. A community of about a dozen monks maintains...
, Isle of Wight, 1907 to 1911. - He supervised the construction of the abbey of Saint-Paul d'Oosterhout, Netherlands
- At Comines the church of Saint Chrysolus was built from 1925 to 1929 in collaboration with Maurice Storez.
- At AudincourtAudincourtAudincourt is a commune in the Doubs department in the Franche-Comté region in eastern France.-Population:-External links:*...
, the church of Notre-Dame de l'Immaculée Conception, 1932, was an early building in reinforced concrete. - At Solesmes Abbey, the new library, the gallery of the great cloister and the lavatorium.
- The chapel of the seminary of Saint Louis, on the domain of Saint Hubert, Neuvy-sur-BarangeonNeuvy-sur-BarangeonNeuvy-sur-Barangeon is a commune in the Cher department in central France.-Population:-References:*...
, Cher, 1936. - At SuresnesSuresnesSuresnes is a commune in the western suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris. The nearest communes are Neuilly-sur-Seine, Puteaux, Rueil-Malmaison, Saint-Cloud and Boulogne-Billancourt...
in the garden city, the church of Notre-Dame de la Paix was dedicated in 1936. - Basilica of Saint-Joseph-des-Fins at AnnecyAnnecyAnnecy is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.It lies on the northern tip of Lake Annecy , 35 kilometres south of Geneva.-Administration:...
- The Priory of Saint Bathilda at VanvesVanvesVanves is a commune in the southwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris. It is one of the most densely populated municipalities in Europe and the tenth in France -History:...
, between 1934 and 1936. - He proposed an unbuilt National Basilica at Cape-de-la-Madelaine, Que., with Adrien Dufresne 1947.
Filmography
- François Brault and Guy L. Coté made a film about Dom Bellot at Quebec in 1987: Dom Bellot, architecte, 1876-1943.