Bellelay Abbey is a former
Premonstratensian
The Order of Canons Regular of Prémontré (), also known as the Premonstratensians, the Norbertines and, in Britain and Ireland, as the White Canons (from the colour of their habit), is a religious order of canons regular of the Catholic Church ...
monastery in the
Bernese Jura
Bernese Jura (french: Jura bernois, ) is the name for the French-speaking area of the Swiss canton of Bern, and from 2010 one of ten administrative divisions of the canton.
Comprising the three French-speaking districts in the northern part of the ...
in
Switzerland
). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
, now a psychiatric clinic. It is a
heritage site of national significance and the entire former Abbey complex is part of the
Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites
The Federal Inventory of Heritage Sites (ISOS) is part of a 1981 Ordinance of the Swiss Federal Council implementing the Federal Law on the Protection of Nature and Cultural Heritage.
Sites of national importance
Types
The types are based on t ...
.
History
According to the legend, the monastery was founded in 1136 by Siginand, prior of the abbey of
Moutier-Grandval
Moutier-Grandval Abbey was a Benedictine abbey near the villages of Moutier and Grandval in today's Jura bernois administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. It was founded around 640, when Grandval already existed; Moutier g ...
, who got lost in the deep forest of the High Jura while hunting a wild boar and was unable to find his way out.
He vowed to found a monastery if he managed to return safely to Moutier, which he did four days later. To the monastery he founded in accordance with his vow he gave the name of "belle laie" ("laie" is a female wild boar).
According to other sources, the monastery was probably founded as a result of the influence of the
Bishop of Basel
The Diocese of Basel (german: Bistum Basel; la, Diœcesis Basileensis) is a Catholic diocese in Switzerland.
Historically, the bishops of Basel were also secular rulers of the Prince-Bishopric of Basel (german: Fürstbistum Basel).
The bis ...
on the south-west border of the diocese of Basel with the territory of the Abbot of Moutier-Grandval.
[
The foundation was confirmed by ]Pope Innocent II
Pope Innocent II ( la, Innocentius II; died 24 September 1143), born Gregorio Papareschi, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 14 February 1130 to his death in 1143. His election as pope was controversial and the fi ...
in 1142.[Fondation de l'abbatiale de Bellelay]
There are numerous spelling variations from the early years of the monastery: Balelaia, Belelagia, Belelai, Belilaia, Bellale, Bella Lagia, Bellelagia and Bellilagia. The name comes from the Vulgar Latin
Vulgar Latin, also known as Popular or Colloquial Latin, is the range of non-formal Register (sociolinguistics), registers of Latin spoken from the Crisis of the Roman Republic, Late Roman Republic onward. Through time, Vulgar Latin would evolve ...
''bella lagia'' ("beautiful forest").
The abbey possessed various estates widely scattered. It was the mother-house of several other foundations, including Grandgourt Priory, Gottstatt Abbey
Gottstat Monastery is a former Premonstratensian monastery in the municipality of Orpund in the Canton of Bern, Switzerland.
Establishment
It was established in 1255 by Count Rudolf I von Neuchâtel-Nidau. A previous attempt to establish a mon ...
and Himmelspforte Abbey at Grenzach-Wyhlen
Grenzach-Wyhlen is a municipality in the district of Lörrach in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated on the right bank of the Rhine, 7 km east of Basel, and 8 km south of Lörrach. It has borders to Inzlingen and Rheinfelden ...
in Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg (; ), commonly shortened to BW or BaWü, is a German state () in Southwest Germany, east of the Rhine, which forms the southern part of Germany's western border with France. With more than 11.07 million inhabitants across a ...
.[
Bellelay was under the authority of the diocese of Basel, but operated as an independent lordship under the terms of a protection contract agreed with ]Bern
german: Berner(in)french: Bernois(e) it, bernese
, neighboring_municipalities = Bremgarten bei Bern, Frauenkappelen, Ittigen, Kirchlindach, Köniz, Mühleberg, Muri bei Bern, Neuenegg, Ostermundigen, Wohlen bei Bern, Zollikofen
, website ...
and Solothurn
Solothurn ( , ; french: Soleure ; it, Soletta ; rm, ) is a List of towns in Switzerland, town, a Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality, and the Capital (political), capital of the canton of Solothurn in Switzerland. It is located in the n ...
(by 1414 at the latest) and also with Biel
, french: Biennois(e)
, neighboring_municipalities= Brügg, Ipsach, Leubringen/Magglingen (''Evilard/Macolin''), Nidau, Orpund, Orvin, Pieterlen, Port, Safnern, Tüscherz-Alfermée, Vauffelin
, twintowns = Iserlohn (Germany)
B ...
in 1516.
Although the abbot had the right of the low justice
High, middle and low justices are notions dating from Western feudalism to indicate descending degrees of judicial power to administer justice by the maximal punishment the holders could inflict upon their subjects and other dependents.
Low just ...
in the abbey's immediate territory, and was awarded the right to the use of the ring, the mitre and the cross at the Council of Constance
The Council of Constance was a 15th-century ecumenical council recognized by the Catholic Church, held from 1414 to 1418 in the Bishopric of Constance in present-day Germany. The council ended the Western Schism by deposing or accepting the res ...
in 1414, it does not seem that Bellelay was ever an Imperial abbey
Princely abbeys (german: Fürstabtei, ''Fürststift'') and Imperial abbeys (german: Reichsabtei, ''Reichskloster'', ''Reichsstift'', ''Reichsgotthaus'') were religious establishments within the Holy Roman Empire which enjoyed the status of impe ...
.
The buildings were ransacked during the Swabian War
The Swabian War of 1499 ( gsw, Schwoobechrieg (spelling depending on dialect), called or ("Swiss War") in Germany and ("War of the Engadin") in Austria) was the last major armed conflict between the Old Swiss Confederacy and the House of Hab ...
in 1499. During the Protestant Reformation
The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...
some of the residents converted to the new faith. However, thanks to the treaty with Solothurn the monastery was spared the effects of the Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history
The history of Europe is traditionally divided into four time periods: prehistoric Europe (prior to about 800 BC), classical antiquity (80 ...
. The abbey reached its golden age in the 18th century as a renowned place of education for the sons of European nobility. During the 18th century the monastery buildings were rebuilt and a new church building was dedicated in 1714. The monastery university opened in 1772 and by 1779 it had 62 pupils from throughout Europe. A new dormitory wing was added in 1782 to accommodate the growing student population and by 1797 there were about 100 students at Bellelay.[
]
Dissolution
In 1797 the buildings were occupied by French troops and secularised. The precious furnishings were sold at this time – an altar from Bellelay, for example, is now to be found in the parish church of Our Lady of the Assumption in Saignelégier
Saignelégier () is a municipality in the canton of Jura in Switzerland. It is the seat of the district of Franches-Montagnes. On 1 January 2009, the formerly independent municipalities of Goumois and Les Pommerats merged into Saignelégier.
...
.
In the 19th century the monastery premises were used as a watch factory, then as a brewery and finally as a glass factory. In 1890 the Canton of Bern
The canton of Bern or Berne (german: Kanton Bern; rm, Chantun Berna; french: canton de Berne; it, Canton Berna) is one of the 26 cantons forming the Swiss Confederation. Its capital city, Bern, is also the ''de facto'' capital of Switzerland. ...
acquired the site, from which time the monastery buildings have been used as a psychiatric clinic.
Since the end of the 1960s the premises have also been used for concerts and exhibitions by the ''Fondation de l'Abbatiale de Bellelay''.
Architecture
The present structure of the abbey church of the Assumption was built by Franz Beer on the Vorarlberg
Vorarlberg ( , ; gsw, label=Vorarlbergisch, Vorarlbearg, , or ) is the westernmost States of Austria, state () of Austria. It has the second-smallest geographical area after Vienna and, although it also has the second-smallest population, it is ...
Baroque
The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...
model between 1708 and 1714. The church has two towers on the west front which formerly had onion domes
An onion dome is a dome whose shape resembles an onion. Such domes are often larger in diameter than the tholobate upon which they sit, and their height usually exceeds their width. These bulbous structures taper smoothly to a point.
It is a ty ...
. The interior is decorated with painted stucco by the Wessobrunn School, created in 1713. The other monastery buildings in the Baroque
The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...
style are also from the 18th century.
Tête de Moine
Bellelay Abbey is the home of the cheese Tête de Moine
Tête de Moine AOP (, french for "monk's head") is a semi-hard cheese manufactured in Switzerland. It is classified as a Swiss-type or Alpine cheese, and was invented and initially produced more than eight centuries ago by the monks of the abb ...
, first made by the monks in the 12th century.
List of Abbots of Bellelay
# Geroldus 1142–1180
# Ludovicus 1187–1202
# Adam 1195
# Richardus 1202–1237
# Henricus I of Soulce 1237–1256
# Jacobus I von Wetterau 1256–1258
# Conradus 1258–1270
# ''Name unknown, possibly died 1276''
# Petrus I of Varres 1289–1296
# Burchardus of Boécourt 1298–1316
# Lambertus 1316–1326
# Petrus II de Sancey 1326–1336
# Henricus II de Bassecourt 1337–1350
# Petrus III de Vannes 1350–1354
# Jacobus II de Séprais 1365–1374
# Joannes III de Pontenet 1374–1398
# Joannes IV Donzelat 1398–1401
# Henricus III Nerr 1401–1418
# Heinzmann (Henricus IV) Girardin 1418–1426
# Joannes V de Chatelat 1426–1434
# Petrus IV Martini 1434–1438
# Heinzmann (Henricus V) 1438–1448
# Joannes VI Rier 1448–1456
# Joannes VII Gruel or Grier 1456–1483
# Joannes VIII Barth 1483–1490
# Joannes IX Brullard 1490–1508
# Nicolaus I Schnell 1508–1530
# Joannes X Gogniat 1530–1553
# Servatius Fridez 1553–1561
# Antonius Fottel 1561–1574
# Joannes XI Simon 1574–1579
# Werner Spiessbrecher (Brieselance) 1579–1612
# David Juillerat 1612–1637
# Joannes XII Petrus Cuénat 1637–1666
# Joanns XIII Georgius Schwaller 1666–1691
# Norbertus Périat 1691–1692
# Fridericus de Staal 1692–1706
# Joannes XIV Georgius Voirol 1706–1719
# Joannes XV Sémon 1719–1743
# Gregorius Joliat 1743–1771
# Nicolaus II Deluce 1771–1784
# Ambrosius Monnin 1784–1807Website source of list of abbots
Notes
Sources
*
The reproduction of the Bossard organ from 1721
by Kuhn Organ Builders Ltd.
Fondation de l'abbatiale de Bellelay
{{Authority control
Christian monasteries in Switzerland
Premonstratensian monasteries in Switzerland
Hospitals in Switzerland
Buildings and structures in the canton of Bern
Hospitals established in the 12th century
1797 disestablishments in Europe
18th-century disestablishments in the Old Swiss Confederacy
Christian monasteries established in the 12th century
Roman Catholic churches completed in 1714
1136 establishments in Europe
12th-century establishments in Switzerland
18th-century churches in Switzerland