Bec Abbey, formally the Abbey of Our Lady of Bec (), is a

Benedictine The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly contemplative monastic order of the Catholic Church for men and for women who follow the Rule of Saint Benedict. Initiated in 529, th ...

monastic foundation in the

Eure Eure ( ; ; or ) is a department in the administrative region of Normandy, northwestern France, named after the river Eure. Its prefecture is Évreux. In 2021, Eure had a population of 598,934.département In the administrative divisions of France, the department (, ) is one of the three levels of government under the national level (" territorial collectivities"), between the administrative regions and the communes. There are a total of 101 ...

'', in the Bec valley midway between the cities of

Rouen Rouen (, ; or ) is a city on the River Seine, in northwestern France. It is in the prefecture of Regions of France, region of Normandy (administrative region), Normandy and the Departments of France, department of Seine-Maritime. Formerly one ...

and Bernay. It is located in Le Bec Hellouin,

Normandy Normandy (; or ) is a geographical and cultural region in northwestern Europe, roughly coextensive with the historical Duchy of Normandy. Normandy comprises Normandy (administrative region), mainland Normandy (a part of France) and insular N ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

, and was the most influential

abbey An abbey is a type of monastery used by members of a religious order under the governance of an abbot or abbess. Abbeys provide a complex of buildings and land for religious activities, work, and housing of Christians, Christian monks and nun ...

of the 12th-century Anglo- Norman kingdom. Like all abbeys, Bec maintained annals of the house but uniquely its first abbots also received individual biographies, brought together by the monk of Bec, Milo Crispin. Because of the abbey's cross-Channel influence, these hagiographic lives sometimes disclose historical information of more than local importance. Seal Abbaye du Bec

Name

The name of the abbey derives from the bec, or

stream A stream is a continuous body of water, body of surface water Current (stream), flowing within the stream bed, bed and bank (geography), banks of a channel (geography), channel. Depending on its location or certain characteristics, a strea ...

, that runs nearby. The word derives from the Scandinavian root, ''bekkr''.

First foundation

The abbey was founded in 1034 by Saint Herluin, whose

life Life, also known as biota, refers to matter that has biological processes, such as Cell signaling, signaling and self-sustaining processes. It is defined descriptively by the capacity for homeostasis, Structure#Biological, organisation, met ...

was written by Gilbert Crispin,

Abbot of Westminster The Abbot of Westminster was the head (abbot) of Westminster Abbey. The position of Abbot of Westminster was a significant role in English history, with the abbots overseeing Westminster Abbey from its early days as a Benedictine monastery throug ...

, formerly of Bec, and collated with three other lives by Milo Crispin. Abbey construction began in 1034 and continued through 1035. Further lands were added through 1040. Saint Herluin was a Norman knight who in about 1031 left the court of Gilbert, Count of Brionne, to devote himself to a life of religion: the '' commune'' of Le Bec Hellouin preserves his name. One hundred and thirty-six monks made their profession while Herluin was in charge. With the arrival of Lanfranc of Pavia, Bec became a focus of 11th century intellectual life. Lanfranc, who was already famous for his lectures at

Avranches Avranches (; ) is a commune in the Manche department, and the region of Normandy, northwestern France. It is a subprefecture of the department. The inhabitants are called ''Avranchinais''. History Middle Ages By the end of the Roman period, th ...

, came to teach as prior and master of the monastic school, but left in 1062, to become abbot of St. Stephen's Abbey,

Caen Caen (; ; ) is a Communes of France, commune inland from the northwestern coast of France. It is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Calvados (department), Calvados. The city proper has 105,512 inha ...

, and later

Archbishop of Canterbury The archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and a principal leader of the Church of England, the Primus inter pares, ceremonial head of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the bishop of the diocese of Canterbury. The first archbishop ...

. He was followed as abbot by Anselm, also later an Archbishop of Canterbury, as was the fifth abbot,

Theobald of Bec Theobald of Bec ( c. 1090 – 18 April 1161) was a Norman archbishop of Canterbury from 1139 to 1161. His exact birth date is unknown. Some time in the late 11th or early 12th century Theobald became a monk at the Abbey of Bec, r ...

. Many distinguished ecclesiastics, probably including the future

Pope Alexander II Pope Alexander II (1010/1015 – 21 April 1073), born Anselm of Baggio, was the head of the Roman Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 1061 to his death in 1073. Born in Milan, Anselm was deeply involved in the Pataria reform mo ...

and Saint

Ivo of Chartres Ivo of Chartres, canon regular, Can.Reg. (also Ives, Yves, or Yvo; ; 1040 – 23 December 1115), was a French canon regular and abbot who then served as the Bishop of Chartres from 1090 until his death. He was an important authority in Catholic c ...

, were educated in the school at Bec. The life of the founder (''Vita Herluini'') was written by Gilbert Crispin. Archbishop Lanfranc also wrote a ''Chronicon Beccense'' of the life of Herlui. Milo Crispin's biography of the first four abbots was published at Paris in 1648. The followers of

William the Conqueror William the Conqueror (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), sometimes called William the Bastard, was the first Norman king of England (as William I), reigning from 1066 until his death. A descendant of Rollo, he was D ...

supported the abbey, enriching it with extensive properties in

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

. Bec also owned and managed

St Neots Priory St Neots Priory was a Order of St. Benedict, Benedictine monastery beside the town of St Neots in the historic counties of England, historic county of Huntingdonshire, now a non-metropolitan district in the England, English county of Cambridgeshi ...

as well as a number of other British foundations, including Goldcliff Priory in

Monmouthshire Monmouthshire ( ; ) is a Principal areas of Wales, county in the South East Wales, south east of Wales. It borders Powys to the north; the English counties of Herefordshire and Gloucestershire to the north and east; the Severn Estuary to the s ...

founded in 1113 by Robert de Chandos. The village of Tooting Bec, now a London suburb, is so named because the abbey owned the land. Bec Abbey was the original burial place of the

Empress Matilda Empress Matilda (10 September 1167), also known as Empress Maud, was one of the claimants to the English throne during the civil war known as the Anarchy. The daughter and heir of Henry I, king of England and ruler of Normandy, she went to ...

, whose bones were later transferred to

Rouen Cathedral Rouen Cathedral () is a Catholic church architecture, church in Rouen, Normandy, France. It is the Episcopal see, see of the Archbishop of Rouen, Primate of Normandy. It is famous for its three towers, each in a different style. The cathedral, b ...

, where they remain. Bec Abbey was damaged during the Wars of Religion and left a ruin in the French Revolution but the 15th-century St. Nicholas Tower (') from the medieval monastery is still standing.

Second foundation

In 1948 the site was re-established as the ''Abbaye de Notre-Dame du Bec'' by Olivetan monks led by Dom Grammont, who effected some restorations. The abbey is known for its links with

Anglicanism Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...

and has been visited by successive archbishops of Canterbury. The abbey library contains the John Graham Bishop deposit of 5,000 works concerning Anglicanism. Today the Abbey is probably best known for the pottery the monks produce. Image:Abbaye du Bec église abbatiale.jpg, Abbey church Image:Aussenansicht der Abtei Le Bec.jpg, Residential building File:Abbaye_Notre-Dame_du_Bec_R04.jpg, Tour Saint-Nicolas Image:Abbaye du Bec tour S Nicolas closer2.jpg, Close-up of the Tour Saint-Nicolas Image:Abbaye du Bec-Hellouin - Le cloître.jpg, Cloister File:Sarcophages.jpg, Sarcophagi in the park of the abbey File:Moine de l'abbaye du Bec-Hellouni.jpg , Morning in the abbey grounds

List of abbots

The following is a list of the abbots: * 1034–1078: Herluin (or Hellouin) * 1078–1093: Anselm (afterwards

archbishop of Canterbury The archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and a principal leader of the Church of England, the Primus inter pares, ceremonial head of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the bishop of the diocese of Canterbury. The first archbishop ...

) * 1093–1124: Guillaume de Montfort-sur-Risle * 1124–1136:

Boson In particle physics, a boson ( ) is a subatomic particle whose spin quantum number has an integer value (0, 1, 2, ...). Bosons form one of the two fundamental classes of subatomic particle, the other being fermions, which have half odd-intege ...

* 1136–1138:

Theobald Theobald is a Germanic dithematic name, composed from the elements '' theod-'' "people" and ''bald'' "bold". The name arrived in England with the Normans. The name occurs in many spelling variations, including Theudebald, Diepold, Theobalt, Ty ...

(afterwards archbishop of Canterbury) * 1139–1149: Létard * 1149–1179: Roger de Bailleul (elected archbishop of Canterbury, but declined the position) * 1179–1187: Osbern * 1187–1194: Roger II * 1195–1197: Gauthier * 1197–1198: Hugues de Cauquainvilliers * 1198–1211: Guillaume Le Petit * 1211–1223: Richard de Saint-Léger ''alias'' de Bellevue (afterwards bishop of Évreux) * 1223–1247: Henri de Saint-Léger * 1247–1265: Robert de Clairbec * 1265–1272: Jean de Guineville * 1272–1281: Pierre de la Cambe Pierre de la Cambe * 1281–1304: Ymer de Saint-Ymer * 1304–1327: Gilbert de Saint-Étienne * 1327–1335: Geoffroy Faé (afterwards Bishop of Évreux) * 1335–1351: Jean des Granges * 1351–1361: Robert de Rotes ''alias'' Couraye * 1361–1388: Guillaume de Beuzeville ''alias'' Popeline * 1388–1391: Estout d'Estouteville * 1391–1399: Geoffroy Harenc * 1399–1418: Guillaume d'Auvillars * 1418–1430:

Robert Vallée Robert Vallée (5 October 1922 in Poitiers, France – 1 January 2017, Paris, France) was a French cyberneticist and mathematician. He was Professor at the Paris 13 University (University of Paris-Nord) and president of the World Organization o ...

* 1430–1446: Thomas Frique History of Bec Abbey
* 1446–1452: Jean de La Motte * 1452–1476: Geoffroy d'Épaignes * 1476–1484: Jean Boucard * 1484–1491: Robert d'Évreux * 1491–1515: Guillaume Guérin * 1515–1515:

Jean Ribault Jean Ribault (also spelled ''Ribaut'') (1520 – October 12, 1565) was a French naval officer, navigator, and a colonizer of what would become the southeastern United States. He was a major figure in the French attempts to colonize Florida. A ...

* 1515–1520: Adrien Gouffier de Boissy (created cardinal in 1515, also bishop of Coutances and the administrator of the see of Albi) * 1520–1533: Jean d'Orléans-Longueville (also

archbishop of Toulouse The Archdiocese of Toulouse (–Saint Bertrand de Comminges–Rieux) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory of the Catholic Church in France. The diocese comprises the Department of Haute-Garonne and its seat is Toulouse Cathedral. Archb ...

and bishop of Orléans, created cardinal in 1533) * 1534–1543: Jean Le Veneur (also

Bishop of Lisieux The Diocese of Lisieux was a Roman Catholic ecclesiastical territory in France, centered on Lisieux, in Calvados. The bishop of Lisieux was the Ordinary of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lisieux. The bishopric was suppressed during the French ...

) * 1544–1557: Jacques d'Annebaut (created cardinal in 1544, also Bishop of Lisieux) * 1558–1572: Louis de Lorraine (created cardinal in 1553, also successively bishop of Troyes,

archbishop of Sens The Archdiocese of Sens and Auxerre (Latin: ''Archidioecesis Senonensis et Antissiodorensis''; French language, French: ''Archidiocèse de Sens et Auxerre'') is a Latin Church, Latin archdiocese of the Catholic Church in France. The archdiocese co ...

and

bishop of Metz This is a list of bishops of the Roman Catholic diocese of Metz, which now lies in eastern France. To 500 * Clement of Metz (c. 280–300) * Celestius * Felix I * Patient * Victor I 344–346 * Victor II * Simeon * Sambace * Rufus of Metz * Ad ...

) * 1572–1591: Claude de Lorraine * 1591–1597: Emeric de Vic * 1597–1661: Dominique de Vic (also archbishop of Auch) * 1661–1664: ''vacant'' * 1664–1707: Jacques-Nicolas Colbert (also

archbishop of Rouen The Archdiocese of Rouen (Latin: ''Archidioecesis Rothomagensis''; French: ''Archidiocèse de Rouen'') is a Latin Church archdiocese of the Catholic Church in France. As one of the fifteen Archbishops of France, the Archbishop of Rouen's ecclesi ...

) * 1707–1717: Roger de La Rochefoucauld * 1717–1771: Louis de Bourbon-Condé * 1771–1782: ''vacant'' * 1782–1790: Yves-Alexandre de Marbeuf (also

bishop of Autun The Diocese of Autun (–Chalon-sur-Saône–Mâcon–Cluny) (Latin: ''Diocesis Aeduensis'', ''Dioecesis Augustodunensis (–Cabillonensis–Matisconensis–Cluniacensis)''; French: ''Diocèse d'Autun (–Chalon-sur-Saône–Mâcon–Cluny)''), m ...

, later

archbishop of Lyon The Archdiocese of Lyon (; ), formerly the Archdiocese of Lyon–Vienne–Embrun, is a Latin Church metropolis (religious jurisdiction), metropolitan archdiocese of the Catholic Church in France. The archbishops of Lyon are also called Primate o ...

) * 1790–1948: ''vacant'' * 1948–1986: * 1988–1990: Philippe Aubin * 1990–1996: Philibert Zobel * 1996–2020: Paul-Emmanuel Clénet

Notes

References

Citations

Bibliography

* Anonymous. ''Chronique du Bec et Chronique de François Carré'' (ed. A.-A. Porée). Rouen: Meétŕie, 1883. * Anonymous. ''De libertate Beccensis monasterii''. In Giles Constable (ed.) and Bernard S. Smith (trans.), ''Three Treatises from Bec on the Nature of Monastic Life''. Toronto: Univ. of Toronto Press, 2008. * Anselm. ''Sancti Anselmi Cantuariensis archiepiscopi Opera Omnia'' (ed. F.S. Schmitt). Stuttgart: Frommann, 1968. * Chibnall, Marjorie. ''The English Lands of the Abbey of Bec''. Oxford: OUP, 1968 946 * Crouch, David. ''The Beaumont Twins: The Roots and Branches of Power in the Twelfth Century''. Cambridge: CUP, 1986. * Gazeau, Véronique. "From Bec to Canterbury: Between Cloister and World, the Legacy of Anselm, a ''personne d’autorité''." In Giles E.M. Gasper and Ian Logan (edd.), ''Saint Anselm of Canterbury and His Legacy''. Toronto: Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies, 2012. * Milo Crispin, "Vita venerabilis Willelmi abbatis Beccensis tertii." In ''

Patrologia Latina The ''Patrologia Latina'' (Latin for ''The Latin Patrology'') is an enormous collection of the writings of the Church Fathers and other ecclesiastical writers published by Jacques Paul Migne between 1841 and 1855, with indices published betwe ...

'', vol. 150, coll. 713-724. *

Orderic Vitalis Orderic Vitalis (; 16 February 1075 – ) was an English chronicler and Benedictine monk who wrote one of the great contemporary chronicles of 11th- and 12th-century Normandy and Anglo-Norman England.Hollister ''Henry I'' p. 6 Working out of ...

, ''The Ecclesiastical History'' (ed. M. Chibnall). Oxford: OUP, 1969 (vols. 1-2) and 1975 (vols. 3-4). * Pohl, Benjamin and Laura Gathagan (edd.). ''A Companion to the Abbey of Le Bec in the Middle Ages''. Leiden: Brill, forthcoming. * Porée, Adolphe-André. ''Histoire de l’abbaye du Bec''. Évreux: Hérissey, 1901. * Vaughn, Salley. ''Anselm of Bec and Robert of Meulan: The Innocence of the Dove and the Wisdom of the Serpent''. Berkeley: Univ. Calif. Press, 1987. * .

External links

*
Abbaye de Notre-Dame du Bec: official website

Le Bec Hellouin: official website
*
gite site with details and photos
* {{Authority control Benedictine monasteries in France 1034 establishments in Europe 1030s establishments in France Buildings and structures in Eure Christian monasteries established in the 1030s Churches in Eure Monuments of the Centre des monuments nationaux