Il "genius loci" cristiano. Note su Frédéric Debuyst

Abstract

En homenaje al recién fallecido monje benedictino Frédéric Debuyst, experto en arquitectura litúrgica, este artículo revisita su concepto de genius loci cristiano como equilibrio entre naturaleza y humanidad, entre nobleza y sencillez y entre familiaridad y misterio. Debuyst aprendió de Guardini y de Schwarz que la arquitectura debe desarrollarse desde su función litúrgica. Él promovió domus ecclesiae con las características de la sencillez, de la pequeñez y de la cercanía. Su visión sobre la arquitectura eclesial se realizaron en el monasterio de Clerlande, del cual fue fundador y prior, y que se hizo el compositio loci de su pensamiento.

In homage to the recently deceased expert on liturgical architecture Frédéric Debuyst, this article revisits his concept of a Christian genius loci as the balance between nature and humanity, simplicity and nobility, familiarity and mystery. Debuyst had learned from Guardini and Schwarz that architecture must grow forth out of its liturgical function. Simplicity, smallness and nearness define the types of domus ecclesiae that he envisioned and promoted. His views on liturgical architecture were realized in the Benedictine monastery of Clerlande, of which he was founder and prior, and which became the compositio loci of this thought.