Bernard Forest de Bélidor
Bernard Forest de Bélidor (1698, Catalonia, Spain – 8 September 1761, Paris, France) was a French engineer, significant to the development of the science of hydraulics and ballistics. He was the son of Jean Baptiste Foret de Belidor, an officer of dragoons, and his wife, Marie Héber but was orphaned at five months old and brought up by the family of his godfather, an artillery officer named de Fossiébourg. Bélidor enlisted in the army at a young age.
Also recorded as Bernard Forest de Belidor
Bernard Forest de Bélidor
Bernard Forest de Bélidor · Public domain
- Born
- 1698.
- Died
- 1761.
- Nationality
- France and Crown of Aragon.
- Occupation
- engineer, mathematician, military engineer, hydraulic engineer, architect and military personnel.
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Documentary summary
Bernard Forest de Bélidor (1698, Catalonia, Spain – 8 September 1761, Paris, France) was a French engineer, significant to the development of the science of hydraulics and ballistics. He was the son of Jean Baptiste Foret de Belidor, an officer of dragoons, and his wife, Marie Héber but was orphaned at five months old and brought up by the family of his godfather, an artillery officer named de Fossiébourg. Bélidor enlisted in the army at a young age.
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Works
After leaving the army, he developed an interest in science and engineering, and became professor at the school of artillery of La Fère in Aisne. For a while he worked on measuring the arc of the earth. In the years to come he published several works of great importance, on a wide range of subjects, including hydraulics, mathematics, and civil and military engineering. His most famous book is L'architecture hydraulique (published in four volumes from 1737 to 1753). Here, integral calculus is used for the first time in solving technical problems. Bélidor was the teacher of Peter the Great's Ethiopian favourite, Abram Petrovich Gannibal. In November 1726, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society. He married the daughter or granddaughter of de Fossiébourg.
Nouveau cours de mathématiques, 1725 (first use of the term sinusoid) La science des ingénieurs dans la conduite des travaux de fortification et d'architecture civile, 1729 Le bombardier français, ou, nouvelle méthode pour jeter des bombes avec précision. Tables, 1731 L'architecture hydraulique, ou l'art de conduire, d'élever et de ménager les eaux pour les différents besoins de la vie, (1737-1753) Dictionnaire portatif de l'ingénieur, 1758
Architecture hydraulique, ou L'art de conduire, d'elever et de menager les eaux pour les différens besoins de la vie. par Bernard Forest de Bélidor Volume I, 1737. Collection Bibliothèque de l'Université Laval.
Cephas
Architecture hydaulique - Seconde partie, tome second - Frontispice
Rigaud · Architecture hydraulique - Seconde partie, tome second (1753)
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1698
Bernard Forest de Bélidor born at Principality of Catalonia.
1761
Bernard Forest de Bélidor died at Paris.
Primary material
Documents and archives
reference work
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q767329: Bernard Forest de Bélidor
Reputable secondary · Wikimedia Foundation
- “Bernard Forest de Bélidor”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
scholarly publication
- Préface à la traduction allemande de l’Architecture hydraulique de Bernard Forest de Bélidor, Artefact, 2025
Scholarly · Crossref registry · 2025
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scholarly publication
Préface à la traduction allemande de l’Architecture hydraulique de Bernard Forest de Bélidor, Artefact, 2025Crossref registry
Institutional witnessauthority file
VIAF cluster 36914355 for Bernard Forest de Bélidor, aggregating national library name authorities.OCLC
Secondary witnessreference work
Wikidata, structured authority record Q767329: Bernard Forest de BélidorWikimedia Foundation
Secondary witnessreference work
Secondary witness
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.
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