Founders of Naturism – Honouring the Legacy

Before hashtags, federations, or websites, there were visionaries.
They stood for health, truth, and freedom—at a time when society demanded shame, silence, and submission.

Naturism did not emerge from convenience.
It was born from courage.

This page honours the pioneers who laid the foundations of modern naturism—
those who gave us more than a lifestyle.
They gave us a philosophy.

Their legacy lives through NaturismRE, and through every individual who chooses to live honestly, freely, and in harmony with nature.

🧔 Jean Baptiste Lucien Lecoq

France, 1896
Philosopher | Creator of l’Être intégral

Jean Baptiste Lucien Lecoq is considered the philosophical father of naturism.
In 1896, he published l’Être intégral (The Integral Being), which called for a return to natural living, authenticity, and holistic well-being. He believed in physical and spiritual nudity—truth in all forms.

He challenged the rising industrial world, the artificial constraints of society, and the deep-rooted shame around the body.

“To be whole, one must live whole—naked in spirit and body.”
— J.B.L. Lecoq

His work remains one of the earliest and most visionary foundations of the naturist philosophy.

🩺 Dr. Paul Carton

France, Early 1900s
Physician | Hygienist | Naturist Health Advocate

Dr. Carton helped mainstream naturism through health.
He promoted vegetarianism, sunlight therapy, fresh air, and nudity as essential elements of physical and moral purification. His teachings inspired clinics and health centres rooted in naturist principles.

Carton was less concerned with symbolism and more focused on practical naturism—the body as a temple, healed by nature itself.

“The body thrives in simplicity, light, and truth.”
— Dr. Paul Carton

He helped transform naturism from abstract philosophy into a daily lifestyle for wellness.

🏛️ Marcel Kienné de Mongeot

France, 1920s–1930s
Jurist | Public Advocate | Club Founder

Where Lecoq wrote and Carton healed, Mongeot legalised.

He founded France’s first recognised naturist club (Le Sparta Club) and publicly defended the right to nudity as a legitimate, health-based practice. He brought naturism into the courts, the press, and the public debate.

He is also credited with laying the foundation for organised naturist advocacy, later influencing the creation of federations in France and internationally.

“Naturism is not an escape—it is a return.”
— Marcel Kienné de Mongeot

His courage gave naturism a legal home—and opened the path for millions to follow.

🔁 Their Legacy Lives On

NaturismRE was founded not to reinvent naturism, but to restore it.
We honour the original principles laid down by Lecoq, Carton, and Mongeot:
truth, health, inclusion, and decentralisation.

The early naturist vision was never built on hierarchy or control.
It was rooted in decentralisation—where people, clubs, and communities supported one another as equals.
Ideas were shared, not owned.
Spaces were opened, not restricted.
The goal was to create a way of life where everyone could contribute, grow, and live honestly without fear or judgment.
It was about building a collective future, not defending a single institution.

Naturism, at its heart, is about trust, not territory.
Its founders envisioned a movement where new voices were welcomed, not questioned…
Where progress wasn’t permissioned by a central gatekeeper,
but led by those with the courage to step forward and act.
This spirit of mutual support and openness is what gave naturism its strength in the beginning—
and what NaturismRE is now committed to reviving.

Today’s landscape may have shifted away from those roots.
But the naturist ideal remains unchanged:
That we can live free, honest, and equal, in harmony with nature and one another.

And that ideal still belongs to all of us.

🌱 A Legacy Reignited🌱 A Legacy Reignited

It is no accident that the founder of NaturismRE, Vincent Marty, is also French.
Inspired by the clarity of Lecoq, the dedication of Carton, and the courage of de Mongeot—
Vincent’s mission is not to be celebrated, but to restore the values that once made naturism revolutionary.

He has engineered a movement designed to amplify the voices of nudists and naturists worldwide—
helping them, empowering them, and giving them tools to act.
And if the community wishes to support that vision, the Modriaty Clothing-Optional Resort Village will serve as the financial engine of the resurgence—
a project designed not for profit, but to generate sustainable funding to grow naturism on a global scale.

All of it—only if the community wants it.

A reminder that naturism was never meant to be controlled—
It was meant to belong to the people.

NaturismRE is not a reinvention.
It is a return.
A resurgence of what was nearly lost.

And this page is only the beginning.