Conference: “The Marbles of Occitania in the Decorations of Versailles”

Institute of Botany, auditorium -163, Rue Auguste Broussonnet, Montpellier.

—

The next event in the 2019 series “Thursday lectures” will be led by Suzanne Raynaud, senior lecturer at the University of Montpellier and researcher at the Geosciences Laboratory (CNRS – University of Montpellier).

Marble is a noble material that has been used since ancient times to build and decorate palaces and monuments. At Versailles, drawing inspiration from antiquity and mythology, Louis XIV used it profusely. He commissioned Colbert to explore the kingdom and the Mediterranean basin and to identify the wealth of marble stones and quarries.

Quarries in the south and the Pyrenees are identified and selected for the production of marble with exceptional colors, veining, and quality.

The 352 fireplaces in the kings' residence are all made of marble from Occitania. This is also the case for the furniture in the castle, particularly the marble adorning the dressers.

Suzanne Raynaud is co-author, with René Fabre, of the book Versailles et les marbres d’Occitanie (Versailles and the Marbles of Occitania) – Editions du Pounjadou.

This book reveals the incredible richness and harmony of the marble compositions created for Louis XIV, as well as the origin of the stone's colors and patterns.

“Thursday lectures”

The University of Montpellier, with its eight faculties, two schools, six institutes, and 78 research facilities, boasts a wealth of teachers andProfessors a wide variety of fields of study.
It wanted to highlight them and make them accessible to as many people as possible by offering a series of lectures.

Upcoming events:

• Thursday, April 18: Nanosatellites at the University of Montpellier.
• Thursday, May 23: A rediscovered treasure: the collection of scientific instruments at the University of Rennes (1840–1900).
• Thursday, June 27: Medical imaging and innovative teaching methods.