Lecture: “Marbles from Occitanie in the Decorations of Versailles”

Institute of Botany, Lecture Hall – 163 Auguste Broussonnet Street, Montpellier.

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The next event in the 2019 series “Thursday Lectures” will be led by Suzanne Raynaud, associate professor at the University of Montpellier and researcher at the Géosciences 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 extensively. He commissioned Colbert to explore the kingdom and the Mediterranean basin and to catalog the region’s marble deposits 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 Occitanie. The same is true of the furniture in the castle, particularly the marble inlays on the dressers.

Suzanne Raynaud is the co-author, with René Fabre, of the book “Versailles and the Marbles of Occitania” – published by 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 centers, is home to a wealth of faculty members andProfessors in a wide variety of fields of study.
The university sought to highlight these experts 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 University of Rennes’ Collection of Scientific Instruments (1840–1900).
• Thursday, June 27: Medical Imaging and Innovative Teaching Methods.