Conference on "Occitan marble in the Versailles decor".

Institut de botanique, salle des actes -163, Rue Auguste Broussonnet, Montpellier.

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The next evening of the 2019 cycle "Thursday lectures will be led by Suzanne Raynaud, lecturer at the University of Montpellier, and researcher at the Geosciences laboratory (CNRS - University of Montpellier).

Marble is a noble material used since Antiquity to build and decorate palaces and monuments. At Versailles, Louis XIV used marble in profusion, drawing on ancient and mythological inspiration. He commissioned Colbert to prospect throughout the kingdom and the Mediterranean basin and survey the wealth of marble stones and quarries.

Quarries in the South of France and in the Pyrenees are identified and selected for the production of marble of exceptional color, veining and quality.

The 352 fireplaces in the royal residence are all made of marble from Occitanie. The same is true of the furniture in the château, particularly the marbles adorning the chests of drawers.

Suzanne Raynaud is co-author, with René Fabre, of the book "Versailles et les marbres d'Occitanie" - Editions du Pounjadou.

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

"Thursday lectures

The University of Montpellier, with its eight faculties, two schools, 6 institutes and 78 research facilities, is bursting at the seams with teachers and researchers in a wide variety of fields.
We wanted to highlight these and make them accessible to as many people as possible, by offering a series of conferences.

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.