Do your part in stewardship
The University of Montpellier and the Jardin des Plantes Foundation are launching a major crowdfunding campaign to restore theiIntendance building located in the heart of the Jardin des Plantes. Individuals, students, shopkeepers, and residents of Montpellier—whether by birth, by choice, or just passing through—help make this building, whose history dates back to the 16th century, a new space for sharing knowledge and socializing in one of the city’s most beautiful locations!
Strolling through the forest school, admiring the succulents in the Martins Greenhouse, listening to the frogs croaking in the lotus pond, or reading in the shade of the cypress trees along the grand avenue in the company of a friendly cat… Montpellier residents of all ages are well acquainted with the simple pleasures this unique place has to offer: the Jardin des Plantes. Many people dream of one day being able to enjoy a coffee there, admire an exhibition, or attend a lecture. A dream that will soon become a reality thanks to everyone’s participation.
An endowment fund open to everyone
The University of Montpellier, which owns the property, and the Jardin des Plantes Corporate Foundation—which previously contributed to the restoration of the Orangery and the School of Systematics in 2017—are now launching an endowment fund for the renovation of the Intendance building. “The message we want to convey to the people of Montpellier is simple,” says Philippe Augé, president of the university. “We’re asking them to help us—to the best of their ability, of course—but to help us, because restoring the Jardin des Plantes means restoring a heritage that belongs to us all.” At the helm of this endowment fund, Françoise Panthène, a physician and former student at the University of Montpellier, outlines the needs: “ The goal is to encourage people to take ownership of this project, to be proud of playing a part in it, and to contribute their small part to a great project.”
This amount will thus be added to the significant contribution from the Jardin des Plantes Foundation, which already brings together 25 companies under the chairmanship of Claude Cazes, director of the accounting firm Cazes Goddyn and a member of the UM board of directors. “There are 25 of us companies, each committed to contributing 9,000 euros per year for five years. The cost of the Intendance project is higher, but we are counting on other sources of funding—the University, of course, the public sector, and citizens. Fromthe student who comes every day and might want to donate 5 or 10 euros, to households or business owners who are a bit better off and would like to see this beautiful building, closed for so long, reopen.”
A Spiral Story
A building that hasn’t always looked the way we know it today—apart from being in a state of disrepair. When the Jardin des Plantes was founded in 1593, its founder, the physician Richer de Belleval, built a house on the site of the current administration building, where he lived and which included an amphitheater and a small chapel. He stored a collection of natural history objects there and, out of curiosity, built a spiral labyrinth descending into the water table beneath the garden, where he cultivated plants found in the undergrowth. “This labyrinth is a relic that apparently disappeared at the end of the 18thcentury century,” says Thierry Lavabre-Bertrand, the current director of the Jardin des Plantes. “If, during the renovation work, we manage to rediscover and restore it, it will be something truly remarkable and unique in the world, reminding us of the history of botany and the glory days of this garden.”
The house built by Richer de Belleval stood until the Revolution, after which it was extensively rebuilt in the very early years ofthe 19th century, “though it appears to have incorporated the previous structure. This is the form we see today, ” the director continues. It remained the residence of the garden director until 1815, when it also became the seat of the rectorate. “ At the time, Augustin Pyramus de Candole held the dual role of garden director and rector, so he established the rector’s office within the Garden, and successive rectors found the premises to their liking.” "The administration thus left the purview of the Faculty of Medicine, to which it had been attached, to become the property of the Rector’s Office… until now. Indeed, it was on December 18 of last year that the Rector’s Office, the State, and the University of Montreal signed a new agreement formalizing its return to the university’s assets.
Toward a new chapter
This marks the beginning of a new chapter for the administration building. It will once again serve as the garden’s administrative headquarters, while also becoming a venue for education, the display of collections, and introducing the general public to the natural sciences and botany.“A second partnership agreement signed between the University and the Rector’s Office will make it possible to organize a series of educational events there, ” emphasizes Philippe Augé.
Everyone finally agrees on the need to make the Intendance“an open space.” “One that is participatory, with a cafeteria, and treated with the respect due to such a precious place,” says Françoise Panthène. “A gathering place integrated into the city’s cultural life so that its beauty shines even brighter,” says Claude Cazes. A unique place in the heart of Montpellier where, for each of us, it will always be a pleasure to read in the shade of the cypress trees, stroll through the paths, listen to the frogs, and talk to the cats… Before joining us at the Intendance.