The heritage of the UM recounted by Thierry Lavabre-Bertrand
Due to the health crisis, the 37th edition of Heritage Days, which was scheduled to take place on September 19 and 20, has been canceled in all state buildings, including those of the University. To make up for this missed opportunity, Thierry Lavabre-Bertrand, Vice President in charge of Heritage, takes you on a virtual tour in this article.
" I love everything here," Thierry Lavabre-Bertrand replies simply when asked what he likes best about this historic medical building, which dates back more than six centuries. " See that wall [the one in the inner courtyard to the left of the Atrium]? It sums up the entire history of this fascinating place. " Indeed, a few remnants of medieval walls stand alongside the remains of the old cloister, where ancient ogival windows seem to open onto the scars of religious wars engraved in the stone.
While the Faculty of Medicine as an institution is celebrating its 800th anniversary this year, the historic building is a century younger. " It was built in the 14th century to house a Benedictine monastery. In 1536, it became the episcopal seat before being pillaged and ransacked during the Wars of Religion and abandoned for over a century. Renovated and enlarged under Louis XIV, the building began to take on the form we know today. The large vestibule, staircase, and ceremonial rooms, among other features, date from this period.
From the clergy to science
However, it took a revolution, and not just any revolution, to transform this place of worship into a medical school under the leadership of Jean-Antoine Chaptal in 1795. " This was the era of the Theatrum anatomicum, the prestigious library, and the auditorium built on the site of the former bishops' chapel. Of course, I spent my thesis there, as our students still do today," recalls the vice president, a former student of the Faculty of Medicine.
He also remembers the Dugès room from his studies, where the busts now on display in the main hall once stood. " It was a practical work room, but also the vestibule of the anatomy lecture hall. In the 19th century, it was decorated with large frescoes intended to encourage students to meditate while waiting for the class to begin. " Too damaged, the frescoes disappeared in the 1980s during the renovation of the room initiated by Dean Solassol. " At that time, the building was not yet listed [it would be in 2001], and we did not have the religious respect we have today for traces of the past. "
Medicine in winter, botany in summer
Let's now cross Boulevard Henri IV to get to the Jardin des Plantes, another key site in UM's heritage. Founded in 1593, during the reign of Henri IV, by Pierre Richer de Belleval, then director of the anatomy and botany department at the Faculty of Medicine, " the two were effectively linked. Anatomy in winter, because corpses were better preserved, and botany in summer, when the trees were in bloom. That said, Richer de Belleval didn't like anatomy and never practiced it, " jokes Thierry Lavabre-Bertrand.
The oldest botanical garden in France, it was first called the "King's Garden in Montpellier" (the Queen's Garden, which still exists today, is an extension of it) and served several purposes: " The medicinal garden was used to teach future doctors and apothecaries, the nursery allowed plants to acclimatize and multiply, and a natural history cabinet housed remarkable specimens," continues the vice president. It still serves an educational purpose today for students at the Faculty of Pharmacy. " The garden currently has more than 3,000 species on 4.5 hectares. Its maintenance and operation are handled by a team of ten gardeners working under the director, the head of cultivation, and the botanist."
Serre Martins, Orangery, Stewardship, and Hidden Maze
The garden is made up of several areas, starting with the Martins Greenhouse, named after the botanist who had it built in 1860. Renovated in 2011 with support from the Languedoc-Roussillon region, it now houses an impressive collection of succulents. The Orangery provides shelter for plants in winter. " Built in the early 19th century, it is very much in the style of the Versailles orangeries, but in a revolutionary, simpler and more harmonious version. There are no coats of arms or crests, only the signs of the zodiac on the pediment, referring to the cycle of the seasons," notes the heritage specialist. Its renovation, made possible by the support of a corporate foundation, was completed in 2018.
Now it is the turn of the Intendance building, which served as the Rectorate from 1815 to 1980, to be renovated. " We are eagerly awaiting this project, as it could reveal some remarkable archaeological remains." Chief among these is the mysterious labyrinth of Richer de Belleval, which would allow access to the water table beneath the Jardin des Plantes, where the famous botanist is said to have grown ferns and other shade- and moisture-loving plants.
A living museum of "drugs"
Closely linked to the Jardin des Plantes, the herbarium, located in the Faculty of Pharmacy, " is another iconic place in our history that bears witness to the city's long medical and pharmaceutical tradition." Established at the end of the 16th century, it houses the second largest collection after Paris, "with more than 10,000 samples of plant, mineral, and animal origin from around the world, whose ethnopharmacological value remains inestimable," says the vice president. A living museum of the history of "drugs" and medicines, " it continues to grow regularly thanks to donations and bequests and remains a very active center of education and research."
This concludes our tour with Thierry Lavabre-Bertrand through the treasures and anecdotes that make up the University's heritage. Its walls will be further enriched over the coming year before welcoming the public back for the next Heritage Days.