A garden in essence
On July 1, the University of Montpellier celebrated three events in one during a special day organized at the Jardin des Plantes entitled "From Plants to Perfumes, Between Art and Science." The program included tours, workshops, and an exhibition presenting the Eau De Belleval perfume, the inauguration of the Orangery and its surroundings, and the official launch of the endowment fund for the renovation of the Intendance. A look back in pictures.
Litternature Workshop
Philippe Augé and Prefect Jacques Witkowzki attended a nature and literature workshop with fourth-grade students from Pouzols School. Led and designed by Fabio Perruchet, Elisabeth Holtzer, and Lou Oms from the scientific culture department, this workshop involved observing fragrant plants through a magnifying glass, in a herbarium, and in books. It was a way to raise awareness about the diversity of flowering plants and how they are classified.
Perfume creation workshop
Under the watchful eye of Isabelle Parrot, Vice President for Scientific Culture, students from Pouzols School were introduced to the world of perfumes during a second workshop led by a junior perfumer. The young apprentices learned how to describe fragrant ingredients and blend them together before leaving with their own perfume creations.
Distillation workshop
Fourth-grade students at Alain Savary School in Montpellier were introduced to the subtle art of distillation. The goal was to understand how to produce essential oil from plant-based raw materials. In this case, rosemary, orSalvia rosmarinus, the key ingredient in Eau de Belleval.
Exhibition in the Orangery
For its inauguration, the Orangerie was adorned with strange leaves... Those of the silkscreen works by artist Caroline Muheim (right in the photo), who presents Les hautes herbes (The Tall Grass) and Inventaires des urgences(Inventories of Emergencies), two series created during her residencies at UM.
Emergency inventory
Produced in 2019 and 2021, using vegetable-based inks, Tall grasses and Emergency inventory are inspired by edible and medicinal plants growing on campus. Borage, laurel, plantain, fennel, and wild leeks—these plants have also been catalogued with the help of the Art and Culture Department, in collaboration with Professors students from Serge Muller's botanical illustration workshop.
Belleval Water
UM has teamed up with perfumer Arthur Dupuy (left in the photo) to create a fragrance inspired by the signature essences of Montpellier's Jardin des Plantes. This echoes the very first perfumed water in history,Eau de la Reine de Hongrie, which Montpellier had a monopoly on marketing under Louis XIV. Named Eau de Belleval, this creation is a tribute to the famous founder of the Montpellier garden. For each perfume sold, three euros will be donated directly to the Jardin des Plantes endowment fund.
Launch of the Endowment Fund for Stewardship
On the occasion of the inauguration of the systematic school and the Orangery, Claude Cazes, president of the Foundation for the Jardin des Plantes, and Françoise Panthène, president of the fund supporting the restoration of the intendance, officially launched the start of the fundraising campaign.
Friendliness
On July 1, the day after health measures were lifted, guests were delighted to share a convivial moment over delicacies from Traiteur Grand for the first time in over a year.
