A Garden in Every Sense of the Word
On July 1, the University of Montpellier celebrated three events in one during a special day organized at the Jardin des Plantes and titled “From Plants to Fragrances: Between Art and Science.” The program included tours, workshops, and an exhibition to showcase the perfume Eau De Belleval, the inauguration of the Orangerie and its surrounding area, 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 joined the fourth-grade students from Pouzols School for a nature and literature workshop. Led and designed by Fabio Perruchet, Elisabeth Holtzer, and Lou Oms from the Science and Culture Department, the 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 their classification.
Perfume-Making Workshop
Under the watchful eye of Isabelle Parrot, Vice President for Scientific Culture, students at Pouzols School were introduced to the world of perfumes through 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 the Alain Savary School in Montpellier had the opportunity to learn about the subtle art of distillation. The goal: to understand how to produce an essential oil from a plant-based raw material. In this case, rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus), the key ingredient in Eau de Belleval.
Exhibition at the Orangerie
For its opening, the Orangerie was adorned with strange leaves… Those from the silkscreen prints by artist Caroline Muheim (on the right in the photo), who is presenting *Les hautes herbes* and *Inventaires des urgences*, two series created during her residencies atUM.
Emergency Inventory
Created in 2019 and 2021 using plant-based inks, Tall Grass and Emergency Checklist are inspired by the edible and medicinal plants growing on campus. Borage, laurel, plantain, fennel, and wild leeks—these plants were also the subject of a survey conducted with the support of the Art and Culture Department, in collaboration with the Professors students of Serge Muller’s botanical illustration workshop.
The Water of Belleval
UM partnered with perfumer Arthur Dupuy (on the left in the photo) to create a fragrance inspired by the signature scents of Montpellier’s Jardin des Plantes. This fragrance echoes the very first perfumed water in history,Eau de la Reine de Hongrie, for which Montpellier held the exclusive marketing rights under Louis XIV. Named Eau de Belleval, this creation pays homage to the famous founder of the Montpellier botanical garden. For every bottle sold, three euros will be donated directly to the Jardin des Plantes endowment fund.
Launch of the Endowment Fund for Logistics
At 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 to Support the Restoration of the Intendance, officially launched the fundraising campaign.
Friendliness
On July 1, the day after health restrictions were lifted, the guests were clearly delighted to share, for the first time in over a year, a convivial moment enjoying the delicacies from Traiteur Grand.
