A new portal to reach the general public
On Monday, December 15, Montpellier celebrated its scientific and medical heritage by inaugurating the restored south gate of the Jardin des Plantes and presenting the first master plan for the heritage and collections of the University of Montpellier and its ForUM project. This event brought together numerous representatives of the State, local authorities, and the University of Montpellier around an exceptional heritage that has shaped the city's academic identity for more than eight centuries.
Founded in 1593, the Jardin des Plantes—the oldest botanical garden in France—has regained one of its major historic entrances. Long closed to the public, the south gate has undergone a complete heritage restoration, drawing on expertise in stone masonry, metalwork, and gilding. This new entrance opens up a new perspective on the garden, highlighting the exedra in particular, while offering redesigned accessibility that is integrated into the overall site development program.
This inauguration highlights the scale of the efforts undertaken in recent years to preserve and promote Montpellier's university heritage. The restoration work carried out at the Jardin des Plantes, the Institute of Botany, and the historic Faculty of Medicine building are evidence of a collective drive to transform these historic sites into living spaces, open to schoolchildren, university students, and the general public.
Master plan for heritage and collections
The press conference held prior to the event also provided an opportunity to present the first master plan for the historical heritage and collections of the University of Montpellier. This strategic document serves as a roadmap and sets out a bold ambition: to preserve, structure, and make accessible to as many people as possible a unique heritage comprising iconic buildings and remarkable scientific, medical, and documentary collections. In particular, it includes the ForUM project, a future heritage trail linking the Jardin des Plantes, the Institute of Botany, and the historic Faculty of Medicine building in the heart of the city.
From a place where people gathered and discussed public affairs in ancient Rome, the term "forum" has evolved in contemporary computer language to refer more specifically to a platform for exchange. These different meanings feed into the concept of ForUM as the University of Montpellier wants to promote it: a place at the crossroads, in the heart of the city, where debates are held and a diverse range of audiences come together.
More specifically, ForUM is a network for sharing and exchange that aims to link several iconic locations embodying the history of science within the UM and to extend its influence to all sites in the city. The result of a shared commitment between the University and its partners, ForUM is fully in line with the heritage master plan and opens up a dynamic that is set to continue with new stages of development and promotion. Ultimately, visitors will be able to explore interconnected museum spaces, discovering the rich heritage of science and medicine education in Montpellier, thereby amplifying the heritage and collection promotion projects already underway within the UFRs, schools, and institutes.
Memory of the world
But this real estate heritage is not the only thing Montpellier can be proud of. As the first faculty to structure medical education, it now holds the oldest and most comprehensive documentary collection on the university organization of this discipline in the West. Testifying to a remarkable continuity since the 12th century, these archives have survived the vicissitudes of history with almost all their integrity intact, unlike those of other European schools.
Faced with such a wealth of material preserved in various institutions, the Hérault department, the University of Montpellier, the City, and the Metropolis wished to continue their long-standing collaboration by submitting an application for inclusion in UNESCO's Memory of the World Register, ultimately supported by France. An international scientific committee was formed to demonstrate the abundance of high-quality publications on this documentary corpus, which brings together the charters and manuscripts preserved in the municipal archives of Montpellier, the Hérault department, and the university libraries of the UM. It brings together various types of documents produced in the Middle Ages, under the Ancien Régime, and during the revolutionary period (registers, cartularies, charters, plans, engravings and drawings, courses, and diplomas). In addition, there are 16,000 ancient works, manuscripts, and printed documents dating from the 8th to the 19th century.
Montpellier has submitted an application to UNESCO's Memory of the World Register for "The documentary collections of medical education in Montpellier from the 12th to the 19th century." The application is currently under review, with only two projects to be supported by France, and a decision expected in spring 2027.
