Photo : Alexander Baranov from Montpellier, France / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
Jardin des plantes de Montpellier
The Montpellier Jardin des Plantes was founded in 1593 by letters patent of Henry IV, under the direction of Pierre Richer de Belleval, professor of anatomy and botany. It is considered the oldest botanical garden in France. Inspired by the Padua garden, it itself served as a model for the Jardin des Plantes in Paris. Its mission was to have medicinal plants, the "simples", grown for the students of the medical faculty.
Its oldest part, the Montagne de Richer, still exists. The garden also keeps an orangery built in 1804, an arboretum of 1810, an English garden of 1859 and the large Martins greenhouse, opened in 1860.
On about four and a half hectares, it is a listed historic monument. It still fulfils a scientific function, attached to the University of Montpellier, while offering visitors a pleasant green setting in the heart of the city. Admission is free.
