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  2. Patrimoine
  3. Occitanie
  4. Hérault
  5. 34000 Montpellier

  6. College of Scots of Montpellier

 College of Scots of Montpellier dans l'Hérault

Patrimoine classé
Patrimoine urbain
Collège
Hérault

College of Scots of Montpellier

    Impasse Berthe Rochas
    34000 Montpellier
Collège des Écossais de Montpellier
Collège des Écossais de Montpellier
Collège des Écossais de Montpellier
Crédit photo : Sapin88 - Sous licence Creative Commons

Timeline

XIXe siècle
Époque contemporaine
1900
2000
1924
College Foundation
1925
Reception of the first students
1928
Construction of the Hindu Pavilion
1940
Case of the Maguelone MRL
19 décembre 2013
Registration for Historic Monuments
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui

Heritage classified

"In total, the whole space of the plot with its terraces and gardens, as well as the facades and roofs of the buildings and, in total, the tower called "outlook tower" as well as the monument to Jeanne d'Arc (cad. AB 226): inscription by decree of 19 December 2013"

Key figures

Patrick Geddes - Botanist and urbanist, founder Creator of the college and its educational philosophy.
Edmond Leenhardt - Architect Manufacturer of buildings, including the Outlook Tower.
Jean Gaudin de Saint-Rémy - Regional Commissioner (1940) Organizer of youth activities at the college.
Charles Flahault - Botanist colleague of Geddes Link with Montpellier before the foundation.

Origin and history

The Scottish college in Montpellier was founded in 1924 by botanist and urban planner Patrick Geddes, with the help of architect Edmond Leenhardt. This study site, conceived as an international centre, aimed to bring together students and researchers from various disciplines and nationalities, in conjunction with the University of Montpellier. Geddes, pioneer of urban ecology, reproduced Edinburgh's Outlook Tower, a panoramic tower symbolizing its interdisciplinary approach, surrounded by educational gardens mixing botany, history and ecology.

The site, registered with the Historic Monuments in 2013, includes terraces, theme gardens (including a Fabre field for insect study), and a monument to Jeanne d'Arc. Geddes integrated in it the grounds inspired by Greek philosophers and preserved natural spaces, reflecting his environmentalist vision. During the occupation (1940), the college served as barracks for the Maguelone RMG and centralized regional youth activities under the aegis of Commissioner Jean Gaudin de Saint-Rémy.

The project was a continuation of the former Scottish colleges in Paris (founded in 1333) and Douai (1573), but with a modern and secular approach. Geddes, after failing in Paris, chose Montpellier for its academic dynamism and its links with scientific institutions such as the weather station of the Aigoual or the Musée de Préhistoire des Eyzies. Today, the site houses the academic delegation to the training of National Education staff.

The architecture of the Scottish Pavilion, surrounded by wild gardens and vegetable gardens, illustrates the ideal of Geddes: combining education, nature and urban planning. The tower, surmounted by a terrace offering a view of the Mediterranean at Pic Saint-Loup, embodies its philosophy of "geographical museum". The college was also a social laboratory, with youth projects and interdisciplinary exchanges, marking Montpellier's educational history.

The protected elements since 2013 include the entire plot (gardens, terraces, facades, roofs), the Outlook Tower, and the monument to Jeanne d'Arc. The site, owned by the state, bears witness to the legacy of Geddes, an activist for greener cities and shared spaces, as he had experienced in Edinburgh with collective gardens on loose grounds.

External links

Page Wikipedia
Page Monumentum