Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Garden of the Prebends of Oé is a public garden created in 1872 in Tours by the Bühler brothers, specialists in English parks. Located on ancient marshy vegetable gardens whose income (prebends) was formerly paid to the provost of Oé, it includes a canalized stream, the Archbishop, and a central island planted with bald cypresses. This project, which was born after the 1870 war, was also aimed at employing unemployed workers following the economic crisis. The winding alleys, the grouped species (cedars, sequoias, lime trees) and the vast lawns make it a typical Bühler style space, mixing nature and art.

The garden, enriched with statues of tourangel writers (Ronsard, Meusnier de La Place, Racan) and two music kiosks, became a place of walk and concerts for families. It is part of the tendency of provincial cities to create parks inspired by the great Parisian works of the Second Empire. Eugène Bühler, landscape architect, supervised his evolution, introducing exotic plants such as ginkgo biloba or red oak from America. The labeled "Remarkable Garden", it still inspires artists and writers, such as Senghor, Celan or filmmaker Pierre Etaix.

The site, classified as Historical Monument in 2003, illustrates the heritage of the Bühler brothers and their landscape approach, combining social utility (post-war employment) and romantic aesthetics. Its layout also reflects the urban transformations of the 19th century, where green spaces become symbols of modernity and citizen welfare. The channeling of the creek and the creation of the central island, typical of their style, make it a model of a public garden integrated into the city.

In popular culture, the garden appears in literary and cinematographic works, such as the poem Jardin des Prébends by Senghor (1939) or the film Le Grand Amour by Pierre Etaix (1969). These references highlight its role as a place of memory and inspiration, anchored in the tourangelle history. Its maintenance and subsequent developments (statutes, factories) perpetuate this vocation, both recreational, artistic and heritage.

The garden is finally part of a wider dynamic of green spaces in Tours, foreshadowing projects such as the Bergeonnerie lake or the Honoré de Balzac park in the 20th century. These initiatives, led by mayors such as Jean Royer, aimed to "aerate" the city and provide accessible places of relaxation, marking a shift towards greener and more sustainable urbanization.

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