Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Bayeux Public Garden, located on Rue de Port-en-Bessin, was inaugurated in 1864 after a donation of land by Charlemagne Jean-Delamare (1772-1858). The latter, passionate about natural sciences and an influential member of the Linnean Society of Normandy, also offered 28,000 francs to create a garden for horticultural education. Although the initial botanical garden project had never been completed, the land was converted into a public park by landscape architect Eugene Bühler, covering 2.6 hectares.

The park has maintained its original appearance since its inception. In 2007, it was included in the inventory of historical monuments, including the park itself, the south access avenue and the two entrance pavilions. Among its curiosities, a weeping beech planted in the nineteenth century, classified as a natural monument in 1932, is distinguished by its innovative metal structure, renewed in 2001 to support its branches. This specimen, labeled "remarkable tree of France", could result from a graft between a common beech and a fake Verzy.

The garden houses about 400 trees, including rare species such as Sophora japonica or the giant Sequoia, many planted from the beginning. A bronze bust by Charlemagne Jean-Delamare, directed by Pierre Hottin in 1880, was melted under Vichy's regime. It was replaced by a stone version, the date of which remains unknown. The site, now classified, combines natural and historical heritage, reflecting the botanical and landscape heritage of the 19th century.

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