Construction period XVIIIe siècle (≈ 1850)
Creation of gardens and associated properties.
1er juin 2021
Registration of gardens
Registration of gardens 1er juin 2021 (≈ 2021)
Protection of vegetable gardens and Daubenton facades.
31 juillet 2024
Final classification
Final classification 31 juillet 2024 (≈ 2024)
Total ranking of Buffon vegetable gardens.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
The vegetable gardens of Buffon in total, the garden in total and the facades and roofs of the two houses of the old property of Daubenton, located rue Daubenton, avenue Clemenceau and place of 11 November, located on plots n°218 to 223, 225 to 229, appearing in the cadastre section AL, as delimited in red on the plan annexed to the decree: inscription by order of 1 June 2021; The vegetable gardens of Buffon, in total, located rue Daubenton, avenue Clémenceau and Place du 11-Novembre, on plots n° 218 to 223, 225 and 227 to 229, of the AL section of the cadastre, as coloured in red on the plan annexed to the decree: classification by order of 31 July 2024
Key figures
Buffon - Naturalist and owner
Linked to the castle and gardens.
Daubenton - Former owner
Proprietary owner of protected areas.
Origin and history
The vegetable gardens of Buffon and the former Daubenton property, located in Montbard in Burgundy-Franche-Comté, are remnants of the eighteenth century. These gardens, classified and listed as Historic Monuments, are intimately linked to the Buffon Castle, which is itself emblematic of the region. Their preservation reflects the importance attached to this botanical and architectural heritage, marked by major scientific figures of the time.
The property, located on Rue Daubenton, Clemenceau Avenue and Place du 11 novembre, comprises two houses whose facades and roofs are protected. All the vegetable gardens were registered by decree of 1 June 2021 and then classified on 31 July 2024, highlighting their exceptional heritage value. Their precise delimitation, mentioned in the decrees, includes cadastral plots n°218 to 223, 225 to 229 (section AL).
The official address, referenced in the Mérimée base, confirms their anchoring in the city centre of Montbard (Côte d'Or). Although GPS location is considered "passable" (note 5/10), gardens remain a place of interest for their connection to the history of natural sciences and landscape development of the Enlightenment century. However, their openness to the public or their current use (visits, rentals) is not specified in the available sources.
The historical context of Montbard in the 18th century was marked by its role in intellectual exchanges, thanks in particular to personalities such as Buffon, whose neighbouring castle housed research into natural history. The vegetable gardens, designed for both utility and experimentation, reflect this duality between practical knowledge and scientific innovation, characteristic of the scholarly properties of the era.
The successive protections (2021 and 2024) illustrate a contemporary desire to safeguard this heritage, while highlighting its association with the castle of Buffon. This complementarity between the two sites reinforces their cultural and tourist attraction, in a region rich in Enlightenment heritages.
Finally, the lack of details on how to visit the sources consulted (Monumentum, internal data) leaves open the question of their accessibility. Their value lies in their authenticity, preserved by recent decrees, and their inscription in a wider heritage network, including the castle and the memory of Buffon.
