Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Parc des Sources, located in Vichy in the thermal district, was created in 1812 by Napoleon I on an ancient swamp. Turned into a six-hectare wooded area, it becomes a place for walking and social life, typical of 19th-century thermal cities. Under Napoleon III, the park was enriched with kiosks, an enlarged casino and shops, reflecting the rise of thermalism and extra-thermal activities.

In 1901-1903, the park included Art Nouveau-style covered galleries designed by Ferronier Émile Robert from the Universal Exhibition of 1889. These galleries connect thermal equipment (sources, casino, thermal establishment) and protect curists from the weather. The lobby of the Sources, inaugurated in 1903, and the music kiosk (1920) complete this ensemble, classified as a historical monument in 1994.

The park, owned by the State since 1523, was transferred to the city of Vichy in 2021 for 25 million euros, marking the beginning of a major renovation (2023-2026). Joined the UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2021 as part of Europe's Great Water Cities, it combines thermal heritage, Art Nouveau architecture and green spaces, while revealing Roman and medieval archaeological remains during preventive excavations.

The renovation works, budgeted at €32 million (revised downwards), include pedestrianisation of roads, restoration of covered galleries, creation of fountains symbolizing the eleven European thermal cities, and the replacement of 185 sick trees. Despite environmental controversies (slaughter, artificialization), the project aims to restore the park's chandelier to its original design, with an inauguration scheduled for 21 June 2025.

The park houses emblematic elements such as the Water Nymph (1865), sculpture by Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse, or the source of the Hospital, surrounded by a wrought iron pavilion. The archaeological excavations of 2021-2023 revealed traces of an ancient Allier arm (20 000-30 000 years), Roman remains (I-III century), and foundations of the former civil hospital (XVIII century), reflecting a multi-sacular occupation of the site.

Culturally, the park inspires artists like David Hockney, who painted a work exhibited at the Pompidou Centre in 2017. It also hosts events such as the Napoleon III Festival (since 2008) or the Thursdays of Vichy (since 2002), and serves as a setting for films such as Laval, the collaborator (2020). Its tourist office, renovated in 2023, highlights its central role in the attractiveness of the city.

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