Logo Musée du Patrimoine

All French heritage classified by regions, departments and cities

Plateau des Poets de Béziers dans l'Hérault

Patrimoine classé
Patrimoine urbain
Jardin
Hérault

Plateau des Poets de Béziers

    Allées Paul-Riquet
    34500 Béziers
Plateau des poètes de Béziers
Plateau des poètes de Béziers
Plateau des poètes de Béziers
Plateau des poètes de Béziers
Plateau des poètes de Béziers
Plateau des poètes de Béziers
Plateau des poètes de Béziers
Plateau des poètes de Béziers
Plateau des poètes de Béziers
Plateau des poètes de Béziers
Plateau des poètes de Béziers
Plateau des poètes de Béziers
Plateau des poètes de Béziers
Plateau des poètes de Béziers
Plateau des poètes de Béziers
Plateau des poètes de Béziers
Plateau des poètes de Béziers
Plateau des poètes de Béziers
Plateau des poètes de Béziers
Plateau des poètes de Béziers
Plateau des poètes de Béziers
Plateau des poètes de Béziers
Plateau des poètes de Béziers
Plateau des poètes de Béziers
Plateau des poètes de Béziers
Plateau des poètes de Béziers
Plateau des poètes de Béziers
Plateau des poètes de Béziers
Plateau des poètes de Béziers
Plateau des poètes de Béziers
Plateau des poètes de Béziers
Plateau des poètes de Béziers
Plateau des poètes de Béziers
Plateau des poètes de Béziers
Plateau des poètes de Béziers
Plateau des poètes de Béziers
Plateau des poètes de Béziers
Plateau des poètes de Béziers
Plateau des poètes de Béziers
Plateau des poètes de Béziers
Plateau des poètes de Béziers
Plateau des poètes de Béziers
Plateau des poètes de Béziers
Plateau des poètes de Béziers
Plateau des poètes de Béziers
Plateau des poètes de Béziers
Plateau des poètes de Béziers
Plateau des poètes de Béziers
Plateau des poètes de Béziers
Crédit photo : Fagairolles 34 - Sous licence Creative Commons

Timeline

Révolution/Empire
XIXe siècle
Époque contemporaine
1900
2000
1863
Start of work
23 juin 1867
Opening of the garden
1892
Titan Fountain
août 1902
Installation of busts
1925
Monument to the dead
10 janvier 1995
Historical Monument
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui

Heritage classified

Garden, with all the elements that make up it, comprising: the whole of the layout of the space with its plantations and the composition of aisles, the circulation of water with the large lake, the round basin of the plateau and other pieces of water, the decor with the rocks, the ironworks (grills, rambardes, and in particular the large wrought and gilded iron gate of the south entrance ), including in particular the false gills, bird cages, etc., the terracotta vases, an old Renaissance portal in use (former home of Maine in Béziers) and the carved works that it contains, namely: six busts of illustrious men said the poets (the monk Maffre Ermengaud, Jacques Azaïs, J.-P. Guillaume Viennet, Joseph Rosier, Gabriel Azaïs and Benjamin Fabre by Jean-Antoine Injalbert), as well as that of Victor Hugo signed Jean Magrou and that of Emile Barthe signed J.-G. Roustan; a bust in Hermès by Jean Laures dit Lou Campestre by Villeneuve, a marble statue L'Enfant au Poisson by Jean-Antoine Injalbert and its 17th century stone basin; the great monumental ensembles due to Jean-Antoine Injalbert: the fountain of the Titan (all of the composition built on two levels) , the monument to the dead and to victory (all of the layout built with its decoration, the eight stone vases and the two vases with figures carved by Jean-Antoine Injalbert, the two entrance pavilions, the steps and the stone base by the architects V. Laloux and A. Cassagne, the monument itself comprising two groups carved in stone on both sides of the statue of the Victory in bronze) (Box MR 18): classification by decree of 10 January 1995

Key figures

Denis Bühler - Landscape architect Co-creator of the garden with his brother.
Eugène Bühler - Landscape architect Also designed the Golden Head Park.
Jean-Antoine Injalbert - Dickry sculptor Author of the Titan Fountain.
Victor Laloux - Architect Designer of the monument to the dead.
Marcel Courbier - Sculptor Author of the monument to Jean Moulin.
Maffre Ermengaud - Poet troubadour Statue in the garden.

Origin and history

The plateau des Poètes is a landscaped garden designed at the end of the 19th century in Béziers, in the extension of the Paul Riquet alleys. Designed by architects Denis and Eugene Bühler on a steep plot of land, it spans five hectares and mixes exotic species, water bodies and winding trails. Inaugurated in 1867, it is fenced by wrought iron grids and symbolically connects the station, below, to the city centre.

The garden owes its name to the numerous statues of Poetry poets who have decorated since 1902, mainly carved by Jean-Antoine Injalbert. Among them are those of Maffre Ermengaud (TIII century troubadour), Jean-Pons-Guillaume Viennet (Academician), or Victor Hugo. The most emblematic work remains the Titan Fountain (1892), a 17-metre monumental sculpture depicting Atlas bearing the world, dominating a cave and springing waters. Injalbert also adds the fish to the child, a delicate basin in the centre of a pond.

In 1925, the monument to the dead of Béziers, designed by architects Victor Laloux and Antoine Cassagne with sculptures by Injalbert, was inaugurated at the lower entrance of the park, opposite the station. The garden also hosts a tribute to Jean Moulin (1951), a resistant born in Béziers, in the form of a sober statue in white limestone. Ranked a Historic Monument in 1995 and labeled "Remarkable Garden", the site now houses protected wildlife (birds, bats) and cultural spaces such as a green theatre.

The park is distinguished by its mix of art and nature: flower beds drawing the town's coat of arms, a basin populated by turtles and palmipedes, aviary with wigs, and children's playground. The alleys, punctuated by literary busts (Benjamin Fabre, Émile Barthe), invite you to a poetic and historical walk, between felibre heritage and memory of 20th century conflicts.

External links