Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The greenhouse garden of Auteuil originated in 1761, when Louis XV built a botanical garden with greenhouses near the Château du Coq in Auteuil. Sold in 1778 by Louis XVI, these lands were fragmented a century later. In 1855, the municipal florist garden was created in the district of La Muette, but its transfer to Auteuil was decided in 1894 because of its narrowness. The architect Jean-Camille Formigé, in charge of the project, designed between 1895 and 1898 a set of turquoise blue cast iron greenhouses, a fountain decorated with a bas-relief by Jules Dalou, and mascarons by Auguste Rodin, while exploiting the rugged terrain to create perspectives.

In 1898, the garden was inaugurated with five main greenhouses, including a palmarium divided into three distinct climatic spaces. The large greenhouse, a technical masterpiece, houses a tropical garden, palm grove and orange grove. The site becomes a horticultural production place for Parisian green spaces, hosting exceptional botanical collections (orchids, ferns, begonias). In 1968, the construction of the ring road reduced its area by one third, resulting in the relocation of the horticultural centre to Rungis. Despite these losses, the garden remains a place of exhibition and conservation, classified as a historical monument in 1998.

In the 21st century, the greenhouse garden of Auteuil became a heritage issue during the expansion projects of Roland-Garros. Between 2011 and 2020, polemics were held between the French Tennis Federation, the Paris City Hall and heritage associations, leading to the partial destruction of technical greenhouses in 2016. Despite these tensions, the site obtained the remarkable Garden label in 2021. Today, it houses nearly 5,000 plant species, remarkable trees such as a Ginkgo biloba, and works of art, while remaining a symbol of the horticultural and architectural heritage of Paris.

The greenhouses, organized around a French parterre, illustrate the 1900 style with their warhead structures and milled facades. The garden also includes thematic areas (Japanese garden, Mediterranean) and historical buildings such as orangery. The collections, among the richest in France, include tropical plants, ferns and bromeliaceae. The site, open to the public, reflects the evolution of botanical and landscape practices since the 19th century.

The history of the garden is also marked by cultural events, such as the Festival Les Solistes aux greenhouses d-Auteuil, transferred in 2012 to Bagatelle Park. The recent conflicts surrounding his amputation for Roland-Garros have revealed its heritage importance, emphasized by legal protections and citizen mobilizations. Ranked for its soil, greenhouses and works (Dalou Fontaine, Rodin mascarons), the garden embodies both horticultural know-how and a unique artistic heritage in Paris.

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