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Origin and history

The Jardin des Plantes de Rouen found its origins in a botanical garden founded in 1735 by doctors from Rouen, originally located in Faubourg Bouuvreuil and then transferred in 1756 to the entrance of the Dauphin course. This first space served as a meeting place for members of the Académie des sciences, beaux-lettres et arts de Rouen. In 1832, Rouen acquired the former Trianon estate, a private park created in the 17th century by Louis de Carel, to permanently install its botanical garden. The plans for the new development, designed by architect Désiré Lejeune, were approved in 1835, and the transfer of plants since the Dauphin course was completed in 1838.

The central greenhouse, built between 1839 and 1842, became the emblematic element of the garden. Built in cast iron and glass with hollow columns evacuating rainwater, it illustrates the neoclassical architecture of the era, decorated with ionic capitals and frieze. This greenhouse, listed as a historic monument in 1975, was restored in 1999. The garden then enriched with seven additional greenhouses (1883-1884), including a palmarium, and an orangery (1895-1896), while extensions were made between 1891 and 1894.

The site preserves traces of its aristocratic past, like the 17th century pavilion, built by Louis de Carel and used today for exhibitions. An 18th-century press, rebuilt in 1996, pays tribute to Charles-Victor Langlois, an archivist from Rouennais. The garden also houses remarkable plant collections, including 991 varieties of fuchsias (made by a mite) and a rose garden dedicated to Norman species. His history is also marked by scientific and festive events, such as the balloon climbs of Jean-Pierre and Sophie Blanchard in the early 19th century.

In the 20th century, the garden evolved into an educational and recreational vocation. A municipal horticulture school was established there in 1931 and closed in 1970. In 2004, he obtained the approval of the Jardins botaniques de France. Today, it combines the preservation of plant heritage, relaxation areas (manège, music kiosk, basin for naval modeling) and cultural activities, while remaining a botanical research place with its tropical greenhouses rebuilt in 2020.

The Jardin des Plantes thus embodies centuries of history, mixing aristocratic heritage, horticultural innovations and openness to the public. Its landscaping, combining geometric perspectives and specialized botanical zones, makes it a unique example of a mixed 19th century garden, both a place of knowledge and leisure for the Rouennais.

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