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The Botanical Garden creation
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In
1796, the department's central school created a
place for its practical classes. In 1799, the first plantations
turned this place into a garden. |
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The Botanical Garden during the XIXst century
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From
1800, two botanists, Jean Le Chevalier & René
Le Berriays, responsible for the variety of
pears called La Luise-Bonne, gathered over 800
species and approx. 2400 plants (exotic
flowers, fruit trees, medecinal plants).
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New
species were introduced in the garden: canellias,
the rose tree from China, the hydrangea,
the magnolia trees and the Malmaison managed
to import the first rhododendrons from the
island of Java.
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In
1842, the Archaelogy Society installed the Romanesque
portal of
Saint-Georges' chapel in Bouillé. |
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This garden became a place of inspiration for many
writers: in the 'Horla', Guy de Maupassant gives
his "shout of astonishment" there and the author
of the 'Hunchback', Paul Féval finds his
inspiration to write 'The fairy from the Grèves'
(sandbanks) in 1851. |
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The Botanical Garden during the XXst century
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The end of the 19C and the beginning of the 20C
see this garden transform itself into a real botanical
garden with the plantation of shrubs, lawns, flower
beds. In May 1944, the garden becomes a conservation
area. |
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But
during summer 1944, the garden suffered from the bombings
which occurred during the Liberation battles and therefore
saw the convent of the Capuhins disappear.
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In 1966, a new extension allowed the creation
of rock gardens and ponds but the Ursuline
cemetery was conserved.
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The 1987 storm caused damages and knocked down the
famous cedar from Lebanon and the sassafras
laurel.
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Nowadays the garden hosts a great number of remarkable
trees as well as bed of flowers issued from different
cultures. Every evening during the summer, a soft
music invites the visitors for a stroll and the
discovery of an unrivalled view on the Mont-Saint-Michel
bay. |
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