TheHôtel de Magny was built between 1696 and 1700 by Pierre Bullet, architect to Louis XIV, between the Jardin royal des plantes médicinales and the Abbey Saint-Victor. At one time the property of Foucault de Magny, whose name it bears, it passed into the hands of Count de Buffon in 1787, who enabled the future Jardin des Plantes to become a major scientific center. The oldest building in the garden still visible today, this masterpiece ofclassical architecture has been listed as a Monument Historique since 1993.
An example of aristocratic Parisian architecture from the end of the reign of Louis XIV, this private mansion is surrounded by a garden with a labyrinth, topped by Buffon's gloriette and a vast amphitheater built by architect Edmé Verniquet. From 1787 onwards, it housed the salons and offices of the Garden's intendants, before accommodating professors and meetings of their Assembly. Many great naturalists worked here, including Georges Cuvier, Étienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire and Jean-Baptiste de Lamarck.
Occupied since the second half of the 19th century by the administration of the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, between 2008 and 2017 the hotel also housed the Cabinet d'Histoire du Jardin des Plantes, five rooms retracing the history of the Muséum. But today, this heritage is in danger, weakened by the years, the building sinking into the ground, with a deteriorated facade. In partnership with the Fondation du Patrimoine, the Museum has launched an appeal for donations to begin restoration work.
A true landmark in the history of the natural sciences, the building needs 11.5 million euros for complete restoration, the vast majority of which will come from institutional funding. However, the Museum is hoping to raise a further million euros from private individuals and companies, who will receive incentives for their donations.
Location
Plant Garden
Place Valhubert
75005 Paris 5
Official website
www.fondation-patrimoine.org
