Pierre Richer de Belleval
Encyclopedia
Pierre Richer de Belleval (1564 – November 17, 1632), was a French botanist. He is considered the father of scientific botany.
Richer de Belleval was born in Châlons-en-Champagne
. His father was N. Richer or Richier. He first went to Montpellier to study medicine in 1584, but ended up receiving his MD from Avignon
in 1587. In 1587, immediately after completing his M.D., Belleval married the daughter of a deceased seigneur de Prades (who had enriched himself by trade and purchased the estate) near Montpellier. There was a considerable dowry, and it is clear that this personal estate helped to support Belleval throughout his life.
Between 1587 and 1593 he practiced medicine in Avignon (and possibly Comtat) and then in Pezenas. His services towards the people of Pezenas during an epidemic disorder, brought him under the protection of the governor of Languedoc, Henri de Montmorency. Then, Henry IV of France
appointed Belleval as his personal physician (although he remained in Montpellier and was not at the court). Belleval also served as a personal physician of Louis XIII of France
. There are documented financial favors that he received from Henry.
In 1593 he was appointed to the new royal chair of anatomy and botanical studies of Montpellier. Two years later, in 1595, he received his doctorate in medicine in Montpellier. In 1593 Henry IV of France
asked him to create a botanical garden in Montpellier following the model of the gardens created in Padoua in 1545. Belleval devoted all of his time and money to the Jardin des plantes de Montpellier
, which was the first botanical garden in France. The garden contained the King's Garden (medicinal plants), the Queen's Garden (mountain plants from Languedoc
and elsewhere) and the King's Square (plants of purely botanical interest). The goal was to have a garden for conducting experiments related to both medicine and agriculture. Unfortunately, a civil war and a siege of the city destroyed the garden in 1622 and Pierre Richer de Belleval had to recreate the garden from scratch and continued working on this until his death at Montpellier
. His nephew accomplished the re-establishment of the garden on a more extensive scale.
Richer de Belleval published a catalog of the garden in 1598 and a French treatise in 1605, recommending an inquiry into the native plants of Languedoc. This last was accompanied by five plates, intended as a specimen of a future work, for which he subsequently prepared a number of engravings, rude and stiff in execution but exhibiting many rare species. He did not live to publish these and the plates remained neglected in the bands of his family. The plates were finally published much later, in 1796 after Gillibert obtained the plates. The pamphlets were republished in 1785 by Broussonet.
The genus Bellevalia
Lapeyr., in the family Asparagaceae
, is named in honour of him.
Richer de Belleval was born in Châlons-en-Champagne
Châlons-en-Champagne
Châlons-en-Champagne is a city in France. It is the capital of both the department of Marne and the region of Champagne-Ardenne, despite being only a quarter the size of the city of Reims....
. His father was N. Richer or Richier. He first went to Montpellier to study medicine in 1584, but ended up receiving his MD from Avignon
Avignon
Avignon is a French commune in southeastern France in the départment of the Vaucluse bordered by the left bank of the Rhône river. Of the 94,787 inhabitants of the city on 1 January 2010, 12 000 live in the ancient town centre surrounded by its medieval ramparts.Often referred to as the...
in 1587. In 1587, immediately after completing his M.D., Belleval married the daughter of a deceased seigneur de Prades (who had enriched himself by trade and purchased the estate) near Montpellier. There was a considerable dowry, and it is clear that this personal estate helped to support Belleval throughout his life.
Between 1587 and 1593 he practiced medicine in Avignon (and possibly Comtat) and then in Pezenas. His services towards the people of Pezenas during an epidemic disorder, brought him under the protection of the governor of Languedoc, Henri de Montmorency. Then, Henry IV of France
Henry IV of France
Henry IV , Henri-Quatre, was King of France from 1589 to 1610 and King of Navarre from 1572 to 1610. He was the first monarch of the Bourbon branch of the Capetian dynasty in France....
appointed Belleval as his personal physician (although he remained in Montpellier and was not at the court). Belleval also served as a personal physician of Louis XIII of France
Louis XIII of France
Louis XIII was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and of Navarre from 1610 to 1643.Louis was only eight years old when he succeeded his father. His mother, Marie de Medici, acted as regent during Louis' minority...
. There are documented financial favors that he received from Henry.
In 1593 he was appointed to the new royal chair of anatomy and botanical studies of Montpellier. Two years later, in 1595, he received his doctorate in medicine in Montpellier. In 1593 Henry IV of France
Henry IV of France
Henry IV , Henri-Quatre, was King of France from 1589 to 1610 and King of Navarre from 1572 to 1610. He was the first monarch of the Bourbon branch of the Capetian dynasty in France....
asked him to create a botanical garden in Montpellier following the model of the gardens created in Padoua in 1545. Belleval devoted all of his time and money to the Jardin des plantes de Montpellier
Jardin des plantes de Montpellier
The Jardin des plantes de Montpellier is a historic botanical garden and arboretum located on Boulevard Henri IV, Montpellier, Hérault, Languedoc-Roussillon, France...
, which was the first botanical garden in France. The garden contained the King's Garden (medicinal plants), the Queen's Garden (mountain plants from Languedoc
Languedoc
Languedoc is a former province of France, now continued in the modern-day régions of Languedoc-Roussillon and Midi-Pyrénées in the south of France, and whose capital city was Toulouse, now in Midi-Pyrénées. It had an area of approximately 42,700 km² .-Geographical Extent:The traditional...
and elsewhere) and the King's Square (plants of purely botanical interest). The goal was to have a garden for conducting experiments related to both medicine and agriculture. Unfortunately, a civil war and a siege of the city destroyed the garden in 1622 and Pierre Richer de Belleval had to recreate the garden from scratch and continued working on this until his death at Montpellier
Montpellier
-Neighbourhoods:Since 2001, Montpellier has been divided into seven official neighbourhoods, themselves divided into sub-neighbourhoods. Each of them possesses a neighbourhood council....
. His nephew accomplished the re-establishment of the garden on a more extensive scale.
Richer de Belleval published a catalog of the garden in 1598 and a French treatise in 1605, recommending an inquiry into the native plants of Languedoc. This last was accompanied by five plates, intended as a specimen of a future work, for which he subsequently prepared a number of engravings, rude and stiff in execution but exhibiting many rare species. He did not live to publish these and the plates remained neglected in the bands of his family. The plates were finally published much later, in 1796 after Gillibert obtained the plates. The pamphlets were republished in 1785 by Broussonet.
The genus Bellevalia
Bellevalia
Bellevalia is a genus of plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae....
Lapeyr., in the family Asparagaceae
Asparagaceae
Asparagaceae is the botanical name of a family of flowering plants, placed in the order Asparagales of the monocots.In earlier classification systems, the species involved were often treated as belonging to the family Liliaceae...
, is named in honour of him.