Montbard

With a rich architectural and historical heritage in a green and hilly environment, Montbard is a former strategic stronghold of the Dukes of Burgundy. During the Age of Enlightenment, the destinies of its two most famous natives crossed, the great naturalist and encyclopaedist Buffon, steward of the 'jardin du Roy' in Paris - the present Jardin des Plantes - and his collaborator Daubenton, the father of comparative anatomy and the first director of the National Museum of Natural History. They left behind a major scientific work of great contemporaneity, the Histoire naturelle, générale et particulière in 36 volumes. This work paved the way for modern natural sciences and left a deep impression on people’s minds.
On the remains of the ducal castle overlooking the town centre, Buffon laid out an experimental botanical garden on terraces and built a series of buildings that today make up the Buffon Museum and Park. The Tour de l’Aubespin - the highest tower terrace in Burgundy - is, along with the Tour Saint-Louis, the underground rooms and the ramparts, the most visible remains of the old fortress. Buffon’s study is the historic heart of the gardens. The walls covered with watercolour prints by François-Nicolas Martinet illustrating the Histoire naturelle des oiseaux, the marble fireplace and the portrait of Newton, recreate the special atmosphere of this place full of history.
Classified as a Historic Monument and labelled as a 'House of Illustrious People', the museum also offers a journey through the history of science, from the cabinets of curiosities to the first Museums, and endeavours to highlight the scientific and intellectual heritage of Buffon and Daubenton.
Montbard is also a land of industrial know-how. From the medieval forges of the Cistercian abbey of Fontenay, World Heritage, and Buffon’s Great Forge to the creation of the Metal Valley in 2008, industrial history has flourished over the centuries. It is a cutting-edge, 'haute couture' metallurgical industry which, from Montbard, exports its seamless stainless steel tubes or expanded metal all over the world.
From the ducal and monastic history to the naturalist and industrial history and the installation of contemporary sculptures in situ, it is a history in motion that is being written.

Laurence Porte
Mayor of Montbard
Vice-President of the Côte-d’Or Departmental Council
www.musee-parc-buffon.fr