“Child, I made the 400 blows here! “, smiles a resident, evoking her childhood memories, in the garden of the house of the Domain of Meric, in Montpellier (Hérault). This prestigious 19th century farmhouse, abandoned for years, plagued by bad weather, is now closed to walkers. However, it is not a residence like the others: it was the summer residence of the family of the Montpellier painter Frédéric Bazille, precursor of Impressionism.
The artist has also represented this house many times in these paintings. It is here, in particular, in the shade of a chestnut tree which has not moved since the realization of his work, between 1867 and 1868, that he immortalized his Family meeting. Even more astonishing, in this house on the banks of the Lez, on the second floor, there are still the inscriptions of the artist’s mother, who measured year after year, the whole family, on the frame of a door. This house, Michaël Delafosse (PS), the mayor and president of the metropolis of Montpellier, wants to offer it the rehabilitation it deserves.
The “Villa Bazille”
His predecessor, Philippe Saurel (various left), had announced, in 2019, its restoration. He had mentioned the possibility of setting up a small museum there, a residence to accommodate representatives of the twin cities, or various cultural events. His successor, he, after having for a time proposed to set up a museum there in Bazille, now wishes to make it an artists’ residence. “At the end of the mandate entrusted to me” (2026), this house will become “the Villa Bazille”, confides Michaël Delafosse.
“Artists will carry out production work here, and their work will be presented to Montpellier residents. A museum would have represented higher costs. There will be other ways to promote the works of Frédéric Bazille. The best tribute that can be paid to this young painter is to have other artists work in this place. The challenge for Montpellier is to be a city of hospitality, for artists. »
This prestigious place will also be reopened to walkers, whereas today it is the only place kept under lock and key in the Domaine de Méric, a site particularly prized by Montpellier residents. The rehabilitation of the building will cost 4.5 million euros, explains the mayor. “There are major heritage works, notes the elected official. My great anger is that inertia makes it cost more. Things should have been started sooner. It is a building that has stood the test of time. Today it is leaking. »