Talk:Jardin des plantes

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This came out in Mental Floss and might be a good addition about the history of the place. "Pasha Mehmed Ali, the Ottoman Viceroy of Egypt, was eager to develop a working relationship with King Charles X of France in 1824. He decided that an exotic animal might be the perfect gift, so a giraffe calf was painstakingly transferred via a series of boats to Marseilles. From Marseilles, she walked to Paris, wearing a coat and specially-made boots to protect her from the elements. (A coterie of keepers walked beside her, every step of the 550-mile trek.) When the entourage arrived in Paris, citizens lined the streets, as they had never seen such a creature before. The king was suitably impressed with his gift and ordered a special home, the Jardin des Plantes, to be built for her." -Mental Floss Karen (talk) 18:12, 5 December 2007 (UTC)

The article says "The Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle is situated within the garden." The "garden" (Jardin des Plantes de Paris) is, however, now just one of permanent expositions managed by the museum, which was founded by reorganizing the "Jardin" in 1793.

The "galeries" of evolution, mineralogy & geology, and paleontology, and the zoo situated in the garden are also expositions of the museum, and make up, with the garden, the "historical heart" of the museum. But the museum has other sites in and out of Paris over France (Guide map of the museum sites).

Toby (YebisYa) IQUEPPE 18:20, 2004 Nov 19 (UTC)

History
Several sources confirm that although the government decree establishing the garden was issued in Jan 1626, land wasn't acquired and hence planting begun until 1635 (see e.g. Hyams & MacQuitty, 1969, p.82; reference at Botanical garden: References). The French language official web site says "la création fut décidée en 1626", i.e. the creation was decided in 1626. I've edited the page to reflect this. Peter coxhead (talk) 15:47, 14 November 2009 (UTC)