Written Heritage: Historical, Rare, and Valuable Collections

An exceptional scientific, cultural, and intellectual legacy 

The University of Montpellier boasts one of the oldest academic traditions in Europe. Its libraries today preserve a remarkable heritage that bears witness to the evolution of humanistic, medical, pharmaceutical, scientific, legal, and cultural knowledge. Medieval manuscripts, rare printed works, scholarly archives, botanical collections, legal collections, and engravings: each library sheds light on a facet of this rich intellectual history. 

Access and Services  

The heritage document collections may be consulted by appointment following a justified request and in strict compliance with the consultation rules. 

In addition to the catalog search, here is a selection of tools to help you prepare for a visit or access digitized documents remotely.  

• Foli@: Digital Library 
• Sudoc: National Catalog of Higher Education Libraries 
• Calames: National Catalog of Manuscripts 
• FranceArchive: National Archives Portal 

This encyclopedic collection covers medicine, literature, philosophy, religion, and travelogues. Among the major items are an8th-century Psalter, a*Bible historiale*, various versions of*The Romance of the Rose*, and*Albucasis’s Surgery*in Occitan. The archives preserve the autographs ofRabelais,Nostradamus,Magnol,Chaptal, and others.

In addition, there is theSchool of Agriculture collection, which is invaluable for the history of viticulture, and theJules Pavillard collection, devoted to botany and phytosociology. The library also holdspharmacy dissertationsdating back to 1803. 

BU Sciences: An Overview of the History of Science in Montpellier

Founded in 1809, the Faculty of Sciences inherited prestigious collections resulting from revolutionary confiscations, including those of theRoyal Society of Sciences. The Science Library’s special collections include journalspublishedbetween the 18th and 19th centuries, theses—the oldest of which dates back to 1842—as well asbooksdating from the 16th century onward covering all scientific disciplines. 

The botanical and zoological collections there are particularly extensive. The collection has grown thanks to numerous bequests (Dunal, Flahault, Jeanjean, etc.) and the incorporation of entire libraries, such as those ofthe Institute of Botanyand theSète Marine Biology Station. 

Richter Library: Law, Economics, and Intellectual Culture 

The Richter Library houses a diverse collection of specialized collections in law, economics, and the humanities. 

• Therare book collectionincludes more than500 volumesfrom the 16th–18th centuries, featuring major authors such asDomat,Beccaria, andPothier, as well as essential sources such as*Le Moniteur universel*. 
• TheAntonelli Collection, bequeathed by Professor Étienne Antonelli, comprises14,000 documentson law, economics, and the social sciences, as well as the archives of the economistsAuguste and Léon Walras. 
• Thecollection of the Academy of Sciences and Letterscomprises50,000 books and periodicalsdating from the 18th century to the present day. 
• TheGeddes Collectionreflects the ideas of biologist and urban plannerPatrick Geddes. 
• The"Vues d’optique" collectioncomprises86 18th-century engravings, which have been restored and digitized. 
• TheBarthélémy collection(religion, philosophy, literature) andthe Wehrmachtcollection(700 German books, 1829–1944) round out this unique collection.