Jardin des Prébendes d'Oé, Tours

The garden of Prébendes d'Oé is a public garden, located in the heart of Tours, created in 1872 by the Bühler brothers. Located between the rue des Prébendes, the rue Roger Salengro, the rue Lakanal and the rue du Boisdenier, it is an English garden that offers a beautiful diversity of trees and flowers, with two bandstands and statues of Touraine writers such as Pierre de Ronsard, Jean-Baptiste Marie Meusnier de La Place and Honorat de Bueil de Racan.

The garden was created on a marshy site where there were vegetable gardens whose revenues - the prebends - were paid to the provost of Oé under the Ancien Régime. It was crossed by the archbishop's stream, which was canalized by the city. Following the example of the major works programs undertaken during the Second Empire in Paris, the provincial cities gradually acquired landscaped parks in the English style. The public gardens were a privileged place for city families to stroll, a recreational space for children where adults could meet on the occasion of concerts given in the kiosk by municipal or military bands.

It is in this spirit that a 10 year old project was adopted in Tours, after the war of 1870. The realization of the garden was undertaken from 1872 to 1874 in order to employ the many workers who were unemployed as a result of the economic crisis due to the war. The creation of the park was entrusted to Eugène Bühler.

In keeping with the Bühler style, the park consists of large winding paths, one of which always runs around the garden. The trees are grouped by species, cedars, plane trees, giant redwoods and lindens, which form a semblance of woodland contrasting with the vast lawns. Bald cypresses adorn the central island.

It has been awarded the "Remarkable Garden" label.