Parc Bargoin – Pavillon de Bellevue

In 1868, Jean-Baptiste Bargoin, a pharmacist in Clermont-Ferrand, bought the Bellevue estate from the Onslow family. Bargoin and Henri Lecoq made their fortune with the invention of “Gland doux”, a drink made from acorns, rye and chicory. On his death in 1885, Bargoin bequeathed the property to the Conseil Départemental(…)

In 1868, Jean-Baptiste Bargoin, a pharmacist in Clermont-Ferrand, bought the Bellevue estate from the Onslow family. Bargoin and Henri Lecoq made their fortune with the invention of “Gland doux”, a drink made from acorns, rye and chicory. On his death in 1885, Bargoin bequeathed the property to the Conseil Départemental du Puy-de-Dôme for use as a public park. He imposed drastic regulations, which are still in force today.

The Bargoin park opens onto the wider landscape. It is designed on the model of an English garden, where nature, deceptively wild, is reinvented by man. The winding paths vary the views and reveal picturesque elements: the chalet, the bandstand, the dovecote, the pond, the statues, the Semeuse (sculptor Jean Ossaye-Mombur) and the Faune. In the center, the Pavillon de Bellevue (18th century) was Bargoin’s country home. The tower of the two brothers, resembling a fake ruin, evokes the memory of his sons, Jocelyn and Edmond, who died young of phthisis. The park covers more than 7 hectares, with 800 trees of 60 different species, including hundred-year-old redwoods, cedars of Lebanon and Ginkgos Biloba.

Excerpt from the park’s outdated but protective regulations:
– Carts are prohibited.
– Luxury cars may enter the park, but parking is prohibited.
– Refreshment stands and cafés of all kinds are strictly forbidden, to ensure that the park doesn’t turn into a “guinguette”.
– Music is permitted in the park on weekdays and Sundays, but any kind of strolling music is strictly forbidden.