Published on September 23, 2023 at 12:06 p.m.
Four years of work are finally bearing fruit. The association of Murs à Pêches de Montreuil, associated with that of the Friends of the Vegetable Garden of Versailles, obtained this summer to have the art of espalier recognized as intangible cultural heritage in France.
This first step in the recognition of this fruit growing technique, which in its time brought glory to the city of Montreuil (Seine-Saint-Denis), is a prerequisite for possible recognition by UNESCO.
Peaches at the King’s Court
The espalier technique, literally, corresponds to the cultivation of fruit trees along the walls of a garden. The town of Montreuil had made it its specialty since the 17th century, thanks to its well-known “Murs à Pêches”. At their peak in 1870, these covered 600 linear kilometers over approximately 320 hectares, or more than a third of the city, and produced 17 million fruits per year.
The principle: the walls, covered with plaster, accumulate and retain the heat of the sun, which is redistributed to the peach tree branches fixed to the walls by nails and pieces of fabric.
In this way, peaches, rather compatible with the climate of the south of France, managed to grow near Paris with strong taste qualities. The Montreuil arborists had managed to quickly impose their peaches at the Court of the King of France, then at the Court of England and even the Tsar of Russia.
A technique fallen into oblivion
But at the end of the 19th century, Montreuillois culture entered into decline, competing with fishing from the south of France, cheaper, earlier and more quickly delivered to Paris thanks to the railway. The gradual urbanization of the Paris suburbs has accelerated the process and only 17 kilometers of peach walls are still standing in Montreuil.
However, several enthusiasts and garden owners have been trying for several years to revive this ancestral art. At the end of 2019, three gardens in the peach walls of Montreuil were labeled “Remarkable Garden” by the Ministry of Culture and in 2020, they obtained the “Heritage of Regional Interest” label from the Ile-de-France region.
Several initiatives in France aim to revive espalier gardens such as the 600 fruit trees newly planted in the park of the Château de Montigny-sur-Aube (Côte d’Or).
From now on, the associations’ objective is for the art of espalier to be recognized as an intangible heritage of humanity by UNESCO. This will require waiting for another country, such as Switzerland, Germany or Belgium, to also recognize it on their territory.
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