Few know that Avenue Ludovic Legre in Marseille carries the name of a man who championed both law and botany. Ludovic Legre was born in Marseille. He died there too. He came from a wealthy family of merchants. He began studying law in Aix-en-Provence. Legre finished his studies in Paris.
Legre became a lawyer in Aix-en-Provence. He was elected head of the Order of Lawyers. He hosted a dinner at his home on Boulevard Longchamp. The dinner celebrated the start of his term. Legre pleaded in famous trials. One case involved artistic property rights related to the Palais Longchamp. He defended the architect Henri-Jacques Esperandieu. He won against the sculptor Auguste Bartholdi. The case concerned the design of the Palais.
Legre was curious about many subjects. He was also a botanist and historian of botany. He created a herbarium. He rediscovered plants that were previously unconfirmed in the area. One such plant was Fraxinelle. Legre explored Provence extensively. He studied plants near Allos. He decided to find the Dragon Valley. Garidel and Tournefort had explored it two centuries before. Legre also studied plants in the Alps. This was from 1886 to 1895.
His letters with Frederic Mistral show his role. He helped prepare the herbarium for the Museon Arlaten. Legre published books about botany in Provence. They covered the 16th century. He revived the memory of forgotten scholars. These included physician Hugues de Solier and pharmacist Jacques Raynaudet. Legre researched botanists’ visits to Provence. People like Charles de L’Écluse and Louis Anguillara.
Ludovic Legre spoke Provençal fluently. He played a key role in the Felibrige movement. He was a close friend of Frederic Mistral and Theodore Aubanel. Legre encouraged Mistral to go to Paris. Mistral had just written Mireille. Legre invited him to his Paris home. He encouraged Mistral to meet Alphonse de Lamartine. Lamartine’s praise helped Mistral become famous. Legre was also a friend of Aubanel. He became the executor of Aubanel’s literary works.
On December 18 1873 Ludovic Legre was elected to the Academy of Marseille. He gave his acceptance speech on May 23 1874. He played a role in Frederic Mistral’s candidacy. It was not easy. Mistral had refused five times to be a candidate for the Académie Française. Ludovic Legre insisted many times to his friend. Frederic Mistral eventually accepted. He was elected to the Academy of Marseille. He gave his speech about Theodore Aubanel.
Legre exclaimed his friendship with Ludovic Legre. He remembered times when they made Provençal verses. They ran together in the hills. They saw the beauty of maritime Provence. Ludovic Legre was the perpetual secretary. He served the Academy of Marseille from 1902 until his death. In that year his friend Frederic Mistral won the Nobel Prize in Literature.
A street in Marseille carries his name. A tree species also honors him. It is called the Sorbier de Legre. Avenue Ludovic Legre is more than just a street. It is a reminder of a man’s passion for law, botany and Provençal culture. The Robespierre and Magdelon bus stops are nearby. The M2 metro stops close too. They connect you to the legacy of Ludovic Legre.