Claude-François Achard (1751–1809) was a French physician and author. He was the founder of the first public library in

Marseille Marseille (; ; see #Name, below) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Bouches-du-Rhône and of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regions of France, region. Situated in the ...

. He was the author of several books, including the first French-

Provençal Provençal may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Provence, a region of France ** Provençal dialect, a dialect of the Occitan language, spoken in the southeast of France ** ''Provençal'', meaning the whole Occitan language * Provenca ...

dictionary.

Early life

Claude-François Achard was born on 23 May 1751 in Marseille, France. He was raised as a Roman Catholic. He was educated in

Montpellier Montpellier (; ) is a city in southern France near the Mediterranean Sea. One of the largest urban centres in the region of Occitania (administrative region), Occitania, Montpellier is the prefecture of the Departments of France, department of ...

, and he earned a doctorate in medicine from the

University of Avignon A university () is an educational institution, institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly ...

in 1772.

Career

Achard started his career as a physician in

Aubagne Aubagne (; according to the classic norm or according to the Mistralian norm) is a Commune in France, commune in the southern French Departments of France, department of Bouches-du-Rhône. In 2020, the commune was awarded three flowers by the ...

from 1772 to 1775. He subsequently practised medicine in Marseille, and he became a member of the Société Royale de médecine de Paris in 1785. Achard was also the author of several non-fiction books. For example, he wrote the first French-

dictionary. He became a member of the Académie de Marseille in 1786. Achard began collecting books from Catholic schools and monasteries closed down during the French Revolution in 1790. By 1793, he was a founder of the first public library in Marseille, based in the Couvent des Bernardines. Achard was a

Freemason Freemasonry (sometimes spelled Free-Masonry) consists of fraternal groups that trace their origins to the medieval guilds of stonemasons. Freemasonry is the oldest secular fraternity in the world and among the oldest still-existing organizati ...

. He spearheaded the growth of Freemasonry in Marseille during the

French Consulate The Consulate () was the top-level government of the First French Republic from the fall of the French Directory, Directory in the coup of 18 Brumaire on 9 November 1799 until the start of the First French Empire, French Empire on 18 May 1804. ...

, and he reopened a lodge known as "La Triple union".

Death and legacy

Achard died on 29 September 1809 in Marseille. The ''Rue Achard'' in the 4th arrondissement of Marseille was named in his honor.

Works

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References

1751 births 1809 deaths Writers from Marseille 18th-century French physicians French medical writers French non-fiction writers French Freemasons Physicians from Marseille {{France-nonfiction-writer-stub