Here how Olivier Fatio, former full professor of the Institute of history of the Reformation at the University of Geneva, described the character: “Horace-Bénédict de Saussure, erudite, concerned patrician of formation of youth, development of the technology and the spiritual radiation of the Republic, held for the father of the fatherland by his contemporaries.”

Celebrate, Horace-Bénédict de Saussure actually was it of alive sound. Typical figure of its time, the famous Age of Enlightenment, it cumulated indeed the activities and was illustrated in fields as varied as geology, botany, physics, mineralogy.

One especially knows it as naturalist. This interest for biology holds of family: his/her father, Nicolas de Saussure, famous agronomist, write a work on the vine and manures; its grandson, Henri, also illustrate themselves as naturalist. The excellence of the family of Saussure appears by the famous linguist, Ferdinand de Saussure, who is the great-grandson of Horace-Bénédict. Here for some famous parents.

Moreover, Horace-Bénédict maintained during a good part of its life a correspondence followed with his/her uncle, the naturalist Charles Bonnet, like with Albrecht Hauling, famous Bernese botanist. Lastly, it should be known that a plant of the Alps bears its name: it is Saussurée (Saussurea alpina). Indeed, with the death of Saussure, in January 1799, Augustin Pyramus de Candolle, celebrates botanist and Genevese naturalist (1778-1841), paid homage to him by dedicating a plant to him which he had discovered.

Horace-Bénédict de Saussure was born in 1740 and is deceased at the 59 years age in Conches, in a house now disappeared. It was buried with the cemetery of Plainpalais. In love with nature, impassioned mountain, fascinated by Mont Blanc and its glaciers, it goes on very many journeys in the Alps and several times the turn of the solid mass of Mont Blanc - its most known work is made up besides by the four volumes of the Voyages in the Alps. Amateur of adventures and discoveries, it undertakes, of October 1772 to August 1773, a voyage to Naples, from where it makes the rise of Vesuvius, and in Sicily, to go up at the summit of Etna: always the passion of the mountain related to that of geology and mineralogy.
 
In 1762, at the 22 years age, it obtains the pulpit of philosophy to the Academy (university) and preserves it during 24 years. Belonging to the Genevese patriciat, Horace-Bénédict moreover is very well integrated in the social life of Geneva: in 1765, he marries Albertine-Amélie Boissier, great-granddaughter of Jean-Antoine Lullin, banker in Lyon, grand-daughter of Pasteur and theologist Ami Lullin and girl of Jean-Jacques André Boissier, a rich businessman. Thus during the major part of her life, Horace-Bénédict de Saussure lives in splendid residences: the private mansion of Tertasse, a true palate at the time, and the country house of Hollow-of-Genthod.

In 1774, Horace-Bénédict de Saussure publishes a Reform project for the College of Geneva, proposing a new study plan in which biology would have a dominating place, beside Latin, of morals and the religion. Although not having succeeded, this project shows that as regards formation, of Saussure privileges the practical and concrete aspect things and encourages the talents of each citizen.

In 1776, Horace-Bénédict de Saussure creates with the clock and watch maker Louis Faizan the Company for the Encouragement of Arts and Agriculture (it is necessary to understand the word “arts” within the meaning of the time: artisanal and industrial techniques). The principal goal of the Company is to promote the technological innovation. The Parliament constitutive of the Company of Arts takes place in the Room of the Two hundreds of the Town hall on on April 18th, 1776. In 1787, the Company has the idea to create a new body in the form of a weekly periodical, the Newspaper of Geneva, which appears each Saturday of August 4th, 1787 on July 31st, 1791. From 1788 to 1791, Horace-Bénédict holds a monthly chronicle to with it. It chairs the Company of Arts of 1793 to 1799.

Its exploit the most famous remainder the rise of Mont Blanc, on on August 3rd, 1787, year when it leaves its pulpit with the Academy. He arrives at the summit of Mont Blanc, one year only after the first rise successful by Michel Gabriel Paccard and Jacques Balmat. This exploit, considered as a scientific company, makes it still more famous, and the memory of this success continues until our days: in the years 1970, its portrait and its rise of Mont Blanc appeared on the tickets of twenty Swiss francs.

Horace-Bénédict de Saussure brings back from Mont Blanc a piece of granite: crimped in gold, this piece of granite decorates today the mass of the Republic created in 1999 by the jeweller Gilbert Albert and preserved at the Town hall in the room of the Council of State.

His/her son Nicolas Theodore, naturalist (Geneva, 1767-id., 1845), author of work on the chlorophyllian function, gave the dolomite name to magnesian limestone in honor of another scientist of the time, Déodat de Dolomieu.

- GALLAND Jean-Paul, Dictionary of the streets of Geneva, Promoédition, Geneva, 3rd edition, 1988.

- H. - B. of Saussure (1740-1799) - a glance on the ground, Library of history of sciences, Georg Editor, M&H Département delivers, Geneva, 2001.

- SANTSCHI Catherine, Horace-Bénédict de Saussure, 1740-1799, in Geneva Lyon, partners, Image and Communication SA, plate, Geneva, 1992.