Olivier de Serres, France. OLIVIER DE SERRES, Lord of Pradel, was born at Villeneuve-de-Berg, in the Vivarais, in 1539. In 1600 he published his Théâtre d'Agriculture, a worthy monument of a man who has been called the Patriarch of French agriculture. He died on the 2nd of July, 1619. Why the Paris medal mint chose him as a subject can probably be guessed. France was under a severe embargo and food was scarce. Napoleon encouraged agricultural innovation as much as possible.