Restaurant Grand Velum Chaumont Credit Benjamin BroletIn the early 16th century, the Renaissance was expressed in shades of green. Humanist thought placed man at the center of the universe: no longer subject to nature, he could understand and build his environment. Castles opened up onto the landscape, and their lands, hitherto cultivated for subsistence purposes, were integrated as architectural extensions to the estates.
Under the influence of the Italian monk Dom Pacello, hosted by King Charles VIII at Château-Gaillard in Amboise, the first pleasure gardens were composed with relief, verticality and color. Inspired by ancient gardens, they were designed on slopes to open up perspectives, and punctuated with water features, labyrinths and grottoes to create surprise.
The gardens of the now-defunct Château Royal de Blois offered rest, contemplation and entertainment. At Clos Lucé, where Leonardo da Vinci lived out his final years, contemporary gardens reflect the techniques of the Florentine master, to which an exhibition is dedicated.
The arte del verde dear to Dom Pacello is constantly reinvented. Under the influence of Cartesian philosophy, the classical French garden was born at Versailles under the direction of André Le Nôtre.
Spectacular, flat and orderly, the result of enormous earthworks, it expresses the Sun King’s taste for theatricality and man’s absolute power over nature. Its perspectives and water features, its skilfully pruned trees and geometric flowerbeds, all preserve a taste for playfulness, with a concern for formal perfection that is typical of architecture.
Image 9881541
545a1366 1A flamboyant expression of garden classicism in the Loire Valley, Chambord’ s gardens are reborn in 2017 in all their splendor. With the “English” garden, the 18th century reinvented the relationship with nature, freeing the landscape from the hand of man. Less regular, these painting-inspired settings encourage a lush natural environment.
The new garden at Chenonceau, created from original drawings by the great twentieth-century English landscape architect Russel Page, is a fine example of this. Entirely replanted “à l’anglaise” over the past half-century by its owners, the botanical park at Orchaise Priory features over 2,000 species from around the world, including 200 varieties of peonies, both shrubby and herbaceous.
A stroll through the gardens of the Loire Valley is one of the most enjoyable activities for the whole family. Today’s gardens are laid out in such a way as to offer a natural setting, with paths, little huts and special attention for children.
At the Festival des Jardins de Chaumont-sur-Loire, the whole family can enjoy the day to the full. Allow a full day to see the whole estate. The Parc du Gouasloup, packed with gigantic works of art and themed gardens, never ceases to amaze. Then make way for the Festival’s ephemeral gardens. Children will be delighted by the little bridges, plant tunnels and other inventions of the landscape gardeners.
At Château de Beauregard, a trail through the park is dotted with tableaux with amusing questions based on historical figures. Even parents may find themselves looking for the answers!
At Parc du Clos Lucé, children can really experience Leonardo da Vinci’s clever machines. The lush park, with its wooden bridges, water features, paths and waterfalls, is the perfect playground.
Chateaudecheverny Tulips 0.9m@dng 1
Easter 2024 Cheverny
Tulips In Cheverny And Decoration
Tulips Cheverny Oeuf 2024 Fb
Chateaudecheverny Tulips 0.9m@dng
Chateaudecheverny@dng 8544 T2What a delicious idea, a meal served in the garden, is a great way to appreciate the surroundings.
At the Château de Chaumont-sur-Loire, the Grand Velum will serve you its vegetal dishes in its large greenhouse, in a luminous and suave atmosphere.
If you appreciate original structures, head for the restaurant at theLe Bois des Chambres hotel (500 m from the estate).
Enjoy a family meal in the bucolic setting of the Plessis Sasnières gardens, north of Blois in the Loir valley.
For a snack, the Château de Cheverny ‘s orangery will serve you facing the gardens and the luminous façade of the château.
A singular walk between sculpture and nature, in the park of the Château de Conon in Cellettes. 150 sculptures by artist Louis Derbré dot the 5-hectare
hectares of parkland and woods. The sculptor, who died in 2011, earned an international reputation for his monumental works, which have been exhibited around the world,
all inspired by the theme of Peace. A discovery that promises emotion and the quest for serenity.
