The gardens of Provence and the French Riviera
Author(s)
Bibliographic Information
The gardens of Provence and the French Riviera
MIT Press, 1987
1st MIT Press ed
- Other Title
-
Jardins de la Côte d'Azur
Jardins de Provence
Art of gardening in France
Available at / 2 libraries
-
No Libraries matched.
- Remove all filters.
Note
Translation of: Jardins de Provence, and Jardins de la Côte d'Azur
"The art of gardening in France."
Bibliography: p. 305-308
Description and Table of Contents
Description
From the "bastides " of Provence to the affluent gardens along the Riviera, this book unfolds an entirely new vista of garden designs, images, and experiences. The over 500 illustrations, including 375 in full color, depict a rich and fascinating area of France where gardens have been at the center of social life for centuries.These are contrasting types of gardens - the provencal "bastides " dating from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries retain the geometrical character of Renaissance gardens, while the garden culture of the coastal enclaves softens lines and forms with recollections of romantic Italy and Victorian England, and exploits the possibilities of luxuriant trees and shrubs. Yet these opposite types are united by their various responses to the challenges of a shared cluster of microclimates.Sections of the book that discuss the social, economic, and climatic conditions of the area are followed by detailed and illustrated entries on 50 individual gardens. Each is described along with its history, and both plants and features such as fountains, statuary, and pergolas are itemized. A plan of each garden, accompanied by numerous views, makes this section of fundamental importance to the history of French gardens and - since many late nineteenth and early twentieth century gardens on the Riviera were created by international designers like Ferdinand Bac and Harold Peto - to the literature of modern garden history.Michel Racine is an architect for the Ministry of Housing. He and his coauthors Ernest Boursier-Mougenot and Francoise Binet are founding members of the Association for the Art of Landscapes and Gardens.
by "Nielsen BookData"
