- Rendez-vous de l'Institut
- Conference
Les jardins des Neufville by Matthew DEJEAN – Château de Bénouville
The Neufville gardens
Renaissance gardens remain a mysterious, whimsical and little known world. In France, a dynasty of bankers, the Neufville de Villeroy, revealed itself via its love of gardens. Villeroy, Conflans and Chanteloup are names of little fame today, yet they attracted many foreign visitors to Paris during the late Renaissance period. The Neufville were skilled at transforming simple estates into exceptional destinations where the beauty of the fountains rivalled with the prowess of their gardeners. The conference will offer an insight in to the elegance and sophistication of these Renaissance estates that heralded 17th century French gardening. The court flocked to discover their whimsical topiaries, to admire a new antique-style monument and to listen to the hostess recite her latest poem.
Matthew Dejean
Matthew Dejean is preparing a book on the Neufville gardens and on the unbridled imagination that transpires through these creations.