De l’Allemagne à l’Italie : voyage aux pays des théâtres de verdure by Marie-Caroline TRANSY and Nathalie de VERNON – Château de Bénouville

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De l’Allemagne à l’Italie : voyage aux pays des théâtres de verdure by Marie-Caroline TRANSY and Nathalie de VERNON – Château de Bénouville

From Germany to Italy: a journey to the land of sylvan theatres

To date, Germany and Italy are the European countries within which the largest number of remaining historic sylvan theatres are reported.  How can we explain such a concentration of these open-air stages, designed and shaped by plant life and equally associated with theatre and with gardens, within these two states? Why have so many examples from previous centuries (17th-18th-19th) been preserved, whereas, in France, they have almost all disappeared? Over a tour into the heart of a number of German and Italian gardens, and based on documentary archives and present-day photographs, this two-speaker presentation will analyse and offer a perspective of the architectural, aesthetic and sociological specificities that are inherent to the format of the sylvan theatres of both countries.

Marie-Caroline Transy

Marie-Caroline Transy is an art historian, specialised in the history of theatre and landscape (graduated from the University of Paris-Sorbonne I and IV, and the Ca’foscari University in Venice) and is project coordinator for conservation, restoration and valorisation projects for landscaped heritage sites (graduated from the National School of Architecture – Versailles). Since 2010, she has been working for the ‘Jardins d’Histoire’ agency, which she co-created with Christelle Brindel. Her sensitive approach strives to grasp and reproduce the essence and the poetry inherent to each studied site. The agency already has a number of references, equally in the public and the private sectors. Concurrently, she is scientific director for the Réseau Européen des Théâtres de Verdure (Green Open Air Theatres Association). With Nathalie Deguen, she co-directed the work Théâtres de Verdures, published in 2015 by Gourcuff-Gradenigo. She is also the author of articles in specialised magazines (Demeure historique, EBTS) and participates in colloquiums and other important events on the field of gardens.

Nathalie de Vernon

Nathalie de Vernon is a landscaper, historian and specialist in traditional garden games. She graduated from the École Dubreuil Paris 12ème and from Lyon Dardilly. She studied under Tom Wright at Wye College (Kent) and Peter Goodchild in York during her Master’s Degree in landscape conservation. A landscape architect for the M. Bernard Collette ACMH architect’s office in Fontainebleau, then at the CAUE in Haute Marne, she also teaches landscape studies at the École du Breuil, is a green space manager and ASD therapist. A speaker and designer, she has acted as commissioner for the exhibitions: ‘A Man for All Seasons Capability Brown (1716-1783) Landscaping & Gardening in the time of Brown’ and ‘The Great Improver, Humphry Repton (1752-1818)’ in association with the GARLAND Trust.

Further reading :
Théâtres de verdure, sous la direction de Nathalie Deguen et Marie-Caroline Thuillier, Gourcuff Gradenigo, 2015