- Conference
Le jardin des Tuileries sous le regard de l’archéologie by Anne Allimant-Verdillon – Paris (France)
The Tuileries Garden under the archaeologist’s gaze
Developed in the mid 16th century, during Catherine de Medici’s lifetime, the garden later underwent extensive rearrangements by Le Nôtre as from 1664. In quest of solutions that would protect the garden from the changeable behaviour of the River Seine, he perfected cunning structures that helped the garden to defy the passing of time and the elements. By linking the palace and the garden and by opening the site to the west, he also set the scene for what would later become the Champs-Elysées and totally integrated the garden within the Parisian urban plan. This symbiosis between town and garden was to relatively harmoniously survive for around 200 years, until fire struck the Tuileries Palace, the major impact of which was unveiled by the archaeologist. As we have already demonstrated at the Tuileries Garden, archaeology enables us to ascertain the cartography of the subsoils of gardens. A great advantage for understanding the site and its evolution, this information has already provided the basis for efficiently restoring the north-east groves. Ultimately, this research can not only be completed based on complications and issues encountered during future restoration campaigns, but also potentially deployed in response to existing questions for which no solution has yet been found.
Auditorium du Louvre – Musée du Louvre
75 058 Paris