- Conference
L’eau des jardins de bastides et châteaux en Provence – Tholonet (France)
Water in the gardens of Provençal castles and traditional farmhouses
In a garden, water is as much a vector and a demonstration of engineering prowess as it is of imagination, offering an illustration of renewal and reflection. The garden is now considered as a tool, an ‘artwork laboratory’, attentive to nature, the water features of which are a prime component of archaeological, historical and anthropological study, through its manifestations and its creations. In Provence, water forms the basis of a natural and cultural landscape (the land of ‘bastide’ farmhouses typical of Aix and of Marseilles), with its specificities (hydraulic know-how and decorative theatricality). This hydraulic heritage, presented over a few case studies (nymphaeum in Saint-Marc-Jaumegarde, Château de Bourgane estate, Pavillon de Bidaine gardens), imposes specific awareness inherent to its founding elements and its limits (protection, preservation, restoration, maintenance), but also attention to environmental challenges (experimental approaches).
Information : paborgeap@orange.fr