Architectural park ensemble. Architectural and park ensemble of Suzhou. Regular French park
The first documentary mention of the name “Kuskovo” dates back to the 16th century, when Alexander Andreevich Pushkin exchanged the village for the Bezhet estate of the Sheremetevs, then still a boyar family. Kuskovo became an estate only two centuries later, probably after Boris Petrovich Sheremetev received the title of count for suppressing the Astrakhan uprising (1706). However, Kuskovo gained its fame as a summer residence under his son, Pyotr Borisovich, and there are several reasons for this.
The first reason is trivial. The Sheremetevs owned only a “piece” of territory, surrounded by the lands of Prince Alexei Mikhailovich Cherkassky. His daughter, Varvara Alekseevna Cherkasskaya, was considered the richest bride of that time. After the wedding, as a dowry, Count Sheremetev received 70 thousand souls of peasants and the nearby territory - the village of Veshnyakovo, thus receiving both the means and the territory to carry out his plans.
The second reason can be considered the very character and inclinations of Pyotr Borisovich. Having received a musical education in Paris, he loved theater and knew a lot about art. Is it any wonder that his estate was built in the European style, and the Kuskovo fortress theater was considered one of the most outstanding in Russia?
Kuskovo Estate
The construction of the estate was carried out in several stages. The first and most difficult was draining the swamps, but Count Sheremetev’s multimillion-dollar fortune allowed him not to skimp on expenses.The main ensemble was formed already in the 50-70s of the 18th century. The center of the complex is Grand Palace, it is adjacent to the House Church with a bell tower (the very first stone building) and a kitchen outbuilding. Together these buildings form the ensemble of the Court of Honor. Adjacent to the Palace on the inside is a garden and park complex, now the only French regular park preserved in Moscow. Among the alleys are the Dutch House (the first park building), the Grotto, the Grotto, the Hermitage, the Italian House, the American Greenhouse and the Swiss House.
Kuskovo has its own system of ponds and canals, which close to Big pond, on the banks of which the ensemble of the Honorable Court is located. The pond played not so much an aesthetic as a practical (entertainment) role - guests rode boats, fished, and on holidays there were even fights involving sailing yachts.
Court of Honor
House Church of the All-Merciful Savior- the first stone building of the Kuskovo ensemble. Built in 1737 in Baroque style. Unfortunately, the statues with which it was decorated have not survived, but four figures of the apostles can still be seen on the octagonal drum. The aluminum cross on the dome is held by an angel with open wings. All this gives the church the splendor that is necessary for a building located next to the central entrance of the Grand Palace. In 1792, serf architects Grigory Dikushin and Alexei Mironov built a wooden bell tower with eight bells nearby.Great Sheremetev Palace built in the style of early Russian classicism in 1769-75. on the shore Big Pond. The building was built under the supervision of the Moscow architect Karl Blanc, but it is believed that the project itself is French. This completely wooden building, with the exception of the stone base, has two floors: the first was intended for receiving guests in the summer, the second floor, on a high base, was for utility rooms. The facade is decorated with three columned porticoes: a six-column one precedes the entrance to the palace, and two two-column ones decorate the side projections of the facade. The central portico is decorated with magnificent carvings and a count's crown; a wide white stone staircase leads to it, and two ramps decorated with figures of sphinxes adjoin the sides.
The premises of the palace form a suite: entrance hall, Trellis room, Raspberry living room, State bedroom, office, sofa room, library, painting room and dance hall. Expensive materials were used for decoration: bronze, silk tapestries, carpets. The floor is made of stacked parquet. However, it is worth noting that a cheaper and faster method was also used for decoration: glued paper, which was applied to the walls, and then painted and gilded.
Most of the paintings and furniture were made by serf craftsmen (father and son Argunovs, etc.). The painting room contained works by European artists. The largest room of the palace is the dance hall, which opens onto the park. The entire ceiling of the room is decorated with a huge painting-plafond, there are picturesque panels above the doors, the white and gilded walls are hung with big amount mirrors, which allows you to visually expand the free space even more. The hall was illuminated by two crystal chandeliers, wall candelabra - girandoles and marble statues with lamps.
Completes the ensemble Kitchen outbuilding, built in 1755 by serf architect Fyodor Argunov.
Regular French park
The doors of the dance hall opened onto the lawn-parterre, which closes the Great Greenhouse. The park itself occupied an area of approximately 30 hectares and consisted of two parts: regular (parterre) and landscape. The landscape part is located to the north of the greenhouse, its essence is to preserve the original state of nature of that area. The regular part - an ensemble of alleys, ponds and canals - is built according to a geometric principle. The alleys running along both sides of the lawn parterre then converged and formed “stars”, diverging into many paths, each of which ended in a pavilion or sculpture. In the center of the ground floor there is a marble column with a statue of Minerva. Scattered throughout the park were swings, carousels, aviaries with songbirds, and places for games such as bowling. It should be noted that 200-year-old larches are still preserved in the park.Dutch house It is considered the oldest park building. It was built in 1749-51. designed by an unknown architect. The building is located directly at the central entrance to the complex on the shore of a small pond. It is believed that it paid tribute to Peter I and his passion for Holland. The Dutch house is unmistakable due to its characteristic stepped roof and brick-colored walls. The interior is lined with Dutch tiles.
Italian house is located in the eastern part of the park, on the shore of the Italian pond, strictly symmetrically to the Dutch one. Built in 1754-55. serf architects Fedor Argunov and Yuri Kologrivov. Next to the building there is a small Italian-style garden with statues and small fountains. In the 18th century, the Italian House served as a room for home receptions.
Grotto is located west bank Italian pond. The work was started by Fyodor Argunov and completed in 55-61. after his death. The interior of the pavilion is designed in a style that imitates an underwater cave: the walls in the main hall imitate marble, and in the side halls they are covered with patterns of shells and stones. Small corridors are decorated with panels made of sea shells, mother of pearl and stones of various sizes. The ribs of the dome imitate a fountain, the waters of which unite and smoothly flow into a single high stream - the spire of the building. This is the only building of this kind in Russia with a completely preserved interior.
Opposite the Grand Palace, closing the parterre lawn, there is a building Large stone greenhouse– a pavilion in which exotic plants were grown. This unique structure was built in 1761-54 by the same Fyodor Argunov. In the center there is an octagonal dance hall, on the second floor of which the musicians were located; It is flanked on both sides by glazed greenhouses. Today the building houses Museum of Ceramics, whose collection is considered one of the best in Russia.
A little further east was American greenhouse. Unfortunately, the original building has not been preserved and a modern reconstruction is located in its place. Today, the main collection of the Museum of Ceramics is located here.
Opposite the Great Stone Greenhouse was Air theater, an open-air building that hosted European operas and ballet entertainment. Sheremetev’s troupe consisted of more than 200 people (actors, dancers, singers, decorators, musicians), including the debut of Praskovya Zhemchugova (Kovaleva) in the role of a maid in the comic opera “The Test of Friendship.” There were also two more theaters on the territory of the estate, Small And Big, however, all of them have not survived. This is partly due to the fact that Count Nikolai Petrovich Sheremetev, tired of ridicule regarding his wedding to a former serf, moved to Ostankino in 1995, where he built a new theater. His son, Dmitry Nikolaevich Sheremetev, was not interested in the theater, which led the buildings in Kuskovo to even greater desolation. Finally, during the Patriotic War of 1812, the estate was devastated by the French and later restored only partially, thus depriving us of the opportunity to see all three buildings.
Hermitage Pavilion was built by Karl Blank in the style of early Russian classicism in 1765-67. The centric structure encloses eight park alleys. Just like another building of this architect - the Grand Palace, the Hermitage was intended for receiving guests, but personal, intimate conversations were held here, without noise, pomp and servants. In order not to violate privacy, a special lifting table was even built, which was covered below and, using a mechanism, raised to the second, main floor.
Swiss house- the latest building of the Kuskovo ensemble. The building dates from 1860-70, the author is Nikolai Benois. The first floor with windows is built of small bricks, and the second is wooden, with rich carvings, which is characteristic of the Swiss style.
History of the museum
After the October Revolution, all properties that belonged to the Sheremetev counts, including Kuskovo, were nationalized. By decision of the Council of People's Commissars in 1919 it was opened State Museum-Kuskovo estate. In 1932, by order of the People's Commissariat of Education, the museum's fund was replenished with the collection of the State Museum of Ceramics, based on the collection of philanthropist Alexei Vikulovich Morozov. Since 1938, both museums were united and received a common name State Museum of Ceramics and “Kuskovo Estate of the 18th Century”.
Here I would like to separately note that without this “voluntary” nationalization, all the territories of the Sheremetev counts: Kuskovo, Ostankino, Ostafyevo, the Hospice House (now the Sklifosovsky Research Institute), Voronovo and the Fountain Palace (St. Petersburg) - still remained would be private estates, to which only a very, very limited contingent would have access. Under the USSR, the museum was actively replenished with new exhibits, and thanks to this, today Kuskovo is one of the largest ceramics museums in Russia. So for the opportunity to walk through the vast park and see with our own eyes the buildings of the 18th century, we must thank the RSDLP.
The first documentary mention of Kuskov dates back to the 16th century. Since V.A. Sheremetev at the beginning of the 16th century. exchanged it with A.A. Pushkin, the estate never left the possession of the Sheremetev family. Kuskovo, according to spiritual wills, passed from V.A. Sheremetev to his son I.V. Smaller, from him to Fyodor Ivanovich, who in 1648 handed it over to his nephew Vasily Petrovich. After his death, in 1665, it passed to P.V. Bolshoi, and from him, in 1690, to his youngest son Vladimir Petrovich. A well-known associate of Peter I, commander and diplomat, Field Marshal Boris Petrovich Sheremetev bought Kuskovo from his brother in 1715. Under his son, Count Pyotr Borisovich, who inherited the estate in 1719, Kuskovo gained European fame. From that time on, for almost 200 years, Kuskovo was a brilliant example of a “summer country pleasure residence.”
Front and hothouse greenhouses were an indispensable element in Russian gardening ensembles of the 2nd half of the 18th century. They contained and grew exotic heat-loving plants, decorative and fragrant flowers, laurels and citrus fruits (including orange), coffee and peach trees, palm trees, pineapples, cacti and orchids. In summer, plants were displayed in tubs on open air, decorating the ground floor and alleys of the park. Their crowns were cut in the form of geometric shapes, ships, human figures and fantastic animals, which harmoniously combined with the architectural and sculptural decoration of the park. Such decoration of “green architecture” with works of topiary art (topiary) was characteristic of the aesthetics of pleasure estates in Russia in the 18th century, and, like much else in Kuskovo, it was intended to “surprise” the guests.
Marfino Estate
Anastasia Chereshneva, editor of the “Life” column, photographer.
The May holidays are an opportunity not only to have a good rest, but also to change the environment.
In the daily bustle, we notice little of the surrounding beauty, and what can we say about that which is beyond our “everyday” path. Around the city there are dozens of unique historical places, which have been waiting for their guests for centuries.
Traveling opens up new things in a person, refreshes the mind, and expands boundaries. And you don’t have to go far for this. Discover estate "Marfino", which is located at 39 km of Dmitrovskoye Highway.
On the high bank of the Ucha River there is a manor complex, the history of which dates back to the 16th century. Among the owners of the estate was the tutor of Peter I, later his associate - Prince Boris Alekseevich Golitsyn, whose heirs sold the estate to the Saltykovs.
Under the Saltykovs, a magnificent architectural and park ensemble was created in Marfino, which emphasized the grandeur and beauty characteristic of the artistic tastes of that time. The creators of the Marfin ensemble were talented serf masters V. Belozerov, F. Tugarov and the outstanding Russian architect M. Bykovsky, who demonstrated their versatility and extraordinary skill.
The end of the 18th century is considered the peak of the estate. Many art lovers often visited here, organ concerts were given, famous European artists and musicians who came on tour to Moscow performed. The fame of Marfin festivals, dog hunts and theatrical performances resounded throughout the country.
Jagged ridges, pointed turrets, lancet windows make the central palace of the estate look like a medieval castle.
In front of the palace is a huge pond, around which the main buildings of the estate are grouped. To the left of the palace there is an unusual bridge with loopholes, behind which two churches are visible. And on the right is a picturesque park with gazebos. The emergence of this unique architectural and park ensemble was preceded by a three-century history of the estate.
Marianna Petrenko, interior designer, head of architectural bureau MPdesign
Are you ready to rush with the light spring wind in your thoughts towards an adventure or a picnic among the stunning beauties of Russian estates?
This is exactly how I propose to spend one of the many holidays May days! “Cool!”, you say. No, in our eternally young, hot hearts the fire of curiosity and unknown travels always burns!
You won’t regret it if you find time to go to the Tver province near the city of Torzhok and visit the Znamenskoye-Rayok estate. This classicist paradise was built at the end of the 18th century by the architect N. A. Lvov and is one of the most famous examples of Russian Palladianism. In plan, the estate forms a necklace, and when you stand inside the courtyard, it is somewhat reminiscent of St. Peter's Square in the Vatican.
Once my friend and I took a trip to Rayok for the weekend, just in May holidays, because the complex has been undergoing restoration for many years, a decent mini-hotel has opened, and in the afternoon hours classical music is almost always heard from somewhere.
It’s kind of surreal to wake up in an 18th-century estate and have breakfast in nature, away from the bustle of the city, ride horses, and when your legs begin to hum, go for a leisurely walk in the park, breathe fresh air and listen to the babbling brook.
Monrepos Museum-Reserve
Yulia Likhovidova, editor of the “Design” section, architect
For those who decided to visit our northern capital, I recommend going to Vyborg and heading straight to the pearl of the city - the Monrepos Museum-Reserve - truly amazing place! The distance from St. Petersburg to Vyborg is approximately 130 km, and the “Scandinavia” route invites you to travel due to the quality of the road surface and the visual natural component.
By the way, the weather in this beautiful city promises to be better than in Moscow, although a little rain cannot spoil the impression of the walk; it will rather create an atmospheric mystical mood, because the park is a completely unusual place!
Translated from French, Mon Repos means “my place of solitude,” and indeed, when we get to these lands, we stop feeling the bustle of the city; there is peace all around, allowing us to enjoy the surrounding beauty. Mon Repos, whose area is about 161.5 hectares, is unique because it combines the pristine splendor of nature and the creation of human hands!
The historical core of the reserve is a manor and park ensemble of the late 18th - early 19th centuries, which includes monuments of wooden architecture of classicism (the main manor house and the Library wing) and a landscape rock park of a romantic style - a unique monument of landscape art.
Mon Repos is unique in its nature! To fully enjoy the walk, dress comfortably and warmly, then nothing will stop you from walking towards huge boulders covered with moss and lichen; pass through green spaces, which are more than 200 years old; climb the rocks, enjoying the view of the coast of Zashchitnaya Bay of the Vyborg Bay.
From Renaissance to Baroque
Italian villa during the Renaissance
The origins of palace and park ensembles and the emergence of the art of arranging gardens as an independent branch of art go back to the era of the Italian Renaissance. The Italian nobility of that period lived mainly in cities, in contrast to the aristocracy neighboring states, which shunned cities and preferred secluded castles in fiefdoms. The relative political stabilization in the Italian principalities and city-states and the economic rise of Italian cities led to the consolidation of great wealth in the hands of the Italian aristocracy. The spread of idealized ideas about the era of antiquity, interest in the ancient way of life, and ancient art among aristocrats contributed, among other things, to the fact that many noble families began to acquire villas on the city outskirts, which were developed following the example of ancient Roman villas. However, many Italian Renaissance villas had a significant difference from the ancient prototypes: they had extensive gardens, compositionally connected with the palace and arranged architecturally, created for celebrations and pleasant pastime, and most of which did not perform utilitarian economic tasks.
The earliest example of a new type of villa is Villa Medici in Poggio a Caiano, created for Lorenzo the Magnificent, head of the Florentine Republic, by the architect Giuliano da Sangallo (built in -1492; the gardens were redesigned at the end of the 16th century).
One of the most significant Renaissance architectural works, although unfinished, was the construction Villas Madama(it:Villa Madama). Giulio de' Medici, the future Pope Clement VII, chose a picturesque hillside overlooking Rome, part of Campania and the Sabine Mountains for the villa. The initial project was prepared by Rafael Santi, incorporating into the complex landscape a harmonious composition of a terraced garden, a casino (that is, a secluded house) and a palace of two wings (the palace buildings imitate ancient Roman baths). Construction began in 1510 under the direction of Raphael's student Giulio Romano, but was interrupted in 1521. The villa was partially destroyed during the unrest against the Medici family, and only when Giulio Medici became pope did construction resume under the leadership of Antonio Sangallo, but it was carried out with difficulty. After the death of Clement VII in 1534, construction stopped again; of the two parts of the palace, only one was completely built. The work was finally completed on the initiative of Margaret of Parma (the name of the villa comes from her name) in the 1550s, but Raphael’s project remained unrealized. Villa Madama is recognized as the first project of a Renaissance villa with an architecturally planned garden.
In Florence, which became one of the main ideological centers of the Renaissance, the most interesting Boboli Gardens, equipped with Palazzo Pitti. Construction of the palace for the Pitti family began in the 1460s on the outskirts of Florence and lasted a long time. The palace was rebuilt several times; It underwent the most significant restructuring after it became the property of the Medici family (1549). Bartolomeo Ammanati (who also supervised the renovation of the palace) and Giorgio Vasari worked on the arrangement of the Boboli Gardens in the mid-16th century. Features of the gardens were the architectural layout that inextricably linked the palace and the garden, symmetrical side terraces rising above the central parterre, the presence of fountains, and an abundance of first-class park sculpture. Palazzo courtyard ( Ammanati Courtyard) is separated from the gardens by a picturesque grotto topped with a fountain. From the upper terraces of the garden a solemn vista of the palazzo and the city beyond was revealed.
Another masterpiece of the Renaissance period is recognized Villa Farnese (Castorola Caprarola), built on the spurs of the Chimin Mountains near Rome. Construction began for Pier Luigi Farnese, son of Pope Paul III, in 1535, but was completed by Cardinal Alessandro, grandson of Paul III. In the 1560s-1570s, Giacomo da Vignola, a recognized master of the late Renaissance, worked on the villa, creating the foundations for the composition of the ensemble. The dominant structure was a gigantic pentagonal palace located on the mountainside. Staircases with complex designs lead from it to the terraced gardens. In 1587, the upper section was added to the gardens; its arrangement was carried out by the architects G. Rainaldi (it: Girolamo Rainaldi) and F. Peperelli. A light pavilion with a loggia appeared in the upper part of the garden ( Casino Caprarola), fountains and cascades, bosquets, low-cut parterres. The small upper garden near the casino was surrounded by free-standing caryatids with flower vases. The picturesqueness of the gardens was given by precision in the calculation of proportions, harmonious coordination of elements and advantageous use of the natural topography of the area.
Vignola is credited with co-creating villas Lante in Bagnaia (started in, completed in 1588; located near the Villa Farnese). There are clearly signs here that are characteristic of the architect’s work: the unity of the architectural treatment of a large area, manifested not only in a clear layout, but also in the decoration of stairs, terraces, grottoes, and plantings; a composition that takes into account the play of distant and close-up plans of the terraced garden, including the harmonious correlation of details located at different levels.
One of the most famous Italian villas of the Renaissance - Villa d'Este, located on the slope of a steep hill near Tivoli. In 1550, the unfinished villa, begun 10 years earlier, became the property of Cardinal Ippolito II d'Este. Its reconstruction was entrusted to the architect Pirro Ligorio, and the hydraulic engineering was entrusted to O. Olivieri. The villa is famous for its abundance of cascades and fountains, arranged in an unusually picturesque manner. To feed them (the fountains operate without mechanical injection of water), a unique system of underground water supply networks was developed. The villa is also distinguished by spectacularly landscaped terraces with complex staircases and grottoes; the layout of the garden successfully used natural terrain slopes.
Characteristic features of Renaissance villas are their location on the slopes of hills (hence the terraced layout), the relatively small size of the gardens, correlated with the size of the palace; simplicity and clarity of the plan. The garden is connected into one whole and is perceived as a single decoration; The palace acts as the main decoration of the garden, while the garden is conceived as an inner courtyard, located outside the palace wings. The main alley, as a rule, is planned parallel to the façade of the palace, and the garden itself is often stretched transversely. Symmetry in the layout of gardens is observed in most cases only in the central part; the side parts of the garden and the ends of the alleys are asymmetrical. The palaces inherit the features of urban Renaissance palazzos, gravitate towards a cubic shape and in some cases are perceived as too strict and laconic in decor. Sculpture plays an important role in the design of gardens (authentic antique examples are often used), fountains and cascades, bosquets, and grottoes. Fountains are typically located on the main axis of the garden; they are not located in open areas; Often there is an arrangement inside bosquets or in the center of four symmetrically converging bosquets; Large and complex fountains are usually located at the edges of the garden, while small cascades are located along the axis of symmetry of the palace. Balustrades and stone parapets play a big role in the design of the garden, which somewhat complicate the visual perception of distant plans of the garden, but at the same time, emphasizing the closed contours, creating an atmosphere of comfort. The planting cut is widely used, but at the same time it is restrained and imitates natural forms. The plantings themselves were initially quite sparse and did not form groves or dense shade; the shape of flower beds and bosquets is simple.
Renaissance country palaces in other countries
The embodiment of architectural ideas of the Italian Renaissance in other countries Western Europe happened about 100 years late. In Spain, France, England and Germany at the end of the 16th centuries, strong traditions of castle building were still maintained. Moreover, in France, for example, in the 16th century there was a peak in the construction of castles - most of the famous castles of the Loire were built or significantly rebuilt during the Renaissance. The Italian type of suburban aristocratic dwelling - the villa - did not become widespread at this time.
Nevertheless, the influence of Italian Renaissance architecture was undeniable and could not but be reflected in the construction of country residences of monarchs and aristocracy. One of the earliest examples of a residence under Italian influence in France is Palace of Fontainebleau(rebuilt by Francis I in the 1540s). The gardens of Fontainebleau were developed by Italian masters led by Francesco Primaticcio. At the royal residence, a circle of artists and craftsmen formed, known as the School of Fontainebleau, which had a decisive influence on Renaissance art in France.
The most striking example of Italian influence in France is Luxembourg Palace and Luxembourg Gardens. The palace was built for the Queen Regent of France, Marie de' Medici, in 1631. Her childhood was spent in Palazzo Pitti and the Boboli Gardens; At the request of the customer, they were chosen as a prototype for the palace and park ensemble. Salomon de Bros, who was involved in the construction of the palace and the layout of the garden, when trying to transfer Italian techniques of garden and palace architecture, had to deviate from the Italian model. The almost flat terrain and national architectural traditions determined different proportions of the palace and garden.
In England, Italian architects and gardeners have worked since the time of Henry VIII ( Nonseche Gardens in Surrey). Henry VIII's residence, Hampton Court, also experienced Italian influence, although traditions were still strong here gothic architecture. Traces of the Italian Renaissance are found in some aristocratic residences (for example, in Chatsworth House And Wilton House), however they were later subjected to significant alterations.
From Baroque to Classicism. Regular park
Baroque villas in Italy
The artistic ideas of the Italian Renaissance became most widespread in Western Europe at a time when Baroque became the leading direction in art in Italy. In the architecture of country villas in Italy at the end of the 16th and 17th centuries, traces of medieval architecture completely disappear. If Renaissance villas still sometimes resembled in detail medieval castles and fortresses, then the features of a palace develop in baroque villas. First of all, this is reflected in the internal layout: the main hall of the building stands out, which is always located in the center of the main floor; the layout and decoration of all secondary premises is tied to it. The garden becomes an obligatory element, architecturally equal to the palace; The connection between the garden and the palace is ensured by the gallery.
An early example of a Baroque villa is Villa Aldobrandini in Frascati. One of the most characteristic Baroque villas near Rome was Villa Borghese. Its gardens were landscaped by G. Rainaldi and decorated with fountains by G. Fontana. The villa has not retained its original appearance: at the end of the 18th century, the palace was rebuilt in the neoclassical style, and the gardens took on the appearance of landscape parks. Quirinale Palace(architect Domenico Fontana) can also be classified as one of the most characteristic Italian Baroque palace and park ensembles. Monotonous geometric gardens were arranged in 1600 by Carlo Maderna; When the gardens were arranged, the area was completely leveled, and the gardens consisted of a uniform alternation of square bosquets with fountains. One of the most interesting villas of that time - Villa Doria Pamphilj, built in 1644 by A. Algardi for Pope Innocent X. The central layout of the garden was a wide parterre with rather complex flower beds. In front of the palace there was traditionally a wide and shallow terrace; open spaces and the placement of the villa's casino on a hill emphasized its slenderness.
Country palaces in France in the 17th century
In the development of palace and park ensembles, two French country residences - Chantilly and Vaux-le-Vicomte - played a historical role. In the ancient castle of Chantilly in 1661, the Prince of Condé organized a grand celebration in honor of Louis XIV. The king was so impressed by the celebrations that he was ready to purchase Chantilly, but Condé rejected this offer. In August of the same 1661, the influential Minister of Finance of France and richest man country, Nicolas Fouquet also organized magnificent festivities in honor of the king at his estate Vaux-le-Vicomte. The king's attitude towards the minister was negative, and the holiday was organized in order to regain Louis' favor, but the effect was the opposite. Struck by the unheard-of luxury of the palace and the elegance of the park with its various gardening projects, Louis only strengthened his desire to get rid of the minister as soon as possible (less than a month later, Fouquet was arrested).
The failure to purchase Chantilly and the luxury of Vaux-le-Vicomte prompted Louis to build Versailles: the king was not satisfied with either the court in Saint-Germain or life in Paris; he was determined to create a new country residence worthy of a king of France. Many park sculptures, paintings and pieces of furniture were moved from the confiscated Fouquet estate to Versailles. But the most important thing is that Louis XIV invited the same people who worked in Vaux-le-Vicomte to arrange Versailles: architect Louis Levo, garden architect Andre Le Nôtre and interior artist Charles Lebrun.
Louis XIV loved to build; the king erected for his favorites in the vicinity of Paris Clagny And Marley(both residences did not survive, they were destroyed during the French Revolution). Marley was an outstanding ensemble; it repeated some of the architectural ideas of Versailles: the opening of an extended main perspective, the arrangement of large central pools as the main decoration of the garden and radial alleys as a connecting element of the garden.
Before becoming completely carried away by the idea of Versailles, Louis XIV was engaged in reconstruction in the 1660s Tuileries Palace and Gardens. The Tuileries Palace (architect F. Delorme) was destroyed during the Paris Commune, but the gardens generally retained the mid-17th century layout with a wide parterre garden and spectacular vistas.
All listed palace and park ensembles associated with the name of André Le Nôtre, the greatest garden architect of the 17th century; the work of Le Nôtre and his school constituted an entire era in landscape art. He perfected the principles of organizing regular parks and became the first to solve the problem of laying out extensive parks on flat terrain.
Influence of Versailles
More information: Park of Versailles
Classicism and landscape park
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The traditional gardening art of China, which aims to recreate the natural landscape in miniature, can now be best illustrated by the nine gardens in historical city Suzhou. They are universally recognized masterpieces of this genre. Dating from the 11th to 19th centuries, the gardens' meticulous design reaffirms the importance of relying on natural beauty in Chinese culture.
Chinese landscape architecture, which has a long history, is unique in landscape art. The first palace garden in China appeared during the Zhou Dynasty (1122 - 249 BC). Following this, in the capitals and big cities In China, landscape gardening ensembles began to be created. China's diverse urban gardens and parks occupy a worthy place among the three systems of landscape gardening in the world.
Gardening architectural ensembles China have a flexible concept. They merged man-made beauty with natural grace, creating a wonderful original synthesis. The architectural garden and park ensemble meets all the laws of nature and even exceeds them. In it, the beauty of nature comes first and foremost.
Chinese gardening ensembles are divided into two rather different schools: the majestic imperial park and small private gardens. The structure of a Chinese park ensemble usually includes a tower, a tower, pavilions, pavilions, galleries, artificial slides, lakes and ponds. The Chinese garden is usually divided into three perspectives: upper (Possession of the world), middle (Limit of the celestials) and lower (Limit of naturalness).
The great sage of China, Confucius, in his views called for starting from reality and a sense of social responsibility, and paid great attention to the important role and political significance of moral ethics. In his teachings, Confucius also placed great emphasis on understanding the idea of “owning the world” when creating a garden and park ensemble. The "Owning the World" perspective is present in many imperial gardens, such as the famous Yuanmingyuan Imperial Park in Beijing.
The perspective of "The Limit of the Celestials" corresponds to the ideas of Chinese Taoism, that is, the idea of being in peace and indifference. This form is also present in imperial parks. For example, Yuanmingyuan Park in Beijing, Guchang Taoist Temple on Qingcheng Mountain in Sichuan Province, etc.
Under the influence of the arbitrary style of painting "sei" (free style) in landscape gardening compositions, an increasingly significant place was given to the art of painting - this is the "limit of naturalness", that is, what manifests itself mainly in the parks of ancient writers, such as Su Shunqin's "Canglanting" gazebo park and Sima Guang's "Duleyuan" garden.
Chinese garden and park ensembles, differing from classical European ones with their geometrically regular forms and rays of alleys, strive for unity with nature, so that man-made and natural beauty merge into an inseparable whole.
Landscape ensembles of Suzhou, which were included in the World Heritage List in 1997 cultural heritage UNESCO, fully reflect the artistic style of Chinese garden architecture. Dozens of ancient parks and gardens of Suzhou have survived to this day. Suzhou gardens such as Zhuozhenyuan, Liuyuan and Shizilin are especially famous. In Suzhou parks, gazebos, pavilions, towers and towers, as well as artificial slides, ponds, flower beds and trees are organically combined into a single whole. Suzhou gardening art has reached a high level both in the ornamentation of residential buildings and in the combination of architectural beauty with the naturalness of nature. These creations have a special place in the development of not only the gardening art of China, but also the whole world.