The Water Garden
Serenity. Villandry is characterised by the serenity that is exuded by the estate and shared with visitors. Of all the places at Villandry, the one that feels particularly serene is undeniably the Water Garden, where time seems to stand still.
The spirit of the garden “à la française”
Above the Ornamental Garden, near the Sun Garden, at the southern end of the estate, on the third terrace level, is the Water Garden. This garden is the largest of the 7 gardens that make up the Villandry gardens.
Like the other gardens, the Water Garden dates back to the early 20th century, but unlike the others, its layout is inspired by a sunken garden that existed in the 18th century when the Marquis of Castellane was Lord of Villandry.
A water mirror
In the 19th century, Villandry was given an English-style park that replaced the pre-existing French formal gardens. The architectural pond was transformed into a lake with irregular contours, in line with the landscaping style that was in vogue at the time.
Joachim Carvallo endeavoured to undo the transformations of the previous century. He designed this space as a distillation of the “French style”, characterised by the nobility and purity of his plan. Joachim distinguished between 3 types of garden: the Kitchen Garden, the Ornamental Garden and the Water Garden. As the Kitchen Garden and the Ornamental Garden were already established, he took advantage of the fact that the terrace overlooked these to restore the central pond in the shape of a Louis XV mirror, which would collect water from nearby springs. The water mirror is typical of French formal gardens (“jardins à la française”). André Le Nôtre used this decorative element to bring light into gardens, to break up the monotony of the plants and give his creations a sense of theatre. Shimmering water has the wonderful virtue of capturing the ambient light regardless of whether the weather is sunny or cloudy. Depending on the weather or the time of day, the colour of the Water Mirror is either deep blue, dark green, gold or silver, completely changing the atmosphere of the place. Add to this is the elevated situation of the Water Mirror, which has made it possible to implement a gravity-fed water network, pairing the practical with the pleasant.
Parterres of lawn, avenues, fountains and symmetry
Serenity
If there were a specific way to explore the Water Garden, it would be this: stroll under the lime trees, slow down, choose a bench, take a seat and letting yourself be transported by the serenity of the place, observing the large motionless mirror barely disturbed by the wake of the swans. Time seems to stand still. All of Villandry invites you to take your time, look and listen, but in the Water Garden, the invitation is more powerful. Everything is about pausing. Here, Joachim Carvallo’s thoughts continue to resonate and are surprisingly relevant to the present times:
“Man, carried away by the physical forces he claimed to have tamed, goes through existence like a racing, disrupting everything in his wake. With his eyes on these lethal entities known as speed, comfort and low-cost, he is unable to create anything beautiful and sustainable. No masterpiece in the world has been designed and executed quickly, comfortably and cost-effectively.”
Botanical composition of the Water Garden
Lime trees
Box
Virtual tour of the gardens of Villandry
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