A műemlékek sokszínűsége (A 28. Egri Nyári Egyetem előadásai 1998 Eger, 1998)

Előadások / Presentations - PÁRKÁNY Ildikó: Gardens of mansions

ILDIKÓ PÁRKÁNYI GARDENS OF MANSIONS Beside introducing the landscape architecture of different ages, I am going to speak about the evaluation method of plants in the gardens of stately homes and why the method is necessary. Plants were highly esteemed in the Egyptian horticultural art, since irrigation had to be used in order to cultivate and maintain gardens due to the dry, desert climate. The plants in the garden surrounding Queen Hatsepsut's Deir-el Bakhari temple were respected religiously. Wandering further in space and time to Southern Spain we can see a few examples of Muslim garden art. The Moorish influence on both architecture and horticulture can be traced well. The inside courtyard of the Alhambra with its lace like walls is an architectural masterpiece. The building and the garden form an organic unity. A characteristic feature is the use of water in the garden, which continues in the building. Shorn box tree hedges, plenty of flowers and date palm trees ornament the gardens. The gardens often give the pattern of terraces. Orange courtyards are usually found in mosques. Tradesmen had their rest there. Water was also used here since small canals led the water round the orange trees. The old town of Granada preserved the architectural and horticultural traditions of earlier centuries. Southern Mediterranean plants and ever-greens can be seen everywhere. The gardens surrounding the mansions built along the river Loire in France are masterpieces of renaissance garden architecture. In the Chantilly mansion gardens colourful flower-beds arranged in geometric patterns, strictly shaped hedges and the use of water as a decorative element characterise the garden architecture of the age. The gardens of the palace of Schönbrunn excel in Baroque garden art. They reflect the spirit of the age. The formation of the area and the paths serves one goal, i.e. to direct the attention on the building, as the centre piece of space. The paths are lined with hedges shaped geometrically and the use of flowers counterbalances the rigid lines. The maintenance of Baroque or Formal gardens was labour demanding, rigid shapes tired the eye. Landscaped gardens were made in order to counteract that effect. The Grassalkovich mansion in Gödöllő demonstrates this style of landscape gardening. The landscaped garden breaks away from the earlier rigid forms and keeps the natural geographical features. Flower-beds, lawn and shorn hedges ornament the area in front of the building. The majority of the park is occupied by lawn, trees and bushes here and there in their natural forms. The gardens of the mansion in the picture has become wild due to the lack of care. Restoration work has recently begun. Elderly people used to be catered for in the building and one of the wings used to be occupied by Soviet soldiers. The partial restoration has already taken place. The Károlyi garden is a characteristic example of a mansion garden open to the public. It fulfils the function of a public garden beside preserving the traditional forms as much as possible. While keeping the ornamenting elements, a playground and an area for relaxation were formed. Berlin is an interesting example of modern urban garden art and the utilisation of plants in public areas