DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.16632#0440
France in the Time of the Renaissance 411
This abode of a private person was excelled by the royal castle built by Charles IX.
in "Normandy/' between Paris and Rouen, if not in its variety of parts, certainly in the
splendid execution of one coherent scheme. It was in a valley, called by the king "Charle-
val," after himself (Fig. 327). We know nothing of this castle except from the drawings
made by its founder, and very likely only a small part of his plan ever materialised; but
the laying out of the garden began at once, so that when the building was completed the
full impression might be given. In this instance also the ground-plan of the whole is
indicated by the lines of the canals which passed round and through the castle and garden;
through a forecourt surrounded by water we pass over a drawbridge to the great kitchen
FIG. 328. MONTARGIS—GENERAL PLAN OF THE CASTLE AND GARDENS
part with four smaller courts round it. The square of the castle that comes next has a
garden parterre on each side, and these are treated as giardini secretin They have galleries
on three sides, and at the castle side are bordered with two fine pergolas.
In the middle of the castle front is a very large garden-room from which there are
horseshoe steps up to the bridge over the third arm of the canal, and leading to the exten-
sive garden parterre. This has not only canals round it, but is also cut by four basins
rather like canals in the middle. The central path is marked out by covered walks. The
ornamental beds are arranged four on each side with a fountain, while clumps of trees
by the arcades that accompany the edges of the canals supply a note of solemn shade to
this garden of brilliant colours. The garden behind the four basins in the cross-path is
treated m the same way, but there are no fountains, and one of the divisions is a labyrinth.
The lower end of the garden is a rather long, large piece with a bow at the farther end
This abode of a private person was excelled by the royal castle built by Charles IX.
in "Normandy/' between Paris and Rouen, if not in its variety of parts, certainly in the
splendid execution of one coherent scheme. It was in a valley, called by the king "Charle-
val," after himself (Fig. 327). We know nothing of this castle except from the drawings
made by its founder, and very likely only a small part of his plan ever materialised; but
the laying out of the garden began at once, so that when the building was completed the
full impression might be given. In this instance also the ground-plan of the whole is
indicated by the lines of the canals which passed round and through the castle and garden;
through a forecourt surrounded by water we pass over a drawbridge to the great kitchen
FIG. 328. MONTARGIS—GENERAL PLAN OF THE CASTLE AND GARDENS
part with four smaller courts round it. The square of the castle that comes next has a
garden parterre on each side, and these are treated as giardini secretin They have galleries
on three sides, and at the castle side are bordered with two fine pergolas.
In the middle of the castle front is a very large garden-room from which there are
horseshoe steps up to the bridge over the third arm of the canal, and leading to the exten-
sive garden parterre. This has not only canals round it, but is also cut by four basins
rather like canals in the middle. The central path is marked out by covered walks. The
ornamental beds are arranged four on each side with a fountain, while clumps of trees
by the arcades that accompany the edges of the canals supply a note of solemn shade to
this garden of brilliant colours. The garden behind the four basins in the cross-path is
treated m the same way, but there are no fountains, and one of the divisions is a labyrinth.
The lower end of the garden is a rather long, large piece with a bow at the farther end