Parc Oriental de Maulévrier
Encyclopedia
The Parc Oriental de Maulévrier (29 hectares) is a Japanese garden
located in Maulévrier
, Maine-et-Loire
, Pays de la Loire
, France
. It is open daily except Monday in the warmer months; an admission fee is charged.
The park was created between 1899-1913 on the grounds of Château Colbert by noted Parisian architect Alexandre Marcel
(1860-1928), designer of the Cambodia
pavilion at the Exposition Universelle (1900)
, for the château's industrialist owner. Indeed the park's Khmer elements are reproduced from molds from the exhibition. Having married the owner's daughter, Marcel often dwelt in the château as he oversaw its landscaping. After his death, she remained in residence until her own death in 1945, after which time the park fell into desolation for 40 years.
In 1976 the château's property was cut in three, with the municipality purchasing the park's segment in 1980. Restoration began in 1987, based upon photographs and memories, and by 2004 the garden was named a "Jardin Remarquable" by the ministry of culture.
Today the park is the largest Japanese garden
in France. It contains about 300 plant species
, with water features, a bridge, and a pagoda
, as well as azalea
s, camellia
s, rhododendron
s, and Japanese maples. There is also a permanent exhibition of bonsai
and ceramics.
Japanese garden
, that is, gardens in traditional Japanese style, can be found at private homes, in neighborhood or city parks, and at historical landmarks such as Buddhist temples, Shinto shrines and old castles....
located in Maulévrier
Maulévrier
Maulévrier is a commune in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France....
, Maine-et-Loire
Maine-et-Loire
Maine-et-Loire is a department in west-central France, in the Pays de la Loire region.- History :Maine-et-Loire is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790. Originally it was called Mayenne-et-Loire, but its name was changed to Maine-et-Loire in 1791....
, Pays de la Loire
Pays de la Loire
Pays de la Loire is one of the 27 regions of France. It is one of the regions created in the late 20th century to serve as a zone of influence for its capital, Nantes, one of a handful so-called "balancing metropolises" ¹...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. It is open daily except Monday in the warmer months; an admission fee is charged.
The park was created between 1899-1913 on the grounds of Château Colbert by noted Parisian architect Alexandre Marcel
Alexandre Marcel
Alexandre Marcel was a French architect, best known for his Belle Époque interpretations of "exotic" international architectural styles.Marcel studied at the Parisian École des Beaux-Arts in the atelier of Louis-Jules André...
(1860-1928), designer of the Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
pavilion at the Exposition Universelle (1900)
Exposition Universelle (1900)
The Exposition Universelle of 1900 was a world's fair held in Paris, France, from April 15 to November 12, 1900, to celebrate the achievements of the past century and to accelerate development into the next...
, for the château's industrialist owner. Indeed the park's Khmer elements are reproduced from molds from the exhibition. Having married the owner's daughter, Marcel often dwelt in the château as he oversaw its landscaping. After his death, she remained in residence until her own death in 1945, after which time the park fell into desolation for 40 years.
In 1976 the château's property was cut in three, with the municipality purchasing the park's segment in 1980. Restoration began in 1987, based upon photographs and memories, and by 2004 the garden was named a "Jardin Remarquable" by the ministry of culture.
Today the park is the largest Japanese garden
Japanese garden
, that is, gardens in traditional Japanese style, can be found at private homes, in neighborhood or city parks, and at historical landmarks such as Buddhist temples, Shinto shrines and old castles....
in France. It contains about 300 plant species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
, with water features, a bridge, and a pagoda
Pagoda
A pagoda is the general term in the English language for a tiered tower with multiple eaves common in Nepal, India, China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam and other parts of Asia. Some pagodas are used as Taoist houses of worship. Most pagodas were built to have a religious function, most commonly Buddhist,...
, as well as azalea
Azalea
Azaleas are flowering shrubs comprising two of the eight subgenera of the genus Rhododendron, Pentanthera and Tsutsuji . Azaleas bloom in spring, their flowers often lasting several weeks...
s, camellia
Camellia
Camellia, the camellias, is a genus of flowering plants in the family Theaceae. They are found in eastern and southern Asia, from the Himalaya east to Korea and Indonesia. There are 100–250 described species, with some controversy over the exact number...
s, rhododendron
Rhododendron
Rhododendron is a genus of over 1 000 species of woody plants in the heath family, most with showy flowers...
s, and Japanese maples. There is also a permanent exhibition of bonsai
Bonsai
is a Japanese art form using miniature trees grown in containers. Similar practices exist in other cultures, including the Chinese tradition of penjing from which the art originated, and the miniature living landscapes of Vietnamese hòn non bộ...
and ceramics.