Marie-Antoinette`s Garden

A horticultural exploration of Marie-Antoinette's domain, the opulently designed gardens at Versailles, features eighteenth-century botanical watercolors by Pierre-Joseph Redouté and his peers. Marie-Antoinette had an enduring passion for plants, flowers, and trees, transforming the gardens of the Petit Trianon into a captivating sanctuary away from the stifling atmosphere of Versailles. Drawing from archival materials, this book takes readers on a journey through Marie-Antoinette's estate, mimicking the queen's own strolls: from the vibrant hyacinths, buttercups, and anemones in the French Gardens to the meandering paths of the Anglo-Chinese Gardens; through the conifers of the Belvedere Gardens, a venue for splendid nighttime festivities; past the intoxicating scents near the Temple of Love; and into the wildflower-rich Garden of Solitude. This intriguing reimagining hurls readers back into the eighteenth century, offering insights into the cosmetic and medicinal applications of the garden's flora, intriguing stories from the royal court, and vivid watercolors from the herbarium.