|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
LAKESIDE GARDENS IN EUROPE
Cultural landscapes designed by water |
| By using the theme of the lake, the exhibition will attract a wide-ranging public, including visitors who are not experts, to examine the world of the garden and the various European landscapes that define it. Visitors will gain further insight by focusing on specific topics, artists, architects, botanists and the various individuals who, over time, have helped to create this fascinating heritage. The photographic material displayed – which has also been collected with the collaboration of managing authorities, universities, cultural associations and private owners – features numerous European countries where there are lakes with gardens on their banks, and visitors will have a chance to observe locations that are both similar and different, following the main theme of the freshwater lake. The scientific content of the Exhibition does not aim to compare the various European examples, which are not always comparable in terms of style and history, but instead will interpret the key aspects that characterise the landscapes and the gardens, joined by the presence of a lake. |
| The exhibition itinerary aims to break this vast subject down into different sections: |
Lakes in Europe
This section approaches the subject through an analysis of classical geographical topics, such as the origins of European lakes, surface hydrography, existing European lake systems, and the lake as an ecosystem. |
The lake landscape
This section illustrates the landscape of various areas of Europe where there are lakes or systems of lakes, giving rise to strongly characteristic landscapes also due to the plants that have been introduced in order to create gardens. The landscape of lakeside gardens is explored by identifying the botanical elements that unite similar landscape settings: the olive, the lemon, the landscape of camellias, deciduous woods, pinewoods, wetlands… |
An itinerary through European
The layout of lakeside gardens, which have changed dramatically over time, are described using photographs displayed in chronological order which, as a result, highlight the differences in style, composition, design and inspiration. The captions contain much historical information on the artists and individuals that created the gardens, and anecdotes regarding their activities… |
Lakes created by man
This section concerns all those examples, some of which are particularly notable in terms of their architectural and natural features, where the construction of gardens has historically involved the creation of large expanses of water in existing wetlands by deviating rivers, digging out large basins or extending natural watercourses. |
Gardens and the view of the lake
The lakeside garden creates a unique boundary, moulded by the presence of numerous additional structures: basins, landing stages, belvedere towers, retaining walls, pavilions … Many gardens featured in the Exhibition do not border directly with the lake, but overlook it from the hills opposite and are reflected in it at a distance. The landscape surrounding the lake and the sight of it from above are striking scenic elements, perhaps representing the main common denominator of all lakeside gardens, which overcome or lessen the differences between one country and another. |
A new botanical landscape
This section illustrates the changes made to the landscape through the construction of gardens, focusing on their most visible component, the plants. In general, the appearance of lakeside gardens is strongly characterised by the plant components; exotic species have taken root from every corner of the world and thrive in the mild microclimate generated by the lake. The description of the botanical component of lakeside gardens, often combined in complex territorial systems, is an efficient way of presenting many different facets, not all of which are individually relevant in historical and artistic terms, but together they are decisive in forming a culturally important landscape. |
Island gardens
Gardens that are entirely surrounded by a lake form a fascinating and very special form of artistic composition. A number of different examples from all over Europe are illustrated in a separate section. |
Scientific coordination: Renata Lodari, Archivio Ville e Giardini of the Museo del Paesaggio
Collaborators: Carola Lodari, Elisabetta Crova, Dino Gavinelli, Davide Papotti |
Exhibition venue:
Museo del Paesaggio di Verbania - Palazzo Biumi Innocenti
Salita Biumi, 6 - 28922 Verbania (VB)
Tel. +39 0323 556621
Opening times: 10-12 am; 3.30-6.30 pm (closed on Monday)
Extended opening times from 5 to 8 October in the occasion of the Conference:
9.30-12.30 am; 3-7 pm |
Dates:
From Saturday 30 September until the end of October
FREE ADMISSION |
| The exhibition has been realized with the special contribution of: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
