Le domaine de Méréville, renaissance d'un jardin

On the eve of the French Revolution, the Marquis de Laborde transformed his domain of Méréville into one of the most important artistic achievements of the end of the Enlightenment. The marquis, ex-banker of the court and reputed to be the most wealthy man in Europe, relied on the advice of the most famous architects and artists of the time, including François-Joseph Bélanger, Jean-Benoît -Vincent Barré, the painter Hubert Robert and the sculptor Augustin Pajou. Their efforts turned the Juine Valley into one of the most remarkable landscape parks of its time -- embellished by cenotaphs and temples; inspired by antiquity, sublime bridges in ruins, vast caves, rocks and torrents. For nearly twenty years, the Department of Essonne has worked to revive this masterpiece that was forgotten in the late nineteenth century.