The Jardins d'Albertas are private, 18th-century
gardens ''à la française'' in the town of
Bouc-Bel-Air
Bouc-Bel-Air (; ) is a commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône department, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in Southern France. It is situated between Aix-en-Provence to the north, Gardanne to the east, Marseille to the south and Vitrolles to th ...
in the
Bouches-du-Rhône
Bouches-du-Rhône ( ; , ; ; "the Mouths of the Rhône") is a Departments of France, department in southern France. It borders Vaucluse to the north, Gard to the west and Var (department), Var to the east. The Mediterranean Sea lies to the sout ...
department of
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
. They are classified by the French Ministry of Culture as one of the
Remarkable Gardens of France
The Remarkable Gardens of France is intended to be a list and description, by region, of the more than three hundred gardens classified as ''"Jardins remarquables"'' by the Ministry of Culture (France), Ministry of Culture and the Comi ...
.
Description
The gardens combine Italian inspiration and the classic French garden style. The terrace has fountains fed by four springs; the garden is ornamented with statues of Hercules, David, two gladiators, and eight tritons, and has a grand canal, a grotto, and a mill.
History
The land where the gardens are located has belonged to the Albertas family since 1673. The gardens were originally created in 1751 by
Jean-Baptiste Albertas
Jean-Baptiste () is a male French name, originating with Saint John the Baptist, and sometimes shortened to Baptiste. The name may refer to any of the following:
Persons
* Charles XIV John of Sweden, born Jean-Baptiste Jules Bernadotte, was Kin ...
, the first president of the cour des comptes of the town of
Aix-en-Provence
Aix-en-Provence, or simply Aix, is a List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, city and Communes of France, commune in southern France, about north of Marseille. A former capital of Provence, it is the Subprefectures in France, s ...
. In 1790, on July 14, the first anniversary of the
French Revolution, he was assassinated by Anicet Martel from Auriol. His son was made a
Pair of France
Pair or PAIR or Pairing may refer to:
Government and politics
* Pair (parliamentary convention), matching of members unable to attend, so as not to change the voting margin
* ''Pair'', a member of the Prussian House of Lords
* ''Pair'', the Frenc ...
by King Louis XVIII, and became Prefet of the Bouches-du-Rhône.
The gardens fell into disrepair in the first half of the 20th century, and were restored beginning in 1949 by Jean d'Albertas.
See also
*
Gardens of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur The Gardens of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur () is a list and description of the parks and gardens in the region, which are classified by the Committee of Parks and Gardens of the French Ministry of Culture as among the Notable Gardens of France.
...
External links
page on the site of the French Committee of Parks and Gardens, with photosOfficial site of the gardens
{{coord, 43.4534, 5.4059, type:landmark_region:FR, display=title
Albertas