Balbi park

The park Balbi is a Parc of the type English, located beside the Potager of the king at Versailles, in France.
Its access is free and its entry is located street of the Joffre Marshal.

Chronology of the Balbi park

Before 1730, the site of the Balbi park was a timbering.

1787: The count de Provence (brother of the king Louis XVI and future Louis XVIII) and Anne de Caumont the Force, countess of Balbi buy the piece. It is intended to become a “small pleasure garden” for the countess. The garden is drawn by Jean-François-Therese Chalgrin. A reading is taken by Ruail: from this point of view one can discover the house of Mister (in the south of the piece), a water part prolonged by a Rivière, a heap of stones constituting a Grotte surmounted by a view-point, some factories, tank S as well as a hot Serre.

1786: The garden takes its final form. It became a garden “of collection”. Indeed, the Count of Provence carried an private interest to the plants and their constitution. The garden was composed of Arbre S and tropical or rare Arbuste S as well as other forest gasolines (maple S, Frêne S…). Moreover, the Poplar, a tree sails at the time, is introduced about it on banks of the water part. The goal of the Count was to be able “to travel in its garden”.

1791: The count and the countess owe Exil er and thus give up the garden.

Fall 1792: At the beginning of the count, the rare plants are removed to enrich the collection by the Botanical garden of the Muséum by André Thouin, gardener as a chief of the National Garden of the Plants of Paris.

1792 - 1810: The park has many successive owners. It is badly maintained, the factories are degraded and the Serre as well as the house of dwelling are destroyed.

1810: The Bouillat citizen enters in possession of a park where the vegetation is densified. He carries out some plantations and modifies the layout of the alleys slightly in order to preserve the character of approval of the garden but maintains it little.

1828: The children of Bouillat sell the garden with the State.

1842: The Grand seminar buys the park. Renovation work is carried out (surrounding wall, clearing out of the water part, maintenance of the house of the view-point, disappearance of the river…).

1907: The school Jules Ferry with the hiring of the park. A door between the park and the Potager of the king is created.

1912: A plan is drawn by Rene-Edouard André.

1914: The park is affected with the 3Ecole Nationale Sup3erieure of horticulture.

1914 - 1918: First World War. The park is not maintained.

1926: the park is classified historic building on March 15th.

1930: A project of refitting and restoration of the park is carried out (layout of the alleys, water part…).

1939 - 1945: Second world war. The park is again abandoned. Trees are cut down because of the wood shortage during the war and the park is partially transformed into Verger.

1960: New work of refitting is carried out (pulling up of the fruit trees, new layout of the alleys, replanting of trees). The association of the Friends of the Kitchen garden is created. Visits of the Balbi park are organized.

1982: A convention between ENSH and the Agence of the Green areas of the Area of Ile-de-France is signed for the opening of the park to the public. Alteration work is carried out (fence around the Grotte, repair of the edges of the water part, clearing out of the pond, pruning of the trees…).

1992: A new phase of work is launched.

Fall 2004: The rehabilitation of the Cave and its accesses is started (by two students of the 3Ecole Nationale Sup3erieure of the landscape, Céline MASONRY and Julien DECKER) for the reopening of this cave to the public.

Fall 2005: Opening of the cave to the public in guided visits.

Fall 2006: New opening to the public during the weekend of savors of the kitchen garden of the king (in October).

Winter 2006-2007: Work on timbering (selection, cut, replanting…).

October 2007: New opening at the time of " Versailles and savors of the kitchen garden of the roi". Sunday, October 7: 1200 people visited the cave and its neighborhoods.

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