The Hameau de la Reine at Versailles and the reproduction of vernacular architecture

• Autores: Domenico Crispino
• Localización: Vernacular Heritage: Culture, People and Sustainability: Heritage 2022 International Conference / coord. por Camilla Mileto, Fernando Vegas López-Manzanares, Valentina Cristini, Lidia García Soriano, 2022, ISBN 978-84-1396-020-3, págs. 79-85
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • The proposed paper analyses the system of small buildings that compose the Hameau de la Reine in the Petit Trianon gardens in the park of the royal palace of Versailles. The complex of architectural artefacts, built at the end of the 18th century, emulates the features of vernacular architecture typical of the villages of Normandy. The main interest lies in the analysis of the masonry which reproduces the signs of wear caused by the salty coastal climate of northern France using the trompe-l'oeil technique. The studies conducted on the buildings of the Hameau de la Reine highlight the typical features of Norman vernacular architecture. The analysis process can be achieved through the methodologies of the restoration discipline, The availability of many iconographic and documentary sources testifies the will of the planner to emulate the vernacular landscape by reproducing the peculiarities of its architecture. Enlightenment thought derived from the physiocratic theories expressed by Quesnay and the Marquis de Mirabeau is the cornerstone of the design and realization of this section of Marie-Antoinette's Domaine. The contribution intends to underline, through the analysis of the method of imitation of vernacular architecture, the importance that this architectural typology assumes in the process of rediscovery and fruition of the territory. The analysis of the Hameau complex testifies how vernacular architecture, not yet codified according to this terminology, was already identified at the end of the 18th century as an example of high-quality value that found its effective collocation within the boundaries of the royal park of Versailles. The characteristics of this architecture allow it to find an effective place even inside the perimeter of the royal park of Versailles. It is possible to identify the prodromes of the modern architectural sensibility that recognizes and codifies the values of vernacular architecture within the site studied by this paper proposal.