2023-10-13 08:22:49
Eight hundred citrus trees in Weimar, twelve hundred bitter oranges in Dresden, seven hundred pineapple trees in Gotha: the 18th century was an extravagant era of plant cultivation in Central Germany, because incredible quantities of exotic plants adorned the aristocratic parks and gardens in summer, while specially built orangeries with sophisticated Heating and ventilation technology as well as south-facing window fronts ensured balanced temperature control and thus ensured the survival of the valuables in the Nordic winter. The focus of the plant euphoria was citrus fruits, especially lemons, oranges and bitter oranges, bergamots, grapefruits and Adam’s apples. Their special reverence was based on their evergreen foliage, the simultaneous flowering and fruiting as well as the intensity of the bright colors and beguiling scents. A special myth surrounded the bitter oranges: they were considered to be offshoots of the legendary golden fruits from the gardens of the Hesperides, which were said to have given the gods of ancient Greece eternal youth. In his groundbreaking “Hesperides” work in 1708, the botanist Johann Volkamer described the Citrus genus not only in a down-to-earth way as the “most beautiful ornament in gardening”, but at the same time in a mythologically exalted way as “fruits of promise”.
The remarkable flowering of the orangery culture in Central Germany was due to the small states there during times of feudalism. In the 18th century, in addition to the Electorate of Saxony, the region consisted of numerous duchies, principalities and counties, a patchwork quilt that was further interwoven by numerous exclaves and enclaves. No center of power held these territories together; on the contrary: through the division of inheritance, they broke up into ever smaller individual parts. Nevertheless, the aristocratic dynasties within the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation fought over influence and prestige. However, the states were generally too small for military adventures, and so they competed in the fields of architecture, art and culture. The pomp on display determined the respective ruler’s position in the feudal hierarchy.
#Versailles #isnt #beautiful