The Grand Tour and Stourhead Gardens

Overview of the Grand Tour

• A popular 18th-century travel tradition for young aristocrats and gentry.
• Purpose: To enhance education and cultural knowledge.
• Traditional Route:
  • Arrival in Paris.
  • Transport across the Alps (by chair or carriage at Montsuni).
  • Visits aimed at famous festivals (e.g., Carnival in Venice, Holy Week in Rome).
• Tourists returned home with:
  • Books
  • Works of art
  • Statues and fountains

Influence of Palladio

• Palladian Architecture:
  • Italian Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio became influential in England.
  • Example: Palladian villa at Stourhead, completed in 1725 for Henry Hall.
• Gardens at Stourhead:
  • Inspired by the Grand Tour.
  • Developed by various family members over the years.
  • Creation of celebrated gardens.

Notable Features of Stourhead Gardens

• Henry Hall II (Henry the Magnificent):
  • Vision to create an unsurpassable place.
  • Installed spectacular garden features.
• Temple of Flora:
  • A garden building dedicated to the Roman goddess of flowers and spring.
  • First to be erected in the gardens.
• Grottoes:
  • Popular in Italian renaissance gardens as retreats from summer heat.
  • Notable feature: Ariadne, a sleeping nymph on a marble plinth.
• Gothic Cottage:
  • Originally a rustic building, likely used as a summer house.
• Pantheon:
  • Inspired by the Pantheon in Rome.
  • Largest garden building at Stourhead.
• Temple of Apollo:
  • Built to surpass the earlier Temple of the Sun at Kew.
  • Dedicated to Apollo, the sun god; offers views over the lake.
• Ornamental Palladian Bridge:
  • Represents the culmination of the grand tour experience at Stourhead.

Conclusion

• Stourhead Gardens exemplify the influence of the Grand Tour and Palladian architecture, creating a unique legacy of art and nature.