Marly, jardin des eaux

Marly, a water garden. At the time of their creation during the 17th c., the hydraulic installations of the royal park of the Marly château (sold in 1799) were quite exceptional. The form and use of elements which are today lost or destroyed can be reconstituted, thanks to archaeological excavations launched in 1985, the results of which are compared with archival sources and early representations of the site. The Marly park is best remembered for the techniques and decoration of its fountains, but the hydraulic system as a whole was far more complete and more diversified than that. This « water garden » is known to have been conceived by the architect J. Hardouin-Mansart ; the same (Vitry) family of fountain-builders was responsible for the upkeep of the garden for a century. The article studies the organization and function of the following elements : the water network with its reservoirs and extensive canalizations built between 1683 and 1686 ; the décor (waterfalls, jets of water and fountains) ; and, finally, the « water service » (baths, drinking, washing water, etc.). Decoration was by no means the only preoccupation ; the system allowed for day-to-day functional uses as well as decorative ones. A complete use of water’s different properties was made possible by the exceptional range of technical achievements realized in its supply.