Use of Fountains and Statuary in English Monastic Gardens
Below is a MRR and PLR article in category Home Family -> subcategory Gardening.
The Role of Fountains and Statuary in English Monastic Gardens
Exploring English Monastic Gardens
While precise historical records of English monastic gardens are scarce, a twelfth-century plan of Canterbury provides some insight. This plan illustrates a cloister featuring a herbarium, a garden fountain, and a conduit, alongside a garden pond, orchard, and vineyard outside the walls. However, this document remains one of the most detailed from that early period.
Insights from the Continent
Monasteries of the same order tended to share similar layouts, allowing us to infer the general design of English monastic gardens from continental sources. The plan of the ancient St. Gall monastery in Switzerland, associated with the Benedictines in the ninth century, offers valuable information. Situated in a valley, St. Gall’s grounds were divided into four sections: the cloister-garth, ornamental fountains and statuary, a vegetable garden, and a combined orchard and burial ground.
Layout and Features
The cloister-garth was a square area planted with grass and shrubs, divided into four equal parts by two intersecting paths. At its center was a savina, a decorative fountain used for drinking and washing. These cloisters, located south of the church, were surrounded by large garden statuary and significant communal buildings.
Fountains and statuary were logically placed near the center of activity, providing moisture for various plants like peppermint, rosemary, sage, and roses, each valued for medicinal uses.
The Kitchen Garden
Designed on a larger scale, the kitchen garden featured eighteen identical oblong beds, each dedicated to a different vegetable or herb such as onion, garlic, parsley, and lettuce. This area was overseen by the head gardener, known as the hortulanus.
The Burial Ground
In the burial ground, honorary statues, trees, and shrubs were placed among the graves, creating a striking ornamental effect. Surrounding a central fountain, one could find apple, pear, plum, fig, and walnut trees. This lush foliage, accompanied by fountains and statuary, almost concealed the graves, providing a serene setting that blends historical elegance with what we might consider modern aesthetics.
Through this glimpse into monastic gardens, we gain an appreciation for the thoughtful integration of nature, art, and function in these sacred spaces.
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