Armoiries I hear you say. OK, coat of arms.
Manteaux de bras?
No, armoiries - read closely, there is 'arms' in armoiries 
OK, what can you see on the coat of arms?
Snails?
No, , they don't have houses on their backs, they are slugs(limaçons)! Beurk! Yuk! But look at their eyes, they're wide awake(bien révéillé), looking around, not sliding(glissant) along under the grass!
It's not a joke, this is real, this is somebody's coat of arms.
Whose?
You'll never guess in a thousand years.
They belong to Lenôtre - no, not the chocolate man. That was GASTON Lenôtre. This is André.
You remember, LouisXIV favourite gardener between 1645 and 1700, the one who created the gardens of Versailles and the famous 'jardins à la française'.
Mind you, he had no real merit, his father Jean was already(déjà) the king's gardener in the Tuileries gardens and his mother the daughter of a gardener; his godfather(parrain) was chief administrator of the king's gardens under Henry IV and Louis X11; his godmother(marraine) was the wife of a king's gardener!! In the family, so to speak (pour ainsi dire)!!
So, why did he have slugs on his coat of arms?
He was ennobled by Louis XIV in 1675 and when Louis ordered him to choose his coat of arms, he joked about it and said he had already 3 slugs crowned by a cabbage(un chou). The king had a coat of arms made: a sand coloured background(fond) engraved with a gold chevron shape and three silver(argent) slugs!
(A chevron symbolizes protection; for builders or others who have accomplished some work of faithful (bons et loyaux) service. A slug is a symbol of foresight (prévoyance). READ ABOUT HIM IN FRENCH)
So, why am I writing about him today?
Because I discovered 2013 in Lenôtre year and all sorts of celebrations will be taking place(auront lieu). He was born on March 12th 1613, 400 years ago and his gardens are still admired today. What an achievement! (quelle prouesse)!
So, everybody, get out(sortez) into your gardens, onto your balconies, it's celebration year for French gardens, let's see what you can do.
Tag - gardens
Sunday, March 10 2013
WHAT'S THIS?
By carolweb on Sunday, March 10 2013,
Wednesday, October 27 2010
BACK FROM PARIS
By carolweb on Wednesday, October 27 2010,
It was wonderful (merveilleux) weather in Paris and my photos have lovely blue sky - reflections again.
This is the Géode at the Cité des Sciences at La Villette, a wonderful place to take photos. You can go inside THE GEODE and watch films on a giant hemispheric screen.
This is a reflection of a modern art sculpture placed in a fountain pool in the TUILERIES GARDENS, also a good place to take photos, of quite a different nature. These gardens were created by Catherine de Médicis in 1564, are full of classical statues from the 19th century, but there are some modern ones too; there are two bronzes by Paul Belmondo. this week there were 30 modern works of art in the gardens as part of the FIAC (Foire International d'Art Contemporain). Some artists placed their work in the trees or in the water.
Parisians and tourists love to walk there or sit and rest round the fountain pools. It's a large open space where you are surrounded with (entouré de) beauty.
Friday, May 28 2010
GARDENS in PARIS
By carolweb on Friday, May 28 2010,
There are many gardens and parks in Paris and when the weather is fine the gardens are full: people walking, running, sitting, reading, talking, sunbathing, playing....
This is the garden at the Sénat; there are tables here, not just chairs, because there is a chess board (un jeu d'échecs) drawn on the table. The men under these beautiful, purple pologna trees are playing chess.
The fountains have great success,everybody sits round them.
This fountain is in the gardens of the Palais Royal and just next to them is the square with the columns of Buren.
Strange, but beautiful. people climb (grimpent) on them, sit on them, and everybody takes photos of them.