Els jardins de Mallorca en els Segles XVIII XIX. Del paisatge il·lustrat a l'eclecticisme burgès

Résumé

Introduccion The subject of this doctoral thesis is the study of the historical, artistic and heritage aspects of the gardens constructed in Mallorca during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. It is an area of investigation that has remained barely researched among the local academic circles. It is in this period when the creation of gardens reaches one of its highest points. Furthermore, this paper demonstrates that both centuries define the start and further development of a renewed culture in gardening. The influence of the Enlightenment is clearly identified at the origin of the process and it will be consolidated in the course of the second century. To understand and interpret the specificities and the scope of the local contributions , we shall widen the chronological framework of the analysis going back to the early conceptual and physical manifestations of the garden. The argument is built on theoretical and methodological parameters which are based on the interpretation of the garden as a space connected to the landscape, a garden which is particularly sensitive to changes and transformations. Consequently, the analysis includes the impact from the social, cultural and artistic factors of the region . Also, a close scrutiny has been applied over the specific morphology and precise rules that shape the particular landscape, both urban and rural, where the garden is integrated and, in turn, contributing to its characterisation. Content of research This study is the result of the systematization of general information collection, fieldwork data and archival research, either from existing and extinct gardens. The results are presented in four sections: the first one sets the disciplinary framework of the garden as an object of study of Art History, because it is an art form as well as a heritage resource. The second section offers an up to date knowledge in the evolution of the gardens, from Antiquity to the Modern Age. The third one focuses on the analysis of the practice of gardening in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The fourth section consists of a critical appraisal of heritage management concerning gardens , including a specific study of the eight existing units protected under the category of Historic Garden. Conclusions The general objectives considered are, to provide a chronological and stylistic systematization, to assess the quantitative and qualitative significance of the creation of gardens on the general discourse of the arts in Mallorca and, to determine their impact on the characterization of the cultural landscape. In addition, this work suggests several scientific and methodological instruments to overcome the existing shortcomings on the subject and to contribute, through the discipline of Art History, to the effectiveness of the tutelary actions .