Help us give back their beauty to William Christie’s gardens

 

Dear friends of my garden,
  
We faced a terrible situation on the morning of the 6th of March last. Part of my garden was laid waste, by a storm of an extreme violence. Here are a few pictures of the damage it caused : 

  

Fifteen fully grown adult trees, weeping willows, ash trees, holm oaks and poplars, which I had planted 30 years ago on the banks of the river and in the woods which you will recall, have been uprooted. Our immediate response to the emergency was to get rid of the dangerous trees which were in danger of falling, but there are still an enormous amount of damage to be repaired before the Spring Festival which will take place at the end of April, and above all before our festival Dans les Jardins de William Christie at the end of August.
  
I am making an appeal to you to help us. Your help, even if it is moderate would be infinitely useful and precious. This garden is your garden, I share it with you, and I would be incredibly touched if you were to participate in bringing back its beauty after this sad event.
  
Yours faithfully,
  
William Christie

Around a late-sixteenth-century house, Wiliam Christie's garden, also called the "Jardin du Bâtiment", has been an on-going creation since 1987 when the musical director and founder of Les Arts Florissants settled in the Vendée. Labeled a “Jardin Remarquable” in 2004 and added to the French Supplementary List of Historic Monuments in 2006, it drawn inspiration from the manierist and baroque gardens which were in full blow in France and Italy during the 17th and 18th centuries. Organized as a succession of eclectic spaces, the gardens form a sophisticated architecture where the walkers can stride along a boschetto, a cloister or even an aquatic garden. 

The tempest on March 6, 2017 has caused important damage: the estimate cost is of 12 000 €. In order to finance the renovation works before the Festival de Printemps (Spring Festival), during which the garden will be open to the public, we appeal to your generosity to gather a first sum of 4 000 € that will enable us to deal with the most pressing issues. Thanks to your help, visitors will have the possibility to enjoy the garden this year again.