For over 350 years Parisians have designed and

preserved phenomenal public outdoor spaces. In

this book Jacqueline Widmar Stewart follows the

finespun threads of the parklands tapestry in

greater Paris. Identification of various hallmarks

of premiere park-building eras imbues individual

parks with multi-dimensional qualities and allows

readers to experience these grand green places

in the way Parisians do.

Multiple layers of elements and themes are

woven into the fabric of French parks. Reaching

back as far as its Roman heritage, vestiges of

the history of Paris are apparent in virtually all its

parks, regardless of size. Even the balanced distribution

of green spaces throughout the city reflects

a major 19thcentury cityplanning epoch

and is still carried forward in current park development.

A number of French parks and gardens from

the 17th century initially belonged to royal estates

but now welcome public visits - it should

be noted that the Tuileries first opened its gates

to the public in 1667. Thoughtfully designed and

meticulously tailored to needs of the time, others

have covered unsightly urban blight with splendor,

and have converted industrial sites to recreational

usage while maintaining cultural ties with

the past. Many marvels beckon all who enter

Paris' magical spheres: a several-kilometer-long

landscaped promenade above busy streets; a

modern garden suspended above a major train

station; the Parc de la Villette with its grand red

architectural curiosities of form and motion; a midisland

allée in the Seine; newly created marshlands

now home to mallard ducklings; clouds of

fragrance from rose-descendants of Josephine

Bonaparte's original collection; not one, but two

gardens of the quintessential sculptor, Auguste

Rodin.