Factories

Canon is one of the few parks fortunate enough to have preserved all of its original fabriques. These little fantasy monuments “built by human hands in nature” were hugely popular in the 18th century, under the influence of philosophers and painters such as Hubert Robert and Watteau.

The craze for these fanciful constructions was also the result of a revolution in the art of gardens. Gardens were no longer purely picturesque or decorative, but mirrored new ideas stemming from recent discoveries in history, geography, science and economics.

The garden can now be explored like a vast Encyclopedia, becoming a space of freedom and sensibility where the utopias cherished by philosophers can flourish.

In Canon Park, for example, the Chinese kiosk reflects a quest for the exotic, while the Greek temple evokes antiquity… all of which suggest the atmosphere of Watteau’s “fêtes galantes” or the writings of J.J. Rousseau.
This is why visitors should devote enough time to their stroll to make it a real “flânerie”…