©Pierre Gondard
Rendez-vous aux jardins
Rendez-vous aux jardins is an annual event that highlights the diversity and richness of parks and gardens, encourages exchanges between visitors and professionals, and promotes their restoration and preservation.This year, the theme “Stone Gardens, Gardens of Stone” perfectly resonates with the Citadelle de Marseille and its approach to bridging heritage — from built structures to natural heritage.
Program
End of residency presentation by Mathilde Dewavrin
A Democracy of Stones
Speculative roaming investigation
Mathilde Dewavrin,architect-builder and interdisciplinary performer, is in residence at the fort for five months working on the Citadelle Chimérique project. Her work will culminate in an alternative cartography of the site, woven from intertwined stories, the concrete and the abstract, words and textures, along with a theatrical and wandering presentation in the form of a series of events centered around the themes of habitat, life, and imagination.
For Rendez-vous aux Jardins, she invites you to embark on an investigation of the stones by exploring the Fort Saint Nicolas territory. Blending fiction and expert testimonies, A Democracy of Stones aims to open imaginations, connect sediments, and serve as fertile ground for utopias. What if stones could speak…
At 4:00 PM
Duration: 2 hours
Launch of the Fauna, Flora and Fortifications tours
An integral part of the monument’s history alongside its architecture and memory, the natural heritage of Fort Saint-Nicolas includes its gardens, the rocky spur on which it was built, and the wildlife that inhabits it. With a commitment to restoring the site responsibly and in line with regenerative principles, we aim to give the fort’s natural ecosystems the same care and attention as the built environment and its people.
This tour offers a fresh perspective on the fort by redefining the very notion of a garden. As you stroll along the fort’s glacis — the minimalist outdoor spaces known as gardens — and the military architecture, be surprised by the unique biodiversity that has flourished at the heart of the site. The tour also questions the complex relationship between humans and the soil, explores the vital role of nature in urban environments, and reveals how history deeply shapes our ecosystems.
At 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM