3. - Schlösser-Magazin

3. Palace
76
3. Justification for Inscription
and Garden of Het Loo
Basic Facts
Location: Netherlands, province of Gueldre,
city of Apeldoorn
Historical outline: In 1684 Wilhelm III
purchases the medieval castle of “Het Oude
Loo”; 1685-1692 construction of a new
hunting lodge by Jacob Roman; from 1688
laying out of the garden by Daniel Marot;
1688 the residence is transferred to “Hampton
Court” in England; after the death of the
King in 1702 the palace is used as a hunting
lodge and summer residence; in the second
half of the 18th-century Willem V has the
“Upper Garden” redesigned as a landscape
garden by Philip W. Schonck; 1795 pillage
and afterwards decline of the garden; 1806-
1810 King Louis Napoleon’s summer palace,
landscaping of the garden, remains of the
formal layout are replaced with a design by
Alexandre Dufour; from 1815 under Wilhelm
I until 1975 used as a summer residence
again; King Willem III has an arboretum
added; from 1984 thorough restoration of
the palace and establishment of a museum;
1979-1984 reconstruction of the garden based
on that of 1684.
Characteristics: Palace and garden form a
unified whole; the high ground-water level
and numerous natural springs favour the
installation of fountains, canals and water
displays. A characteristic feature are the
raised walks surrounding the “Lower Garden”,
creating an impression of enclosed space
and contributing to the personal, intimate
character.
Topical Comparison
Summer residence: As at Schwetzingen
the comparatively large garden points to
a primary use as a summer residence. The
estate is aligned on an axis cutting through
the centre of the palace and garden, but is not
connected by it to the neighbouring town of
Apeldoorn.
Synthesis of gardening styles: Around 1795 the
„Upper Garden” was landscaped; the octagonal
basin was integrated into the design. At
the beginning of the 19th-century the
terraces were leveled, architectural remains
of the older garden were dismantled, the
“Lower Garden” filled in and the entire area
redesigned as a large open lawn bordered by
clumps of various trees.
Furnishing: Originally lavish but poorly
documented regarding the statuary;
outstanding water displays, with the “King’s
Well” fountain rising 13m into the air, at
the time the highest in Europe; current
furnishing of the reconstructed garden patchy,
consisting of original pieces, statues from
other estates, copies and elements made with
artificial stone; in the surrounding landscape
garden a wooden tea pavilion of 1856 and the
bathhouse (1876) survive.
Technical monuments: During reconstruction
work done in the palace and garden original
pieces of machinery were found, among them
fragments of water conduits; they cannot,
however, be used.
Authenticity: The formal garden enclosed by
walls had disppareared completely and has
been reconstructed from historical sources,
etchings, a contemporaneous description and
archaeological findings. Outside the “Upper”
and “Lower Gardens” the landscape garden
with 19th-century alterations survives; part of
its original statuary has been preserved.