Entre ville et campagne, la villégiature à Angers (Maine-et-Loire) au XIXe siècle

What are the forms of countryside retreat during the nineteenth century in the immediate vicinity of a medium-sized town such as Angers? The subject is a remarkably stimulating one during this period which saw the expansion of the town into the surrounding countryside where an existing heritage of country houses was now joined by new ‘residential’ spaces of suburban neighbourhoods. The fluctuating frontier between urban and rural space, along with evolving notions of the occupation of time, making the distinction between a permanent and a holiday residence uncertain, find an echo in the theories of Daly about the town-based desires for modern comfort shared by the class of country house owners. The societal phenomenon finds expression in architectural terms which is often ambivalent, producing differences in relation to specific places. From the urban street front to the rural lane, from the miniature landscaped garden to the estate park, contextual parameters are clearly paramount in understanding the ways of staying in the country in the vicinity of the town