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Earthly Utopias
Sacred Gardens of the World
by Yolanda Zappaterra
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Pub Date 3 Sep 2024 | Archive Date 26 Jul 2024
Quarto Publishing Group – White Lion | Frances Lincoln
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Description
This rich, beautiful book takes readers from the mountains of Kashmir to a repurposed castle in the west of Ireland, as it tours the most magnificent sacred gardens in the world.
Elements from religious gardens – from labyrinths and grottos to monastic herb gardens and geometrical patterns – have long been familiar in garden design, as has the tradition of seeking spiritual enlightenment through nature. But this book takes the reader straight to the source, showcasing the best gardens designed and informed directly by religious and spiritual teachings.
These include functional gardens created by monks for sanctuary, medicine and food; the sacred bathing pools of Tirta Gangga in Bali; and the kare-sansui garden at Ryōan-ji, informed by Zen Buddhism. Many are ancient sites full of myth, others have been lovingly restored from ruin, and some have been newly created in recent years in a bid to get closer to the Divine, through traditional religion or the worship of nature itself.
Earthly Utopias visits cathedrals, monasteries, and ruined abbeys; temples, mausoleums, and shrines; forests, islands, and deserts, in search of these sacred gardens. And each one serves as a prime example of how religion, philosophy, and spirituality can inform and inspire beautiful garden design.
Available Editions
EDITION | Other Format |
ISBN | 9780711285897 |
PRICE | US$45.00 (USD) |
PAGES | 240 |
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
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Forty sacred gardens across the globe are captured in stunning photos and informative text. Now, I want to visit each one, as will readers from around the world, whether gardeners nor not. Would make a spectacular gift for travelers and those keen on seeing examples of magnificent gardens. Highly recommended!
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The photographs of the world's best gardens are magnificent and inviting. The list is very well curated. It was a fantastic visual treat. It's a great book to possess. I'd highly recommend this for everyone who loves nature.
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One of the most beautiful books I've read.
The photography is phenomenal - it captures the title beautifully.
You can use it as a travel inspiration or if you'd just like to look at something pretty.
I'll definitely buy this in future and read it again!
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As an ardent lover of gardens and botanics, I had to read this book.
As also someone whose research interests include utopianism, I was eager to find out about more earthly beauties.
A wide range of gardens across the world are included with great selection of photos (I imagine they will look great in print) and informative text.
I must say I am not interested in the religious aspect of these gardens, but rather how they are good for the communities and people’s well-being.
It was lovely to see some of my favourite places in this book as well as many new ones I have not visited or was not aware they existed.
I will revisit this book on dark winter days and on warm days to wind down.
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What a beautiful book!! It had the most gorgeous illustrations, and just all of the information given about each place was superb. Wonderfully done!
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Earthly Utopias: Sacred Gardens of the World by Yolanda Zappaterra
The Gardens are absolutely spectacular, so beautiful and serene. The photography make the gardens pop out at you with brilliant colors and shapes.
Reading the history of these gardens was very interesting and informative. Excellent!
Thank NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
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Earthly Utopias: Sacred Gardens of the World
Yolanda Zappaterra
This is a celebration of forty of the most beautiful places on Earth. Author Yolanda Zappaterra takes readers on a journey to visit the gardens that are filled with magic. Each has its own distinct structure or purpose. Each is beautiful.
While my garden would never be called perfect it does bring me tranquility, peace and harmony. The gardens in this book bring an inner peace. They are located around the world from North American to Europe, to Asia, and Africa.
The photographs in this book are breathtaking. As I looked through this book and read the background for each garden, I found peace as though I was sitting in the garden meditating.
Thank you NetGalley for providing a copy for review.
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I loved this! I firstly can not even believe all those places exist in real life!
This book is full of GORGEOUS images, and also locations and descriptions of these wonderful gardens.. It's just such a little vacation for your mind.. I wanna get this for myself so I can flip through it whenever and daydream before I - hopefully - visit at least some of them. :)
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Lovely pictures of gardens from around the globe, with some informative text.
Real talk, I only showed up for the pictures. They did not disappoint.
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Earthly Utopias is full of stunning gardens. The pictures are breathtaking and transport the reader to another place and in some cases, time. There are gardens represented from all over the world. The author provides an introductory discussion regarding “sacred garden” and what it could mean. Whatever your takeaway is, there is peace and tranquility to be found in the beauty of nature. From rustic to ornate, there is something for everyone. Each location has a small introduction or background as well as some descriptive paragraphs to provide further insights to the pictures. Get lost in these beautiful utopias!
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley and all opinions expressed are solely my own, freely given.
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A breathtaking book of some of the most known and unknown gardens around the world. Yolonda Zappaterra takes you on a tour of some of the most beautiful and unique gardens in Italy, Japan, Australia, China and many other countries. From a detailed description of each garden, you will also learn of the garden’s history, why it was built and what was the garden’s purpose.
Spanning 40 different gardens in cathedrals, castles, monasteries, mausoleums, churches, and restored ruins in location throughout the world, you will visit, forests, islands, Italy, Nigeria, Japan and almost every continent.
As an avid photographer and gardener myself, I quickly fell in love with this book. I found myself going back to look at the stunning photographs, hoping one day to visit some of these masterpieces. An absolutely beautiful book that makes you want to travel! Beautiful detailed descriptions given so that the reader can walk through the gardens through the author’s eyes. The author not only gives detailed descriptions of the beautiful gardens but a thorough history of the garden, its location and history. This would be a great coffee table book that would not go over looked!
Thank you NetGalley for an advanced digital copy of this book for an honest review.
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Photos are the star of this photo book of religious gardens from around the world. The forth gardens show are truly from around the world and not European or American centric. I’ve visited only four of the sights covered including the beautiful Alhambra in Spain where I was only months ago. This is more of a coffee table book for a garden lover or traveler and not a how to make your own garden. The photos are lovely and give a feeling of tranquility and peacefulness. Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group - White Lion for the temporary ARC and I am leaving an honest review.
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