In 1545 an orangery was built in Padua, Italy but the first orangeries were very practical and not ornamental as they later became. Most orangeries had no heating other than an open fire. Another orangery was used as part of the Renaissance Gardens in Italy and it is said that orangeries were built due the development of glass-making technology which meant that glass could be produced in large sheets.
Orangeries were usually built facing south to take advantage of the maximum possible light and they were constructed using materials such as brick or stone bases, stone or brick pillars and a corbel gutter. Orangeries were a symbol of wealth and if you had a grand glazed roof then this made a family appear wealthier and more aristocratic.
Orangeries date back to the 17th century in Britain where they were mainly used by rich landowners to house citrus trees such as orange and lemon during the winter months to protect them from the cold and bitter weather.
In 1705, Queen Anne had an extravagant orangery built at Kensington Palace. It was built in the style of an elegant palace to protect her citrus trees but she also discovered that the orangery was the perfect place to host court entertaining away from the Palace of Whitehall.
It was also around this time that the idea of dining etiquette evolved. In the late 17th century, nobles who were suffering from weariness within the royal courts of France came up with ideas on how to amuse themselves and gradually, they made their way to English high society. As it came into the 18th century, code began to rule every action at the dining table.
Grand and extravagant table ornaments flourished such as grand candelabras and grandiose flower arrangements to create awe and excitement but again, it was also to show off their wealth. Tableware became somewhat of an obsession and if there was a tool invented for a task, it was bought. At dinner, a formal gathering might sit down to as many as nine wine glasses and stunning silverware including everything from oyster prongs to stilton spoons. If you were dining in an orangery then you were seen as a very lucky and classy person to have been invited to such an amazing experience.
The first examples of orangeries were very basic constructions which could be removed during the summer months and some orangeries were built using the garden wall as the main wall of the new orangery.
Due to the exotic plants and citrus trees that could be grown in an orangery, this increased the demand for an orangery in gardens by the wealthy so that they could have their own private gardens. This further fuelled the status of the orangery as it became the symbol of the elite.
The orangery at Chatsworth House was designed by Joseph Paxton who was the designer of The Crystal Palace. His “great conservatory” was in fact an orangery and it was a glass house of huge proportion. He started it in 1837 and at the time, it was the largest glass building in the world. There was a central carriageway and when the Queen was driven through, it was grandly lit with 12,000 lamps! However, it was massively expensive to maintain and it was not heated during WWI. The plants died and then it was demolished in the 1920’s.
There are many continental orangeries all across Europe in places such as Austria, Belgium, Poland, Russia, Sweden and Germany.
