— Feature
Places to Love
Love and romance have existed continuously throughout human history, but environments in which to express love have evolved. Here we offer a snapshot of locations from the 17th century to the present.
Commissioned by Louis XIV in 1670 to escape the pomp and ceremony of court life and to pursue his affair with Madame de Montespan, the Grand Trianon is the most refined structure on the royal grounds of Versailles. Architect Jules Hardouin-Mansart designed the smaller palace in exquisite single-story proportions and materials — pink marble and porphyry, a reddish volcanic stone. He established a strong relationship to nature via views and easy access to the exterior. But most surprising for a building of its time is a void between the two wings that was requested by the king: an open-air peristyle for indoor-outdoor living that is between the courtyard on one side and fragrant citrus gardens on the other.
For whom was this masterpiece conceived? A woman of outstanding beauty and wit, the Marquise de Montespan held great sway over the royal court and enjoyed the king’s protection for many years. Eventually, however, de Montespan struggled to maintain the upper hand over her rivals and alienated the king. The wily Madame de Maintenon seized the opportunity to step in, and Madame de Montespan left Versailles for good in 1691. The Grand Trianon remains Louis XIV’s tribute to her charms and passion for architecture.
In early 18th century Rococo France, characterized by the “age of allurement,” romance was an elaborate game of cultivated social interactions played out against sophisticated interior design that enabled women’s social and sensual power. In the words of historian Mimi Hellman, courtship was “an exchange in which individuals sought to engage and delight each other with an artfully conducted repertoire of pleasing poses, gestures, expressions, and conversation.”
Fashion, furniture, and objects d’art were all part of a coquettish lifestyle where seduction techniques, backed by carefully cultivated charm and proper etiquette, were transformed into pleasurable experiences mediated by equally luxurious environments (think expensive textiles, gleaming mirrors, and intricately carved paneling) that became one’s theatrical stage for social performance.
During the 1920s Prohibition era, the idea of dating by single young men and women — without an adult chaperone or escort — exploded into the mainstream. The combination of the 18th Amendment, which prohibited the making, transporting and selling of alcohol, combined with the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote, gave rise to speakeasies. These hidden underground clubs, where illegal alcohol was sold and women were allowed to take a seat at the bar, became American cultural institutions during Prohibition. Speakeasies usually had an entrance that was not obvious, leading to a door painted green with a peephole. Once inside the silk-lined walled club, patrons listened to jazz, often from a jukebox or coin-run player pianos and band instrument machines, and they danced the latest craze like the “Charleston,” “Fox Trot,” “Shimmy” and “Lindy Hop.”
Honeymoon resorts took off as soldiers returned from World War II and promptly began to marry. Niagara Falls, for example, became “The Honeymoon Capital of the World.” As people warmed to the idea of intimate encounters, resorts dedicated to all aspects of (straight) romance boomed (think round bed, mirrors, and the obligatory “Do Not Disturb” sign). By the end of the decade, resorts flourished in the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania, with Morris Wilkins, owner of Cove Haven Resort, even inventing the heart-shaped hot tub in 1963.
Situated in the Canadian wilderness two hours outside of Toronto, the Arcana hospitality brand, created by Aruliden and Leckie Studio, is a romantic getaway concept that features stunning cabins designed with wellness and the restorative power of nature in mind (think forest bathing). Clad in reflective polished stainless steel, the cabins become almost invisible as they merge with their green context, reflecting the forest and weather as it changes. The minimalist-design interiors feature a prominent picture window to allow for an immersive experience inside the cabin.
Commissioned by Louis XIV in 1670 to escape the pomp and ceremony of court life and to pursue his affair with Madame de Montespan, the Grand Trianon is the most refined structure on the royal grounds of Versailles. Architect Jules Hardouin-Mansart designed the smaller palace in exquisite single-story proportions and materials — pink marble and porphyry, a reddish volcanic stone. He established a strong relationship to nature via views and easy access to the exterior. But most surprising for a building of its time is a void between the two wings that was requested by the king: an open-air peristyle for indoor-outdoor living that is between the courtyard on one side and fragrant citrus gardens on the other.
For whom was this masterpiece conceived? A woman of outstanding beauty and wit, the Marquise de Montespan held great sway over the royal court and enjoyed the king’s protection for many years. Eventually, however, de Montespan struggled to maintain the upper hand over her rivals and alienated the king. The wily Madame de Maintenon seized the opportunity to step in, and Madame de Montespan left Versailles for good in 1691. The Grand Trianon remains Louis XIV’s tribute to her charms and passion for architecture.
In early 18th century Rococo France, characterized by the “age of allurement,” romance was an elaborate game of cultivated social interactions played out against sophisticated interior design that enabled women’s social and sensual power. In the words of historian Mimi Hellman, courtship was “an exchange in which individuals sought to engage and delight each other with an artfully conducted repertoire of pleasing poses, gestures, expressions, and conversation.”
Fashion, furniture, and objects d’art were all part of a coquettish lifestyle where seduction techniques, backed by carefully cultivated charm and proper etiquette, were transformed into pleasurable experiences mediated by equally luxurious environments (think expensive textiles, gleaming mirrors, and intricately carved paneling) that became one’s theatrical stage for social performance.
During the 1920s Prohibition era, the idea of dating by single young men and women — without an adult chaperone or escort — exploded into the mainstream. The combination of the 18th Amendment, which prohibited the making, transporting and selling of alcohol, combined with the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote, gave rise to speakeasies. These hidden underground clubs, where illegal alcohol was sold and women were allowed to take a seat at the bar, became American cultural institutions during Prohibition. Speakeasies usually had an entrance that was not obvious, leading to a door painted green with a peephole. Once inside the silk-lined walled club, patrons listened to jazz, often from a jukebox or coin-run player pianos and band instrument machines, and they danced the latest craze like the “Charleston,” “Fox Trot,” “Shimmy” and “Lindy Hop.”
Honeymoon resorts took off as soldiers returned from World War II and promptly began to marry. Niagara Falls, for example, became “The Honeymoon Capital of the World.” As people warmed to the idea of intimate encounters, resorts dedicated to all aspects of (straight) romance boomed (think round bed, mirrors, and the obligatory “Do Not Disturb” sign). By the end of the decade, resorts flourished in the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania, with Morris Wilkins, owner of Cove Haven Resort, even inventing the heart-shaped hot tub in 1963.
Situated in the Canadian wilderness two hours outside of Toronto, the Arcana hospitality brand, created by Aruliden and Leckie Studio, is a romantic getaway concept that features stunning cabins designed with wellness and the restorative power of nature in mind (think forest bathing). Clad in reflective polished stainless steel, the cabins become almost invisible as they merge with their green context, reflecting the forest and weather as it changes. The minimalist-design interiors feature a prominent picture window to allow for an immersive experience inside the cabin.
