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Rural Landscapes - Marc Benoît - Éditions Quae

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Rural Landscapes

Name: Paysages de campagne
Brand: Éditions Quae
SKU: 9782759241132
Price: 25.0 EUR
Availability: InStock
ISBN: 978-2-7592-4113-2

Where Terroirs Take Root

by Marc Benoît (writer), Yann Arthus-Bertrand (preface)

Collection: Beaux livres

october 2025

Hardback book 210 x 240 format 144 pages In stock	25,00 €
eBook [PDF] 144 pages Download after purchase	16,99 €
eBook [ePub] Download after purchase	16,99 €

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Summary

The landscapes of the French countryside are in constant motion. They shift and transform with the passing seasons, the rhythms of harvest, and the changing of generations.

Shaped by the hands of women and men, but also by the climate, this captivating world gives rise to forms and textures that have long inspired great artists. From the paintings of Millet, Monet, and Van Gogh to the photographs of Yann Arthus-Bertrand, agricultural landscapes stir emotion, invite contemplation, and spark creativity. They are the result of a delicate interplay between permanence and change, between heritage and innovation.

From the emergence of Gallo-Roman villas to the recent recognition of terroirs through labels like AOC and PGI, this book traces the major transformations that have shaped rural landscapes over time. From cereal fields to terraced vineyards, from pastures and orchards to olive groves, vegetable plots, and even wind farms, each region reveals a unique alliance between nature and know-how.

These landscapes form a living mosaic—a reflection of cultures, climates, and agricultural histories. A remarkable heritage waiting to be discovered.

Read the foreword - Yann Arthus-Bertrand

A Hymn to the Beauty of Our Landscapes (Preface by Yann Arthus-Bertrand)

Landscapes and Humanity: A Constant Relationship

THE FOUNDATIONS OF AGRICULTURAL LANDSCAPES

Soils: The Ever-Present Foundation

Slopes to Tame – The Ongoing Battle with Gravity

Removing Stones: More Room for Roots to Grow

Managing Excess Water

Coping with Water Shortages

Maintaining Paths and Tracks

The Clocks of the Landscape

THE LONG HISTORIES OF OUR COUNTRYSIDE

Roman Villas and Roads: A Lasting Revolution

When Forests Took Back the Countryside

How Permanent Grasslands Replaced Open-Field Crops

How Mechanisation Reshaped Rural Patterns

Modern Livestock Buildings Leave the Villages Behind

Labels, PDOs and PGIs: The Landscape as a Mark of Origin

Green and Blue Corridors: New Elements of Rural Planning

OUR LANDSCAPES, MIRRORS OF OUR AGRICULTURAL OUTPUT

The Main Forms of Today’s Farming Systems

A Landscape of Cheese Diversity!

Sheep Farming and the Beauty of Pastures

Beef Production: A Resilient Niche

Cereals: Shaping the Rural Matrix

Landscapes of Energy Crops

Vegetables: A Thousand Expressions of the Land

Sugar Crops and the Geopolitics of Landscapes

Vineyard Landscapes: A Continuous Reinvention

Oils from Seeds and Fruits

Fruits: Between Family Orchards and Specialised Production

Iconic Crops That Gave Rise to Iconic Landscapes

Large public

Scientists and professionals

Rural Landscapes

Summary

Table of contents

A Hymn to the Beauty of Our Landscapes (Preface by Yann Arthus-Bertrand)

Landscapes and Humanity: A Constant Relationship

THE FOUNDATIONS OF AGRICULTURAL LANDSCAPES

Soils: The Ever-Present Foundation

Slopes to Tame – The Ongoing Battle with Gravity

Removing Stones: More Room for Roots to Grow

Managing Excess Water

Coping with Water Shortages

Maintaining Paths and Tracks

The Clocks of the Landscape

THE LONG HISTORIES OF OUR COUNTRYSIDE

Roman Villas and Roads: A Lasting Revolution

When Forests Took Back the Countryside

How Permanent Grasslands Replaced Open-Field Crops

How Mechanisation Reshaped Rural Patterns

Modern Livestock Buildings Leave the Villages Behind

Labels, PDOs and PGIs: The Landscape as a Mark of Origin

Green and Blue Corridors: New Elements of Rural Planning

OUR LANDSCAPES, MIRRORS OF OUR AGRICULTURAL OUTPUT

The Main Forms of Today’s Farming Systems

A Landscape of Cheese Diversity!

Sheep Farming and the Beauty of Pastures

Beef Production: A Resilient Niche

Cereals: Shaping the Rural Matrix

Landscapes of Energy Crops

Vegetables: A Thousand Expressions of the Land

Sugar Crops and the Geopolitics of Landscapes

Vineyard Landscapes: A Continuous Reinvention

Oils from Seeds and Fruits

Fruits: Between Family Orchards and Specialised Production

Iconic Crops That Gave Rise to Iconic Landscapes

These Agricultural Landscapes Belong to You

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