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THE OLD GARDENS 
OF ITALY 


Tre Ram Gates, Roporr Garnens. 


THE OLD GARDENS 
OF ITALY 


HOW TO VISIT THEM 


BY 


Mrs. AUBREY LE BLOND 


WITH ILLUSTRATIONS FROM HER 
PHOTOGRAPHS 


Lonpon: JOHN LANE, THE BODLEY HEAD 
New York: JOHN LANE COMPANY MCMXII 


@15920 


COM. £7 19%, 


o 


“6 #7. J bhir & mr 


Sc sy 


“Tt is the glory of the Italian garden architects 
that neglect and disintegration cannot wholly mar 
the effect they were skilled in creating—effects due 
to such a fine sense of proportion, to so exquisite a 
perception of the relation between architecture and 
landscape, between verdure and marble, that while 
a trace of their plan remains one feels the spell of 
the whole.” 

Italian Villas and their Gardens. 


INTRODUCTION. 


Tuts little book only aims at guiding the traveller 
to most of the old gardens a Italy and leaves it 
to the larger works to furnish him with fuller in- 
formation and more numerous plans. The author, 
when illustrating “The Art 3 Garden Design in 
Italy,” by H. Inigo Triggs, was struck by the 
difficulty experienced in finding the various gar- 
dens and learning from whom permission to view 
them was obtainable. It seemed to her that a 
small volume including as many gardens as she 
could hear of, and condensed within reasonable 
limits, might find a place between the big books 
giving technical information, and those, such as 
Elgood’s beautiful “Italian Gardens,” that aim 
more especially at the pictorial representation of a 
subject intensely fascinating from whatever stand- 
point it is viewed. 

The list of books relating to the gardens of 
Italy will, it is hoped, be found useful to the 
amateur. Many can be consulted at the library 
of the British Museum, and others at the Ambro- 
siana Library at Milan, the Uffizzi and Marucel- 
liana Libraries at Florence, and other libraries 


elsewhere. Mrs. Wharton’s delightful book on 


vii 


Introduction 


“Jtalian Villas and their Gardens” has proved 
more helpful and inspiring to the writer than any 
other. 

Italian gardens, not unlike those we still find, 
were known even in Pliny’s time. In “ The 
Letters of Pliny the Consul” (the quotation is 
taken from Dodsley’s translation of 1747), he 
describes a terrace perfumed with violets at his 
villa at Laurentum (near Ostia), and he goes on 
to say that it is “encompassed with a box-tree 
hedge,” and that there are walks suitable for hot 
or cold weather. But it is of his villa in Tuscany, 
where he usually spent the summer, that he gives 
the minutest word picture. (Book V., Letter VI. 
This is the letter with the famous allusion to 
“liquid acanthus.”) The “topiary work was, 
according to our ideas, over elaborate, yet the 
whole garden and house must have been of great 
dignity and beauty. It was at this villa that Pliny 
had his dinner on a marble bench overhanging a 
basin on whose surface floated the smaller dishes 
“in the form of little vessels and water fowl.” 

During the dark ages that succeeded it is un- 
likely that anyone maintained or laid out villas, 
and even in the sixteenth century, that golden time 
of art, we meet with no gardens south of Rome, 


* The “topiarius’? was the slave entrusted with the difficult and 
responsible task of clipping the hedges and designing and keeping in shape 
the various animals represented in box and other shrubs and the clipped 
inscriptions. These were very elaborate, but happily the custom was so 
modified in the best XVIth century gardens that except in three cases 
where the name of the villa is cut in box, the writer has never seen any 
topiary work in Italy that could be objected to. 


viii 


Introduction 


and none except in the neighbourhood of towns. 
It was not till the seventeenth century that villas 
and palace gardens were constructed near Naples 
and Palermo. The disturbed state of the country 
rendered it unsafe to live elsewhere than in a city 
or a castle. One exception there was, but it com- 
bined the charm of the country villa with the 
security of a fortress. This is the Farnese Palace 
at Caprarola, which is in a wild district a consider- 
able distance from Rome. 

The old gardens of Italy owe much of their 
charm to their entire suitability to the house, its 
occupants, and the climate. To transport their 
schemes bodily to America or England must always 
be a mistake, for it is not the garden itself, but the 
lessons that its designers have taught for all time, 
that one should carry home. At the best period of 
Italian garden architecture, that of Vignola, we see 
how carefully the plan was thought out in all its 
details, and how house and garden were treated as 
one. The-term< villa” in Italy always.means the 
whole property, the “casino” being the house. 
The symmetrical lines of the clipped hedges and 
the straight paths near the dwelling carried on the 
idea of walls, and when the distance from the house 
was sufficiently great the formal gave place to the 
wild, and a shady wood or bosco filled in the 
allotted space till the boundary was reached. The 
scenery of the district was worked into the scheme 
by means of high terraces commanding beautiful 
views, or openings in the walls of verdure. An 
old garden was often by no means large, but it 


ix 


Introduction 


was so varied that it appeared much larger than it 
was. One of the best examples in the whole of 
Italy of the successful treatment of a small space 
is the Villa Gamberaia, near Florence. The grounds 
cover only about three acres, yet they have a 
breadth and airiness and variety that could be 
equalled by no ground laid out in the landscape 
style. There is an exquisite water garden, a long 
bowling alley of green turf, a sunk rock garden, a 
sunny lemon garden, a dark, cool bosco, and a 
terrace overlooking the valley of the Arno. 

Grass does not grow well in Italy, with its fierce 
summer sun, so-turf isnot largely used. Still, we 
find here and there a charming tapis vert, and 
whenever it is brought into the scheme it is in just 
the right place. The heat also prevents most 
flowers from flourishing in summer, and. therefore, 
in the most southern parts, with the exception of 
roses, we find few flowers in Italian gardens. Their 
designers were thus restricted to the use of such 
materials as were available, and perhaps this very 
limitation led them to turn to the best account 
what they had. Box, cypress, and ilex were their 
principal evergreens, and lent themselves to many 
charming effects. The fragrant box borders with 
their exquisite shades of colour, the dignity of the 
tall cypress in long lines forming an avenue, or 
pointing to the deep blue sky from a terrace, the 
dense shade and gnarled trunks of the ilex, were 
all beautiful in their several ways. Had Pope 
lived in the sixteenth century he would hardly 
have written that “half the garden just reflects 


A 


Introduction 


the other.” True, there was always symmetry and 
balance, but it was not till the style was rendered 
absurd by exaggeration and foolish conceits that 
it aroused the scorn of those who had never 
troubled to study examples of its best period. 

A garden in those days was essentially a place 
to live in. It had sunny walks for cold days and 
cool, shady woods and dripping grottos—the 
“splendid improprieties” of Horace Walpole— 
for hot weather. Stairways and ramps led from 
terrace to terrace when the garden was on a hill 
side, and the abundance of water usually available 
supplied many fountains. In the designing of 
these schemes most of the greatest sculptors and 
architects of the day took part, yet even when the 
simplest means were used the pools and fountains 
are always delightful, each with its own especial 
loveliness. | Whether one stands by the great 
central fountain and water spaces at Lante, or by 
the plain rectangular pond with its tall cypresses at 
Falconieri, the supreme suitability of each to its 
surroundings is borne in upon one. 

Those who declare that they like what they call 
“ natural” gardens perhaps hardly realise what 
they mean. Surely it is quite as unnatural to 
slavishly copy nature as to frankly follow a certain 
artistic design. Early in the last century “ Capa- 
bility Brown”? was busy designing feigned steeples 
for non-existent churches in order that the view 
might become more attractive. A cascade was 
considered so “unnatural” that whenever a 
“ meandering stream ” changed its level the pretty 


xi 


Introduction 


fall was masked by a clump of trees, and fountains 
were banished because they were “ artificial.” 

If we must always be surrounded by gee of 
nature, why did not architects go a step further, 
and let the dwelling represent a cave? A build- 
ing of any sort, frankly obvious as such, is totally 
“ unnatural.” 

The whole aim of the landscape gardener was to 
“ improve nature,” rather than to design a garden 
which should be a garden and nothing else. 

The writer has included no gardens that she has 
not herself visited. She has very briefly described 
a few that no longer bear any but the faintest 
traces of their original design. During her garden 
pilgrimages she has sometimes been doubtful 
whether a certain villa was worth a visit or not. 
She would have been saved much time had a 
reliable authority told her positively that it was 
too much “ landscaped’ to be of interest. She 
thinks it may be of use to the traveller to know 
not only what to see but also what to avoid. 

Doubtless there are other gardens in Italy 
which should be included in this guide but which 
are unknown to the writer. She would therefore 
be extremely grateful if her readers would tell her 
of any they have seen that she has missed. An 
address that will always find her is 8, Nevill Park, 
Tunbridge Wells. 

She desires to convey her heartiest thanks 
for much help in compiling this book to Miss 
March Phillips, Sir George Sitwell, Count 
Cicogna, Professor Spinazzola of the Museo di 


xii 


Introduction 


San Martino, Naples, Commendatore Guido 
Biagi, Director of the Laurenziana Library, 
Florence, Cavalliere Arturo Bruno, Cavalliere 
Camillo Bondi, and many others. The courtesy 
that she has invariably received from the 
owners of the gardens visited and from their 
representatives and employés has rendered her 
work most pleasurable. 

Finally, she wishes to record her deep debt of 
gratitude to Miss Helen Zimmern, who not only 
accompanied her on several of her garden pil- 
grimages, but also read through and corrected 
the proofs of this little book. 


xiii 


*AVIVG FHL Nt ONILNIVd aio Nv Wout SIOINTGALS 40 FOVIVE 


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Old Gardens of Italy. 


PALACE OF STUPENIGI, NEAR TURIN. 


BELONGING to Queen Margherita of Italy. Can 
be visited only by special permission. The gardens 
were once formal as may be seen by a painting 
now hanging in one of Her Majesty’s private 
rooms. Only the merest outline of the original 
design remains, and the student of gardens will 
learn nothing from a visit. 


PUBLIC GARDENS, VARESE. 


Tue gardens of the palace built for the Duke 
Francis III., of Modena, in 1773. The iron work 
enclosing the forecourt is very fine. The hill is 
crowned by a bosquet, and though all the detail 
of the gardens has been done away with, yet in 
their broad outline they are a good example of old 
palace gardens. They are now the public gardens 
of Varese, and are situated within the town. The 
palace is the present town hall. | 


‘ADVIVG IHL Wows OINTdALG 40 SNIGKVD THY 


sasauvA SNZGNY JITEA 


‘asauvA “sovIVg TYING 


Old Gardens of Italy 3 


PALAZZO RECALCATI, VARESE. 


Now the Excelsior Hotel. This beautiful build- 
ing, with its charming courtyard and grounds, was 
erected at the end of the eighteenth century, but 
followed the style of older villas. The outlines of 
the old garden exist, in spite of the sad boast in 
the hotel prospectus that “nothing of artificial 
gardening marring nature is to be seen.” How- 
ever, one may hope that the proprietors of so 
excellent a hotel may use their great opportunities 
and make this garden an example of what a stately 
old Italian garden should be and has been, now 
that there is a revival of the taste for such gardens. 

The race of the Recalcati died out and the pro- 
perty was purchased by a Swiss family, the 
Morosoni. Verdi was an intimate friend of theirs, 
and composed part of his opera “ Lombardi” at 
the villa. 

The parterre, with its central fountain and 
clipped box hedges, might be once again as charm- 
ing as of old. Excavated under its further end is 
a grotto with a flowing stream through it, and 
stepping-stones. It is a pretty and original 
feature. 

The Excelsior is about a mile from Varese, and 
can be reached by electric tram. It is on a hillside 
overlooking the lake of Varese. 


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Pian or Garpen, Isora Batra, 


Old Gardens of Italy 4 


ISOLA BELLA, LAGO MAGGIORE. 


ForMERLY Isola Isabella. The laying out of the 
garden was commenced in 1632 by Count Carlo 
Borromeo, and was continued by Count Vitaliano 
IV. Carlo Fontana, Castelli, and Crivelli had all a 
share in the construction of the palace and grounds, 
while the planning of the water-works was carried 
out by Mora, of Rome. The work was finished 
in 1671. The grounds are daily open to visitors. 

The old model in the palace, showing the scheme 
for the whole island which it was intended should 
be covered entirely by the palace and its grounds, 
gives a better idea than anything else of the unity 
and harmony of the plan, so frankly artificial yet 
so entirely in keeping with its surroundings. The 
palace was never completed, but on the model the 
beautiful water entrance that was projected is 
clearly seen. 

The garden, the most important in Lombardy to 
students, is fully described in all books on the 
subject. There is a detailed description in Dr. G. 
Burnet’s “ Letters.” He visited it only fourteen 
years after the completion of the garden, in 1685. 
Two features, however, a hasty visitor might over- 
look. One is the extremely clever way in which 
the commencement of the central walk is hidden 
from the palace and from the courtyard. Owin 
to the shape of the island it was impossible for this 
walk to be placed in a straight line from the axis of 
the house. It is reached by a double staircase from 
the court, and on emerging the walk is seen 


“GAaNNV1d ATIVNIOINO SV WITRG WIOS] Naavvo) anv aOvIVq JO 1ado]l 


Old Gardens of Italy 9 


running straight on and screened by trees from 
below. The illusion is perfect. The second point 
of interest is the use that has been made of the 
gigantic cistern for supplying the fountains, into 
which water can be pumped from the lake. This 
forms the foundation of the series of terraces that 
are so conspicuous at the end of the island opposite 
to the house. 

The place still belongs to a member of the 
Borromeo family. 

The motto “ Humilitas,” in ironwork held aloft 
by a statue, seems hardly appropriate to this 
sumptuous residence of a prince of the church. 

A plan of the house and grounds may be seen 
in the rooms of the caretaker. 


VILLA CARLOTTA, CADENABBIA, LAKE. 
OF COMO. 


Former.y Villa Sommariva. Built in 1747 for 
the Marchese Clerici. It afterwards passed to 
Count Sommariva. It was purchased in 1842 by 
Princess Albrecht, of Prussia, and its name was 
then changed to that of her daughter, Charlotte (or 
Carlotta). It now belongs to Prince George of 
Saxe-Meiningen, who inherited it from Princess 
Charlotte, his first wife. It is open daily to visitors. 

Of the original formal plan but little remains 
except the beautiful water entrance, the wrought- 
iron gates, and balustrade with statues enclosing 
the garden, and the forecourt with its fountain and 


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Missing Page 


‘OTTINVIAIVG VITIA “SavELSAIVG 


Water Gate, Vitta BaceiaNnetto, 


Old Gardens of Italy 15 


little hamlet of Loppia) should not, however, be 
overlooked. 

The plan is a fine one, and from the water’s 
edge a beautiful viale of cypress climbs the hillside 
by means of nine flights of sixteen steps each. 
From the summit a perfectly straight level avenue, 
enclosed by wisteria-clothed walls with a tapis vert 
in the centre and a path at each side, runs to the 
villa. It is more than 1,000 metres long and thirty 
broad. Thus the Villa Giulia straddled right across 
the peninsula, from the one arm of the lake to the 
other, the garden descending in terraces to the 
Lecco arm. This viale and walk is now open to 
the public. It was constructed by Leopold I., of 
Belgium, who at one time owned this property. 


VILLA D’ESTE, CERNOBBIO, LAKE OF 
COMO. 


CoMMENCED in 1568 from designs by Pellegrino 
Pellegrini for Cardinal Ptolomeo Galleo. Passed 
on his death in 1601 to his nephew, Tolomeo, 
Duke of Vito. He did not reside there, and 
eventually it was bequeathed to the Jesuit Order. 
In 1769 the villa waslet toCount Marco Odescalchi 
and in 1779 to General Marleani. He afterwards 
bought it and resided there. In 1815, Carolina, 
Princess of Wales, purchased it. She renamed it 
the Villa d’Este, and added considerably to the 
house and grounds. In 1868 the place was pur- 
chased for a hotel, and such it has continued. 


‘ALG a VIIA SARITY SsaNdAZ 


Old Gardens of Italy 17 


The only portion of the formal design still 
remaining is the great cypress via/e and the grottos 
below its termination, and what was once the 
parterre—now lawn tennis courts. The cypress 
walk is bordered on either side by a series of stone 
basins one above another, from which water drops. 
At the culminating point is a huge grotto, enclosing 
a statue of Ariosto and a fountain, so usual in 
schemes of this sort. The lower series of grottoes, 
in pebbles and stucco, are of exceptionally tasteful 
design. The remainder of the grounds are laid 
out in the landscape style, with imitation ruins and 
little temples. The absurd mock fortifications on 
the hillside were erected by Countess Calderara, 
wife of Napoleon’s general, Dominique Pino, who, 
returning home after his triumphs in Spain, was 
pleasantly surprised to find his victories commemo- 
rated in this astounding fashion. 


PALAZZO GIOVIO, COMO. 


Now the Museo Civico. A fine old palace built 
about the middle of the fifteenth century for the 
Giovio family. It remained in the possession of 
their descendants till 1894, when it was purchased 
by the town of Como for a museum. 

The garden is quite a small town garden, but the 
double stairway leading from the courtyard to the 
level of the first floor of the palace is beautifully 
planned, and it has charming gates of wrought iron. 
It is well worth a visit. 


‘oWod SOIAOIN) O72zVI1Vd 


Old Gardens of Italy 19 


VILLA CRESPI, COMO. 


Axso known as La Gallia. At Borgo Vico, twenty 
minutes’ walk from the landing place of the steamer 
at Como. An electric tram runs past the entrance. 
Though the villa was built in 1615 by the Abbot 
Marco Gallio (nephew of Tolomeo, Cardinal of 
Como), the garden was only laid out in the old 
style within the last few years. It is interesting to 
the writer as being the only example of the formal 
style that she has seen in a modern Italian garden. 
It was commenced by Prof. Lodovico Pogliaghi, of 
Milan, who, however, did not complete it. It can 
be well seen from the ‘high road and is quite small. 
The gardener (who, in the absence of the family, is 
the caretaker of the house), Signor Eugenio 
Marilli, is courteous in showing it and its beautiful 
hot houses. He presented the writer with a finely 
illustrated brochure containing a history of the 
villa. It is now the property of Donna Giulia 
Crespi Morbio, who bought it in rgo1, and by 
whose orders the garden was laid out. The grounds 
on the villa side of the high road (which cuts them 
into two parts) are still quite in the landscape style. 


VILLA CASTELLAZZO DEI ARCONATI, 
NEAR MILAN. 


Asourt seven miles out on the road to Varese, and 
within five minutes’ walk of the station. 
e 


‘OZZVITHLSVD) VITIA ‘NIVLNAOY NOOVEC 


‘OZZVITALSVD VITIA SAULVIN TL, 


22 Old Gardens of Italy 


It was designed by Jean Gianda, a Frenchman, 
and the grounds are very large, but though quite 
flat, the architect has introduced much variety. 
They contain a beautiful orange garden, a theatre 
of clipped beach, large aviaries, a serraglio for wild 
beasts, and many fountains. 

The ironwork, with stone statue-surmounted 
pedestals enclosing the forecourt, is extremely fine. 
It is difficult to obtain permission to visit this villa. 


VILLA CICOGNA, BISUSCHIO. 


Tue station is Bisuschio, on the Varese-Porto 
Ceresio line, about half an hour by train from 
Varese. 

On leaving the station, turn to the left, cross the 
railway line, and follow the high road. About a 
mile from the station, on the right, is the chief 
entrance to the villa, consisting of modern iron 
gates and a picturesque lodge, also new, but de- 
signed to match the beautiful old villa. Following 
the road, the village is soon reached, and passing 
through it to the right, the house is arrived at. It 
is about one and a half miles from the station. 

Count Cicogna most kindly allows visitors to be 
shown over the grounds, and in this house and 
garden the old plans have everywhere been most 
carefully preserved, so the place is one of the most 
enchanting in Italy and retains all its magic of 
former days, while it is kept up as are scarcely any 
others that I have met with in the country. The 


"YNDOSID VITA ‘NAdUV NNAS 


24 Old Gardens of Italy 


situation is beautiful beyond the power of words to 
describe, and the steep hill-side lends itself to a 
scheme such as we find here so charmingly carried 
out. The house is built into the slope, and as one 
ascends from the ground level to the lower terrace 
a delightfully characteristic and picturesque stable- 
yard with an old well will be noticed, bounded by 
the retaining wall of the garden. The lower terrace 
is laid out with flower beds and has a central foun- 
tain, while its inner side has a gallery or long grotto 
clothed in maidenhair fern running along the whole 
length. Above this is the upper terrace, and from 
the end near the house one suddenly obtains a view 
into the depths of the most enchanting little sunk 
giardino secreto I have ever seen. The larger por- 
tion is laid out in symmetrical box-edged beds, and 
the rest in water spaces. The forecourt and loggia 
which connect it with the house, break up the 
scheme very attractively. 

There is a pretty chateau d’eau with steps at 
each side down the hill-side at the back, and in the 
deep shade of the woods innumerable smooth paths 
give cool walks at varying levels. 

From the front of the villa the old idea of a 
straight avenue to the entrance gates has been re- 
vived, and in the centre it divides and circles round 
a pool. 

With regard to the history of the villa, I am in- 
debted to Count Cicogna for valuable information, 
and he kindly sent me a copy of Ars et Labor 
for August, 1909, in which a beautifully illustrated 
article about the place appears. 


Fs 


Vitra Criverti, Entrance Gates. 


‘SUBBIUVG ONIMOTIG ‘VTTHALED VITA 


meee 


om Ke 


Old Gardens of Italy 27 


In 1476 the records of Varese tell, with great 
wealth of detail, that the Duke of Milan, Galeazzo 
Maria Sforza (whose wife was Bona, of Savoy), 
used to come habitually to Bisuschio to hunt bears 
in the neighbouring forests, and made his head- 
quarters with the brothers Agostino and Antonio 
Mozzoni, an extremely ancient family tracing its 
origin to the Moccioni of Rome. The house and 
gardens were constructed by order of Ascanio 
Mozzoni, of Milan, a famous poet and savant of his 
time, who, however, did not live to see the comple- 
tion of the work. Angela Mozzoni, daughter of 
Pietro—the last of the branch—married, in 1580, 
Count Gian Pietro Cicogna, and thus brought this 
magnificent estate into that family. At the begin- 
ning of the sixteenth century the brothers Francesco 
and Maino Mozzoni remodelled the villa and gave 
it the form it has to-day, and which is typical of 
Renaissance architecture in Lombardy. Campi di 
Cremona, so well known all over Lombardy, and 
at the neighbouring Villa Medici, at Frascarolo, 
painted the external decorations of the porticos. 


VILLA CRIVELLI, INVERIGO. 


InveRriGo is reached in one and a half hours by train 
from Milan (North station). The villa crowns the 
hill and is five minutes’ walk from the station. 
Visitors are not welcomed, but by walking through 


28 Old Gardens of Italy 


the outbuildings (to the left of the main entrance in 
the village) it is usually possible to visit the garden. 

The grounds stretch en pente down to the road 
(between the Villa Crivelli and the Rotondo), and 
their axis is between the villa and a building with a 
tower facing it and belonging to the same property. 
The central line is carried on up the opposite hill- 
side by means of a flight of steps and a cypress 
viale terminating in a stone seat and statue, which 
was obviously the old approach to the Rotondo. 

The Crivelli garden has certain rather attractive 
features, though on the whole its exposed and un- 
sheltered aspect deprives it of the charm of the 
more secluded villas. Its grey stairways, balus- 
trades, and statues are taking, and the level portion 
between the two houses gives the privacy denied 
to that on the open hill-side. 


THE CERTOSA DI PAVIA. 


To visit the whole of the grounds a special permis- 
sion, obtainable from the director of the monastery, 
is necessary. 

The Certosa di Pavia is so fully described in 
guide books that the writer need only say that it 
was, when built, the most magnificent monastery in 
the world, and owed its origin to Giovanni Galeazzo 
Visconti, Duke of Milan. It was begun in 1396. 

The garden of the small cloister is a good example 
of the treatment of an open space enclosed by 


oe 


Ey, 
6 


an, & eo 
ace 
See 
RASS 


Monks’ Garpven, Certosa vt Pavia. 


Old Gardens of Italy 31 
arcades. The tiny monk’s garden is delightfully 


planned, the centre being enclosed with a stone rail, 
of which the angles are gracefully carved. The 
public is admitted to this delightful little retreat, 
so it need not be described more fully here. A 
long stone pergola, hung with vines, leads to the 
large fish pond, usually a prominent feature of a 
monastery garden. This part of the grounds is not 
shown, but there is nothing specially interesting 
about its design. 


GIUSTI GARDENS, VERONA. 


No record is to be found among the public archives 
of the building of this town pie nor of the laying 
out of the gardens. Dr. G. Burnet, who visited the 
garden in 1685, writes: “ There is a noble garden 
in Verona, that riseth up in Terraces the whole 
height of a Hill.” And John Evelyn, in his Diary, 
says: “ At the entrance of this garden grows the 
goodliest cypress, I fancy, in Europe, cut in a 
pyramid.” We know that in 1739 a parterre and a 
maze still existed. These have now disappeared, 
and the only survival of the original plan is the 
glorious cypress walk, beginning near the entrance 
gate and rising first in a slope and then by terraces 
to the culminating point of the grounds. There 
are a couple of fountains on the lowest level of the 


gardens. 


‘vNONTA “SNEGUVH) TLSAIS 


Old Gardens of Italy 33 


The Giusti Gardens now belong to a market gar- 
dener, who readily admits visitors. 


VILLA CUZZANO, VERONA. 


Aw hour’s drive on a level road from Verona. The 
palace was the country residence of the Scaliger 
family. It is now the property of Signor Arvedi, 
who is most kind in allowing visitors to see it. The 
terrace garden, a wide parterre of broderie, with 
central fountain, retains its old design and is very 
attractive, backed by the fine old house. The 
grotto contains the usual waterworks, but they are 
not in order, as is so often the case in these old 
places. Below the terrace garden is a pente to the 
entrance gate guarded by two old cypresses, but all 
this ground has been utilised for vines. Imme- 
diately behind the house, rising effectively above a 
double stairway, is a chapel. The whole planning 
of the chapel, house, and garden is most character- 
istic of its period. 

The property was at one time very extensive, 
and its enclosing wall is still conspicuous for some 
distance before one reaches Cuzzano. There is no 
village of that name, which applies only to this 
estate. 


VILLA VALMARANA, VICENZA. 


I visiTep this villa in September, 1910. The 
quickest way to it at first coincides with that to 


‘HONVULNG FHY, “WNOUTA ‘ONW/ ZOD) VITA 


“TUUALYVG = ‘VNOWAA ‘ONVZz9 VITIA 


36 Old Gardens of Italy 


Madonna del Monte. At the top of the first series 
of arcades (where the church comes into eae turn 
along the level road to the left, and after a few yards 
take the narrow path to the right. This leads be- 
tween houses for five minutes and joins another 
coming in from the left close to the picturesque 
grotesque-crowned wall of the Villa Valmarana. 
T could not gain admission as no one was in charge 
and the whole place was locked up. The parterre 
and lemon house are, however, open to view from 
the road through iron gates, and the very attractive 
Loggia attributed to Palladio are well seen. The 
parterre was quite modernised and uninteresting, 
and the stanzone empty. I feel sure, from what I 
saw, that nothing of the fine old garden described 
as follows in “ Evelyn’s Diary,” has been retained : 

“Count Ulmarini” (a footnote to “ Evelyn’s 
Diary” says Lassells calls him Valmerana) “is 
famous for his garden, being without the walls, 
especially his cedrario, or conserve of oranges, 
eleven score of my paces long, set in order and 
ranges, making a canopy all the way by their inter- 
mixing branches for more than 200 of my single 
paces, and which, being full of fruit and blossoms, 
was a most delicious sight. In the middle of this 
garden was a cupola made of wire, supported by 
slender pillars of brick, so closely covered with ivy, 
both without and within, that nothing was to be 
perceived but green; betwixt the arches there 
dangled festoons of the same. Here is likewise a 
most inextricable labyrinth.” 


From true Casino Srers, Virta Dona pate Rose. 


“asoy ATiva vNoq VITIA “AWHHOS qILV AA 
‘ 


Old Gardens of Italy 39 


VILLA DONA DALLE ROSE, 
VALSANZIBIO. 


Twenty minutes’ drive from Battaglia, which is 
half an hour by train from Padua. The property 
of Count Dona dalle Rose, who most kindly admits 
visitors at any time to his garden, which is one of 
the most beautiful and interesting in Italy. It was 
constructed in the sixteenth century for the Mar- 
tinengo family. 

The whole planning of this garden, though quite 
in conformity with the style of the period, is in one 
way unlike any other that I know. Driving towards 
the tiny village that here, as everywhere else in 
Italy, nestles up close to the residence of the chief 
magnate of the place, one is struck by a fine old 
stone archway, pierced by an iron grille, whose 
purpose is to give a view from the outside up the 
beautiful water scheme, and, from the inside, to 
form a suitable termination to it. Owing to the 
fact that the garden fills up the narrow valley and 
that the house, in order to enjoy a sunny aspect has 
to face across, instead of up or down it, the usual 
planning of a chateau d’eau down the hill-side was 
abandoned, and the water was conducted down the 
very centre of the valley in a series of broad pools. 
This involved a cross scheme, so from the centre of 
the villa starts a broad clipped walk transverse to 
the water, and in the middle stands a fountain 
forming the true centre of the design. From here 
one looks up towards a steep viale of cypress on the 


40 Old Gardens of Italy 


hill-side behind the villa, and, turning, up a series 
of huge grassy steps bordered by trees forming a 
pendant to it on the opposite hill-side. a 

Within this great square, and parallel with its 
lines, are magnificent pleached alleys, the finest I 
have seen in any garden, and passing along them, 
and then between clipped hedges the visitor finds 
himself in a square compartment given up to a 
maze, the well-trimmed divisions of which are kept 
cut at the top to so even a surface that from the 
commanding outlook in the centre the whole plan is 
as clear as a print in a book of designs. Another 
compartment contains a large circular pond, in the 
middle of which is an island devoted to a colony 
of rabbits. Judging by the statues of stone rabbits 
round the edge, this appears to have been con- 
structed for the purpose for which it is still used. 

The steps from the house to the villa are pierced 
with many secret fountains, and others rise at the 
side of the central walk. 

The Hotel delle Terme, at Battaglia, forms good 
headquarters from which to visit this beautiful gar- 
den, and also the chateau of Cattaio, but the latter 
retains no trace of the old garden. 


PALACE OF STRA, ON THE BRENTA 
CANAL. 


Aso known as the Villa Pisani. Built about 1740 
for the Pisani family, of Verona, by Count 


‘VALS “ATAOANIVIG 
f 


42 Old Gardens of Italy 


Frigmelica. Bought by Napoleon I. for Eugene 
Beauharnais, Viceroy of Italy. Now a national 
monument. Permission to visit it may be obtained 
at the Ducal Palace, Venice. It ison the line of the 
steam tram that runs along by the Brenta canal 
from Padua to Fusina. Thus it can be visited 
either from Padua or from Venice, whence a steamer 
runs to Fusina in connection with the steam tram. 

Very little trace of the once extensive formal 
garden remains. There is still a maze and a terrace 
bordering a lemon garden and various summer- 
houses, but of the great parterre seen in Costa’s 
etching no vestige survives. The stable is pro- 
bably the most magnificent in the world, a veritable 
palace with collonade in front, and within are rows 
of stalls, each being decorated by a marble horse on 
a column, every one differing from its neighbours. 

The most distinctive examples of garden archi- 
tecture at Stra are the Clairvoyées and gates. The 
former are a very French feature, and these windows 
in the wall, with their beautiful gratings of wrought 
iron, serve to give life and variety to the grounds 
within, and are usually placed at the culminating 
point of a long alley. There are some magnificent 
gates, too, at Stra, particularly that which faces 
what was once the water entrance. It has two tall 
columns, one on either side, with a winding iron 
staircase round each and a terrace above. It is said 
that Cardinal de Rohan had a drawing made of this 
gateway in order that he might have a similar one 
built at Saverne. 


Old Gardens of Italy 43 


PALAZZO DORIA, GENOA. 


Burtt by Fra Giovanni Montorsoli, of Florence, in 
1529, for Admiral Andrea Doria. Situated close 
to the chief railway station. The palace is now in 
part public offices and grounds, and may freely be 
entered at any time. 

The plan made by M. Gautier in 1832 (see The 
Art of Garden Design in Italy, by H. Inigo Triggs, 
Plate 17 ) shows that even then much of the garden 
remained. In 1904 the writer carefully went over 
the whole of the ground above the palace to the 
boundary behind the colossal statue of Jupiter, 
beneath which is buried a dog that the Doria family 
took care of for the King of Spain. Gigantic dis- 
used cisterns, built in huge squares, honeycombed 
the hill-side and formed the only reminder of the 
prodigious garden scheme that once existed. A 
large hotel now occupies this site. 

The slip of ground between the palace and the 
sea is all that now exists of a garden visited by 
Evelyn in 1644 and charmingly described by him. 
“Tt reaches,” he wrote, “ from the sea to the sum- 
mit of the mountains.” Little imagination is 
needed to picture its magnificence at a period when 
the lower terrace, with its white marble balustrade, 
bordered the water, long before the present un- 
sightly line of docks interposed. This was the spot 
where the admiral held his famous banquet, when 
three times new plate was brought and that which 
had been used was thrown into the sea. 


44 Old Gardens of Italy 


Between the sea terrace and the terrace of the 
casino the large parterre still remains, with its hand- 
some white marble fountain, the central statue of 
which, in guise of Neptune, was thought to be a 
portrait of the admiral, and was executed in 1600 
by the Carloni. The design of the parterre is now 
concealed by an over-abundant growth of trees and 
shrubs, as is so frequently the case. Two fountains 
adorn the upper terrace. The palace should be 
entered to view the loggia painted by Pierino del 
Vago. 


VILLA SCASSI, SAMPIERDARENA, 
GENOA. 


Former_y Imperiali. Built by Galeazzo Alessi 
(lived 1512-1572), of Perugia, who also laid out 
the gardens. His best-known buildings are all at 
Genoa. The casino is now a school and the grounds 
are public gardens. Reached by tram in about ten 
minutes from near Genoa railway station. Always 
open. 

The gardens rise in three levels behind the casino, 
and are most interesting both on account of the 
early date of their construction and the good taste 
of their design. They are slightly en pente and 
have good stairways leading from terrace to terrace, 
and the usual central grottos in both the retaining 
walls, the lower having a pool in front. The 
terraces have tasteful screens at their terminations. 


‘WNENVONAIANVS ‘ISSV9g VITIA 


46 Old Gardens of Italy 


VILLA COLLODI, PESCIA. 


Auso called Villa Garzoni. During the middle 
ages it belonged to the See of Lucca, and in 1430 
was besieged by the Florentines. It was for genera- 
tions the property of the Garzoni family, and still 
belongs to them. The present house and garden 
date aes the middle of the seventeenth century. 
In an old book owned by the proprietor of the 
Hotel Universo, at Lucca, the writer found a 
statement that the design was due to Ottaviano 
Diodati, a native of Lucca, who also competed with 
Vanvitelli for the design for Caserta. But as 
Francesco Sbaria’s ode to “’ The Pomps of Collodi” 
was written in 1652 (about a century earlier), the 
garden must have existed then. The old book isa 
“‘ Guida di Lucca,”? compiled by Marchese Antonio 
Mazzarosa, Lucca (Tipograffia di Guiseppe Giusti), 
1845. 

The garden of Collodi is open to the public on 
Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays. It is 
about two miles from Pescia station. Cabs will be 
found there. 

Collodi is imposing rather than charming. The 
position of the casino, quite detached from the 
chief scheme of the garden, is peculiar, and gives 
the impression that from the first the grounds were 
laid out for public use. The fact that the tiny ham- 
let is only gained by passing through the gates of 
the great feudal demesne strengthens this sugges- 
tion, and detracts from the sense of harmony and 


Vitra Cottons, Pescia. 


48 Old Gardens of Italy 


privacy conveyed by most of the famous gardens. 
At the top of the cascade is a huge figure of Fame 
with two others reclining at her feet and represent- 
ing Florence and Lucca. The cascade itself is 
broken up by figures of birds. A dense bosco of 
ilex clothes the slope above, and terrace above ter- 
race rises to meet it from the parterre. The great 
middle terrace is backed by the high clipped edge 
of the bosco. At the end of this terrace, when 
walking towards the casino, and on the inner (or 
right) side, is a pretty little theatre, with wings of 
topiary work as at Marlia. A rustic bridge across 
a small ravine leads to the house. From the road 
below a wonderful system of ramps rise past two 
sentry boxes to the palace. Collodi is by far the 
most important garden in the neighbourhood of 
Lucca. The two large pools in the parterre are not 
pleasing features of the design. 


VILLA MARLIA, LUCCA. 


Lucca is a good centre for the garden explorer. 
Even within the city the writer came on the remains 
of two old gardens. One is the garden of the 
Palazzo Bottoni, just outside the Porta San Ger- 
vasio. It retains only its rectangular plan with 
four gates and a grotto. It is not worth a visit, 
but the concierge readily admits anyone interested, 
and postcards of it may be seen in the shops. 
The other is the garden of the seventeenth century 


‘VITEVIA, WITIA SaULvaH] Naquvd 


Water Garven, Vitra Marta. 


Old Gardens of Italy 51 


Palazzo Controni (now Pfanner), a beautiful 
building, from the stairway of which the garden 
is able. The latter belongs to a maker of soda 
water, and it has a pretty formal design with a 
central fountain. The palace is close to the ram- 
parts, near San Frediano, and seems always open. 
Of the country villas, that of Marlia is the most 
important. It first belonged to Count Orsetti, and 
in 1806 was bought for the Crown. It was embel- 
lished by the Princes Baciocchi, and is now the 
property of Prince Bourbone diCapua. It is shown 
to visitors on application. 

Marlia can be reached by steam tram from the 
Porta Santa Maria in about a quarter of an hour. 
It is a walk of ten minutes from the point on the 
high road where visitors leave the tram. This is 
the same tram that runs to Saltocchio (for the Villa 
Bernardini) a little further on. 

Of the once formal plan of the grounds only 
three features remain. Of these the little theatre 
is particularly charming, with its close-clipped 
wings, its stand in topiary work for the conductor 
of the orchestra, its tiers of grass-covered seats, and 
its enchanting glimpse through the entrance of the 
fountain without, placed just on the axis of the 
stage. This secluded, circular little theatre is one 
of the best of its kind in Italy. 

Very simple and attractive is the lemon garden, 
or, as one might perhaps call it, the water garden. 
A large tank, into which two urns held by huge re- 
cumbent figures below a grotto empty themselves, 
fills one end of the enclosure, and on its balustrade 

Ez 


Missing Page 


ViaLe, VittA BernarDINi. 


3 


a at: 
ass 2 


“INIGUYNYAG VIITA ‘NAGUVO WALVAQ AHL WONT 


Old Gardens of Italy 55 


series of tiny stone basins, one below another, is at 
the end of one of the paths, and above is a long 
rectangular pond. There is plenty of shade and the 
house and garden are in a pleasant position on 
sloping ground which lends itself to a better scheme 
than at Marlia, where the site is nearly level. 

" The guide book alluded to in the account of 
Collodi gives four’ more villas with old gardens 
near this spot, those of Buonvisi, Orsetti, Fan- 
tinelli, and La Lucchesini, but the writer could not 
hear of any remains of good gardens still existing 
other than those she visited. 


Terrace oF THE SecreT Fountains, Vitra TorriGiaNni, 


Old Gardens of Italy 57 


VILLA TORRIGIANI, CAMIGLIANO, 
LUCCA. 


Tuis villa seems to have been built for and 
long belonged to the Santini family. It is now 
the property of the Marchese Torrigiani. In the 
Pinacoteca of Lucca is a portrait of a member of 
the Santini family when a boy, with a background 
showing a garden laid out in formal style. Post- 
cards of this are obtainable in the shops. The 
garden is shown on application to the gardener. It 
may be reached by electric tram (starting in front 
of Hotel Universo) in about half-an-hour to a 
cross roads (which the conductor will indicate). 
From there the road is absolutely straight for about 
two miles. Then the beginning of a magnificent 
viale of cypress trees will be reached, about 130 on 
either side. The villa is visible behind handsome 
iron gates at the end. The only part of the grounds 
now formal is the so-called “Garden of Flora.” 
This is a sunk garden with grotto and garden house 
and innumerable secret fountains. The design is 
more curious than beautiful, and the charm of the 
place lies in its cypress avenue and its attractive 
and finely placed casino rather than in its gardens. 
It is possible for the enthusiast to visit all the Lucca 
villas—Marlia, Bernardini, and the three at Camig- 
liano—in one day by motor or even by carriage. 
It is around of about twenty-five miles. 


ISNVIAL VITIA, 


Old Gardens of Italy 59 


VILLA MANSI, SEGROMIGNO, LUCCA. 


ABouT twenty minutes’ walk from Villa Torrigiani. 
Anyone will point out the way. The front of the 
villa, which resembles that of Torrigiani, is attrac- 
tive, but the garden now contains no formal features 
except a balustraded pool with statues. Just beyond 
it is the Villa Mazzarosa, with small circular temple 
erected in 1830 to the honour of famous men of 
Lucca. The grounds did not appear formal, but 
the writer failed to enter them. The house was 
built about 1813—far too late for a garden of 
formal design to have been planned. Yet at Lucca 
the appreciation of the old style lingered long, for 
in 1785 an amphitheatre for horse races was laid 
out in a way strongly reminiscent of an old garden 
design. The plan may be seen in one of the glass 
cases at the Pinacoteca. 


60 Old Gardens of Italy 


BOBOLI GARDENS, FLORENCE. 


Tue garden of the Pitti Palace was commenced in 
May, 1550, by Il Tribolo, assisted by Buontalenti. 
Open to the public on Sundays and Thursdays 
after mid-day. 

This large garden is particularly interesting be- 
cause it retains nearly all its old design. Being a 
Court garden, space had to be provided for pageants 
and large gatherings, hence the raison d’étre of the 
amphitheatre. The most beautiful feature of the 
grounds is the Isolotto, an oval pool with an island 
and central fountain reached by two bridges with 
fine entrance gates surmounted by marble rams, the 
constellation Capricornus having been that favoured 
by Cosimo I. A clipped ilex hedge surrounds the 
pool. Charming little fountains are placed at 
regular distances on the margin of the water. The 
treatment of the balustrade of the island in the 
intervals of which stand lemon pots, should be 
noticed, as also the beautifully-designed water 
spaces beneath Gian Bologna’s great central foun- 
tain, permitting the gardeners to quickly fill their 
cans by dipping them in. The Isolotto is at the 
lowest point of the garden, and a glorious viale 
runs straight down to it from near the fountain of 
Neptune. Visitors, however, can most quickly 
reach it by skirting the garden side of the palace 
till they reach the lemon houses, close to which it 
is situated. 

Another delightful feature of the grounds is the 


“SNIGUVL) ITOHOG ‘NIVINNOT ANNLdIN 


62 Old Gardens of Italy 


Giardino del Cavaliere. This is a sort of giardino 
segreto, laid out on the very summit of Michael 
Angelo’s ramparts, with symmetrical flower-beds 
and a central fountain surmounted by a charming 
figure of a child in marble. Bronze monkeys are 
grouped round the lower ledge of the pedestal and 
dip their toes in the basin. 

In the *Uccellaia, a wild part of the grounds not 
far from the Belvedere, is a very beautiful fountain 
of simple design surmounted by a figure of 
Ganymede in white marble and with a carved 
marble seat on either side. Vines are now grown 
here, and the enclosure is kept locked. 

As few people now admire the exterior of Buon- 
talenti’s grotto, built to receive four unfinished 
statues by Michael Angelo, many fail to penetrate 
to the innermost recesses of it. Yet here stands a 
lovely white marble fountain by Gian Bologna, with 
a figure of Venus above, four satyrs crouching 
under the basin, and a representation of rippling 
water on the base. This was one of the famous 
sculptor’s early works, but did not satisfy him in 
his later years. 

The obelisk in the centre of the amphitheatre 
came from the Villa Medici at Rome, and the great 


* These bird traps may still be seen in various parts of Italy. 
Montaigne describes one near Lucca, at the villa of M. Benoit Buonvisi, 
as follows : “Dans une espace d’environ cinquante pas, ils plantent divers 
arbres de l’espece de ceux qui restent verts toute l’année. Ils entourent 
ce lieu de petits fossés, et pratiquent au dedans de petites allees convertes. 
Au milieu du bosquet, est un endroit pour le chasseur qui, dans certains 
tems de l’année, muni d’un sifflet d’argent et de quelques grives prises exprés 
pour cet usage et bien attachées, aprés avoir disposé de tous cétes plusieurs 
appeaux avec de la glu, prendra dans une matinée deux cents grives.” 


“SNAdUVD) Ttosog SoLLOTOS[ GHL SSORDV ONINXOOT 


Statue oF Venus, Grotto oF Bonot1 GarpEns. 


Old Gardens of Italy 65 


open space here was used for pageants. When 
Francis I. was married a great naval fight was 
represented in the arena. 

The group of the fountain of Neptune, above 
the arena, was the work, in 1565, of Stoldo Lorenzo. 
The not very pleasing figure of Abundance (sup- 
posed to be a portrait of the wife of Francis I.) 
was begun by Gian Bologna and finished by a pupil. 
It was put up in 1636 to commemorate the fact that 
Tuscany prospered under her king while famine 
reigned elsewhere in Italy. 


THE CORSINI PALACE, FLORENCE. 


Tus is not the Corsini Palace on the Arno 
containing the famous Picture Gallery. 1t is Prince 
Corsini’s private residence, 40 Via del Prato, and 
the garden is not shown. It is rather an interesting 
example of the treatment of a perfectly flat piece of 
ground in a town, and most of it retains its old 
design, as the accompanying illustration shows. 
There is a charming log gia, with fountain, leading 
from the house, and the walk, bordered by statues 
(which, to make the path seem longer, decrease in 
size as they retreat), is on its axis. 


VILLA CORSINI, CASTELLO, FLORENCE. 


Former_y I Rinieri or I] Lepre dei Rinieri. At 
the beginning of the fifteenth century this villa 


*HONENOTY WVIV INISYON £0 NaGUVt) 


Old Gardens of Italy 67 


belonged to Palla Strozzi, afterwards exiled by the 
jealousy of his fellow-citizens. In 1460 Alexandra 
Bardi, widow of his son Lorenzo, sold it to 
Bernardo di Stoldo Rinieri. Till then the place 
was simply known as Il Palagetto. In 1571 it 
passed into the hands of Francesco di Jacopo 
Sangalletto, in 1597 of Pagolo di Giuliano Donati, 
and later was bought by Cosimo, son of the Grand 
Duke Ferdinando II. de Medici, so that he might 
have a house of his own near his father. After- 
wards it belonged to the Jesuit order, and finally 
came into the possession of the Corsini family. It 
now belongs to Prince Corsini, who most courte- 
ously gives permission to visitors to see the grounds 
and who is himself a great authority on the old 

ardens of Italy. Villa Corsini is quite close to 
Villa Petraja and the Villa Reale, Castello. 

The house was remodelled during the end of the 
seventeenth century by Antonio Ferri. 

The villa is, like Castello, on a high road, the 
entire space at the back being thus reserved for its 
gardens. In this way much greater privacy is 
ensured when the grounds are not very extensive. 
As Mrs. Wharton points out, the plan is very usual 
in France, and we see it in nearly all Italian town 
gardens—the Boboli gardens, for instance, and the 
Giusti Gardens at Verona. 

The garden of Villa Corsini has much quiet 
charm. The parterre, with its central pool, is laid 
out in an intricate geometrical pattern, and bordered 
on three sides by a wall over which climb roses, the 
picturesque garden front of the house forming the 


F 


OTTILSVD SINISHOD VITIA ATHY], ONV Lvag Naauvy 


‘OTTALSVD SINISYOD WITIA ‘NIVLNAOT 


70 Old Gardens of Italy 
fourth boundary. An ilex walk directly faces the 


entrance through the court. In the bosco a little 
above the rest of the garden is a beautiful, cool 
scheme with dripping basin, marble horses’ heads, 
and stone seats in circular enclosures. I] Tribolo’s 
statue is said by Vasari to once have formed part of 
the fountain, but it is now at the other end of the 
grove. Beyond it is a riding space. 


VILLA REALE, CASTELLO, FLORENCE. 


Former.y I] Vivajo, a Royal Villa. Permission 
at the Pitti Palace, Florence, where also a permesso 
for Petraja is obtainable, and one for Poggio a 
Caiano, if this is thought worth visiting. A tram 
from near the cathedral runs through Castello. 

Built for Lorenzo and Giuliano di Piero Fran- 
‘cesco de Medici, from designs by Buontalenti, on 
the site of, and partly from the remains of an older 
house. 

The greatest sculptors of the time worked on 
the decoration of the gardens, Piero di Cosimo, 
Bronzino, Pontormo, I] Tribolo. The engineer of 
the water-works was Piero da S. Casciano. 

As at Petraja, the great parterre is en pente, but 
the slope is so much gentler that the effect is better, 
and in this case the house is below, and not above, 
the garden, thus rendering the scheme visible from 
it in its entirety. A huge retaining wall lends itself 
to the construction of a grotto which was planned 
by Il Tribolo. It abounds with secret fountains 


*(ASLNIM) OTTILSVD “QIVIY VITTA auWaLuvg 


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Old Gardens of Italy a4 


and has groups of animals carved in different 
coloured marbles. In the centre of the garden is 
the glorious fountain generally believed to be by 
Gian Bologna, but attributed by Vasari to II 
Tribolo. On a higher level, close to the bosco, is 
a delightfully typical gardener’s house, with lemons 
in huge pots standing by it. The pool in the 
bosco has in its centre a large figure by Gian 
Bologna representing the Apennines. On the 
ends of the tiled roof of the stanzone are beautiful 
bronze birds. 


VILLA DELLA PETRAJA, CASTELLO, 
FLORENCE. 


A Royaz Villa. Permission at the Pitti Palace, 
Florence, when the permesso for Castello is applied 
for. Castello should be visited first. The villa is 
very old, and the family of Brunelleschi had it till 
1362. It was then a fortress, and in 1364 the sons 
of Boccaccio de Brunelleschi defended it against the 
English troops of Sir John Hawkwood. It was 
in 1427 in possession of Palla di Noferi Strozzi, 
and was confiscated with the rest of that rebel’s 
goods. In 1468 Benedetto d’Antonio Salutati 
bought it for 23,070 scudi. A Medici, Cardinal 
Fernando, next owned it. In 1859 it passed into 
the Italian civil list. Vittorio Emanuele II. re- 
stored it and often resided there. It was much 
embellished by Buontalenti, to whom the present 
form of the house and grounds is largely due. 
The parterre of Petraja is en pente, which usually 


74 Old Gardens of Italy 


in the writer’s opinion, gives a rather untidy, neg- 
lected appearance. In the centre is a fine, thou, h 
simple, fountain on a little mound reached by 
charmingly planned steps. On the upper terrace 
stands II Tribolo’s masterpiece, a fountain brought 
here from Castello by the Grand Duke Pietro 
Leopoldo. Carocci refers to the beautiful bronze 
female figure surmounting it as Venus, but others 
believe it represented the city of Florence. Some 
think that the bronze is by Gian Bologna. Great 
tanks below the terrace contain carp, said to be of 
fabulous age. From Petraja it is easy to descend 
straight to Villa Corsini. 


POGGIO A CAIANO, FLORENCE. 


A ForMER Medici villa and now belonging to the 
Crown. Permesso at the Pitti Palace. Reached by 
steam tram (from opposite the railway station) in 
about two hours. 

Nothing of the once formal plan of the grounds 
remains except the entrance to the lower garden and 
the magnificent stanzone. It is most certainly not 
worth a visit when gardens are the only objective. 


VILLA CARREGGI, FLORENCE. 


Tue famous villa of the Medici, where Lorenzo died. 
Now the property of the Segre family, of Rome. 
It is never shown without a private introduction. 
There was once a formal garden, but only the 
parterre remains. A student of old gardens would 


‘omlaisvg ‘wivaLag VITIA ‘auuLavg 


se ee 


Fountais by Iz Tripoto, Perraja. 


‘ONVIVD V O1D90g SAVMUIVIS 


“ISDA, VITIA SauuaLuvg 


Old Gardens of Italy 79 


find nothing of interest, although the house, with 
its charming loggia, where the philosophers met, 
and its various other historic associations will 
always remain one of Florence’s most interesting 
and important villas. 


VILLA POGGIO IMPERIALI, FLORENCE. 


FormMer.y Poggio dei Baroncelli. Now a girls’ 
school and not accessible. Built for Maria Madda- 
lena of Austria in 1622. For many years the 
favourite residence of the grand-ducal Medici. 
The magnificent approach is now a public highway, 
and descends to the left (going) not far from the 
Porta Romana. The semi-circular court outside 
the villa and the parterre with its central fountain 
at the back, together with the bosco on a lower 
(instead of, as usual, higher) level, are the only 
remains of the once beautiful garden plan. The 
parterre retains none of its bedding design. The 
student, if he has a spare hour, may like to go as 
far as the entrance, but it will not be worth his 
while to obtain permission to go over the house 
and grounds. 


VILLA PALMIERI, FLORENCE. 


Former.y Villa Schifanoja or Fonte de’Tre Visi. 
Was said to be a favourite retreat of Boccaccio, 
where his famous company betook themselves 
when Florence was devastated by plague. The 
villa belonged originally to Cione di Fine, of the 


‘TIVIUAIN] O1990g “aUdTLuvd 


Loaeia, Vitta PALMIERI. 


82 Old Gardens of Italy 


Fine family, then passed to Solosmei, who pos- 
sessed it in 1427, and from Matteo it was bought 
in 1457 by Marco Palmieri. It was this family 
which beautified and added to the villa and its 
charming garden. Afterwards the villa belonged 
to the Grand-duchess Maria Antonia of Tuscany, 
then to the Earl of Crawford, and on Lady Craw- 
ford’s death in 1907 it was purchased by an 
American, Mr. Ellsworth. Queen Victoria of 
England twice stayed at Villa Palmieri. 

The great beauty of its grounds is the magnifi- 
cent balustraded terrace, which is reached from the 
picturesque lemon garden below by a double ramp. 
Formerly the entrance was on this side, and the 
fine gates and approach, with the house standing 
out boldly above, is poorly compensated for by 
the convenient carriage way which lands visitors 
at the level of the great court. 

A giardino segreto, in a sheltered and sunny spot, 
is of not very pleasing design. The same may be 
said of its fountain. This bit of sunk ground 
would lend itself to a pretty scheme, and the writer 
has been told that Mr. Ellsworth has greatly 
improved the gardens, retaining their design, since 
she was there. 

A little loggia overhangs a pool, and it was in 
this summer-house that Queen Victoria usually 
had tea. 


VILLA BONDI, FLORENCE. 


ForMERLY Villa Dante. There is nothing left of 
the formal plan of the grounds, which now owe 


MaIWI¥g VITIA Ovuray, 


‘LLVIAIVG VITIA ‘NaGuVSD ANAS 


Old Gardens of Italy 8 5 


their charm only to their delightful position and 
the two loggie of the beautiful house. This villa 
is historically of much interest, and permission to 
visit it is sometimes given by Cavalliere Camillo 
Bonda, Manefattura di Signa, Florence, to whom 
it belongs. 


VILLA SALVIATI, FLORENCE. 


Tuis villa belonged, in the fourteenth century, to 
the del Palagio, and from them, a century later 
passed to the da Montegonzi. In 1469 Arcan- 
giolo di Messer Bartolommeo sold it for 1,800 
golden florins to Alamanno Salviati. It was here, 
according to tradition, that Jacobo Salviati received 
the head of the beautiful and unhappy Caterina 
Canacci, slain by his wife, Veronica Cybo. 

The villa was in later years the property of 
Prince Borghese, then of Mr. Vansittart, and then 
of Mario, the famous singer. It now belongs to 
Madame Turri, who bought it in 1900. 

The garden is perfectly kept and very charming, 
but except the delightful little sunk parterre and 
the magnificent stanzone, none of it is formal. 

It is not usually shown. 


VILLA GAMBERAIA, SETTIGNANO, 
FLORENCE. 


Tue name of Gamberaia first occurs in a document 
at the Badia of Florence containing a transfer dated 


TIVAAUNWO) VITEA SNIaaY Od) WALA 


Old Gardens of Italy 87 


January 17th, 1398, of the house and land from 
the Badessa of St. Martino, at Mensola, to Gio- 
vanni di Benozzi, of the same brotherhood. In the 
beginning of the fifteenth century a man of Set- 
tignano, Matteo di Domento (known as Gambe- 
relli) had five sons. All were sculptors and 
architects but Giovanni. Bernard and Antonio 
emerged from the crowd of workers the place then 
harboured. These two men, better known as the 
Rossellini, executed many beautiful works at 
Florence and elsewhere. In 1592 Giovanni, son 
of Bernardo Gamberelli, bought Gamberaia from 
Domenico di Jacobo Reccialbani, and so improved 
the place that from thenceforward it was known as 
the Palagio of Gamberaia. One cannot but think 
that the studio must have been constructed at this 
time for its artistic possessor. 

After passing through the hands of the D’Out- 
relean family, it was bought by Princess Giovanna 
Ghika, sister of Queen Natalie of Servia, who, with 
her friend, an American lady, Miss Blood, now 
resides there. Under no circumstances is it 
possible to see the garden while the family is in resi- 
dence, but when they are absent permission may be 
applied for from the Princess’s agent in Florence. 
The Settignano electric tram from Florence runs 
within a few minutes’ walk of Gamberaia. 

In some respects the grounds are the most attrac- 
tive the writer knows. The position of the villa, 
standing finely on a ridge overlooking the valley, 
is charming, and the surroundings of the house, 
though occupying barely three acres of land, are 


88 Old Gardens of Italy 


marvellously varied and absolutely retired. A 
clipped drive leads to the house, and beyond, a 
trifle sunk, lies the oblong water garden, a sunny 
parterre laid out with pools instead of flower beds, 
and terminating in a semi-circular pond backed by 
a clipped screen. On the inner side (for the grounds 
lie on a shelf broken up into terraces) and a little 
above is a long grass terrace running nearly the 
entire length of the garden and dividing it into two 
portions. This is one of the most delightful 
features of the place and is very rare in Italian 

ardens. The turf is kept as green as if it were in 
Pineland: This long alley terminates at one end 
in a balustrade over which a glorious view of 
Florence is disclosed, and at the other by a grotto 
and a group of great cypresses. Facing the house, 
and reached through gates from the grass terrace, 
is an enclosed rock garden with a double stairway, 
one on either side, leading respectively to a bosco 
on one side and to the lemon garden on the other. 
The latter is gay and sunny, with a fountain and 
huge red pots, and backed by a picturesque stan- 
zone. Another bosco is reached from this level, and 
through it winding paths lead down again to the 
grass alley. 

On the outer side of the house runs a terrace 
with sculptured balustrade giving beautiful views. 
Close below are the fields and vineyards, which in 
nearly all cases in Italy border the grounds. . 

The Capponi family, early in the eighteenth 
century, embellished the grounds with fountains 
and statuary. 


“IWYREMVE) VITA ‘NaqUWS) NOW] SHI WOR 


a 


‘AIO9ALY “TOIGA]A WTA 


Old Gardens of Italy gI 


VILLA MEDICI, FIESOLE. 


Aso known as Belcante or Il Palagio di Fiesole. 
One of the many villas of Lorenzo de’ Medici. 
Here he usually spent his week ends, and here, as 
at Careggi, the meetings of the philosophers took 
place. Cosimo III. sold it in 1671 for 4,000 
scudi to Senator Cosimo del Sera, to whom be- 
longed the crest which still adorns the corner of the 
terrace bordering the old avenue. In 1721 it 
was inherited by the Durazzini, who, in 1725, sold 
it to the Borgherini. In 1771, when this family 
became extinct, the villa was bought by Colonel 
Albergotto, who, the following year, sold it to the 
widow of Robert Walpole, Earl of Oxford. At 
the beginning of the nineteenth century Mr. Spence 
purchased it, and Lady Sybil Cutting now resides 
there. The garden has, to a certain extent, 
retained its old design. Owing to the site it 
occupies—along a narrow shelf on the steep hill- 
side—it can never have had an elaborate plan, but 
whoever laid out the grounds made them conform 
admirably to their position. The beautiful cypress 
avenue leading steeply up from the old road to 
Fiesole is now a public highway. Where it formerly 
reached the house there is still a little forecourt 
with cypresses and a fountain. The loggia of the 
house on the other side opens on a lawn, once, no 
doubt, a parterre laid out with flower beds. Two 
grottos form the ends of the paths on either side,. 
and a central gateway leads to the long cypress 


On rue Terrace Wark, Vitra Mepici. 


Old Gardens of Italy 93 


terrace, the glory of the grounds. Near the end 
next the parterre is a pretty garden seat and table 
in coloured tiles. Steps lead up behind to a densely 
shaded walk above. 

The garden can only be seen by means of a 
private introduction. 


VILLA CAMPI, SIGNA, NEAR FLORENCE. 


Larp out by the Pucci family towards the end of 
the sixteenth century. Now the property of Pro- 
fessor Castellucci, of Florence. Can usually be 
seen on application to the gardener. Is about two 
miles’ walk from Signa by short cuts. It is well to 
take someone from Signa as guide. 

Mrs. Wharton says that Villa Campi has always 
lacked its house. On the other hand, Mr. H. Inigo 
Triggs considers that the two existing buildings 
formed the casino, being divided, as at Lante, for 
the sake of symmetry. The writer, whose opinion 
is of far less value than either of these, cannot but 
believe, after a long day spent at Campi, that so 
stupendous a scheme as the grounds disclose must 
have been intended to harmonise with a much more 
imposing residence than the two small houses we 
now find. The entire hill, on all sides and for a 
long distance down, is occupied with a design of 
great dignity and beauty. The larger part is now 
unenclosed and appears no longer to belong to the 
villa. It consists of several long viali of cypress, 
of ilex, and of other trees terminating in groups of 


aWVQ VINA ‘AVMBIVILG NadUVD 


SAWVQ VITA (TYMILUY 


96 Old Gardens of Italy 


statuary or tanks of water. They all radiate from 
a point in the centre between the two houses. 

Immediately on entering the garden proper, one 
sees that its parterre occupies the very summit of 
the hill. Below the parterre it descends by a 
charming stone stairway to a terrace en pente and 
ends at a pool and balustraded retaining wall whence 
there is a wide outlook to the valley below and hills 
beyond. A series of ramps descend on each side, 
under trees, from the casino to the lower ground, 
with shady walks, fountains, and statuary. The 
garden, though quite neglected, is one of the most 
interesting and naturally beautiful the writer has 
ever seen. 


VILLA VICOBELLO, SIENA. 


AscriBED to the famous architect, Peruzzi (Bal- 
dassare, 1481-1537). About three miles from 
Siena. The property of the Marchese Chigi. 
Permesso at the Chigi Palace, Siena. 

This is one of the very few old Italian gardens 
which is well kept. It has an oblong lemon garden 
with picturesque summer-house at one end and the 
house at the other. The stanzone and the back of 
the outbuildings border the whole of one side, and 
a clipped ilex hedge the other. In the centre of the 
latter there is a gateway (facing one opening into 
the courtyard) and steps lead down to another ter- 
race garden, laid out in formal style as an orchard, 
with pools and box borders. ‘The scheme is an 


Summer House, Vitra Vicoxrcio, Siena. 


Trzarre, Vita SERGARDI, SIENA. 


Old Gardens of Italy 99 


attractive one. There is the usual bosco, but in 
terraces, below the other side of the casino, and a 
courtyard has a beautiful well set between columns 
in the wall. 

The whole design of Vicobello is dignified, 
simple, and in keeping with its situation on a hill, 
with charming views of Siena. Not far from it is 
the Villa Gort. 


VILLA GORI, SIENA. 


Or Palazzina. About two miles from Siena, near 
the Osservanza. It was built and laid out for the 
Gori family in the seventeenth century. Visitors 
courteously admitted to the grounds on presenta- 
tion of their visiting cards. 

The Villa Gori is unique in the length and 
denseness of its ilex tunnels and its enchanting 
garden theatre. The parterre of the theatre is laid 
out in a borderie of turf and gravel, and is sur- 
rounded on three sides by clipped ilex. The stage 
is raised some three feet and the wings are formed 
of clipped cypress, with one tall, perfect cypress 
rising in the very centre. The charm of this little 
theatre, approached by a dark pleached alley, can- 
not, as Mrs. Wharton truly says, be conveyed in 
words. 


VILLA SERGARDI, SIENA. 


AxouT a mile outside Siena. There is a charming, 
well-kept garden theatre, so placed that it is visible 
H 


100 Old Gardens of Italy 


right through the great doors at the centre of the. 
house. The rest of the grounds are in the landscape 
style. 


VILLA DEL COLLEGIO ROSI, SPELLO. 


Tuerz is here a small formal garden, with borderie 
of box. In the cathedral is a painting showing a 
old garden. _ 
The writer has not visited Spello, so cannot say. 
whether the garden is worth seeing or not. 
For Spello, it is best to sleep at Foligno (Hotel 
Posta). 


GARDEN OF THE QUIRINAL PALACE, 
ROME. 


Ir is not known who originally laid out the garden, 
but the plan as we see it in Falda was a monotonous 
one, and it is small wonder if here, in the very 
centre of a great city, much of the design was 
obliterated and every attempt given to provide 
shade. The grounds are very shady and retired, 
and the alleys provide charming views through 
clipped archways of the great fountain in the centre — 
of the palm walk. There are secret fountains at 
one spot, and a huge water organ, which no longer 
is in working order, is within a great, grotto-like 
recess. Here, too, are some marble groups repre- 
senting the Forge of Vulcan, etc. 

An extremely handsome sun-dial, the only one 


FounTaIn IN THE QurrINAL GARDENS. 


102 Old Gardens of Italy 


the writer has met with in an Italian garden (except 
the sun-dials affixed to the walls of buildings, 
which are common) stands near the palace, and a 
beautiful vase on a pedestal not far from it. Here, 
too, is the Fountain of Venus. There are several 
balustrade terraces, affording delightful views, and 
a small sunk giardino segreto that’recalls the earlier 
design. The gardens are never open to the public, 
and permission to visit them, obtainable through © 
an Ambassador, would only be given under very 

special circumstances. 


VATICAN GARDENS, ROME. 


THESE gardens were probably first laid out under 
Sixtus IV. (1471-1484). They were extensively 
improved by Raphael and afterwards by Sangallo 
the younger. The beautiful little garden house 
was built for Pius IV. in 1560 by Piero Ligorio. 
For permission to enter the gardens apply some 
weeks in advance at the office in the Vatican. 
Although much of the old design has been 
altered, and the grounds are now by no means well 
kept,* there still remains the great sunk parterre 
with the ilex-hung terraces above it and the exqui- 
site little oval court with its two vaulted porticos 
and its garden-house and arcaded pavilion placed 


* At no time do these gardens seem to have been well kept up. Dr. 
G. Burnet wrote of them in 1686, “the gardens are ill maintained,” and 
it must strike all present-day visitors also that “ There are none that lay 
out so much wealth aj] at once as the Italians on their Palaces and Gardens 
and that afterwards bestow so little on the preserving of them.” : 


“on: ; * F &, 
SNAQGUWE) NYOLLY A AUaILUVd 


VATICAN GARDENS. 


Virta PIA, 


Old Gardens of Italy 105 


at equal distances. In the centre is a fountain 
designed by Gio. Vasanzio. The garden-house is 
a storey lower on its outer elevation,aramp leading 
down on either side to the ground level, where, 
under a portico, is a pool with water constantly 
dripping over the edge at one point and falling on a 
slightly hollowed paved walk. This device, so 
suggestive of coolness, is seen elsewhere (for in- 
stance, at Villa Corsini, Castello), where a tank or 
fountain is in a shady spot and intended as a sum- 
mer retreat. 

On a level with this pool were the old gardens 
of the Villa Pia (as the garden-house was called), 
but practically no trace of them remains. 

A terraced garden with grotto and an adjoining 
court with a huge wall fountain scheme (“That 
noble cascade where the ship dances,” as John 
Evelyn describes it), and a great tank on which 
floats Bernini’s bronze ship,” are reached through 
a gateway near the upper terrace, overlooking the 
parterre. There is an old plan of the grounds 
hanging in the gardener’s house, which is close to 
the entrance to the gardens (this is from the vesti- 
bule, where is the turnstile of the sculpture gallery) 
and he will show it if asked to do so. 

There is no regularly constructed stanzone, the 
lemon trees in their pots being placed in winter 
along the retaining wall that borders the parterre. 
A projecting eave is then temporarily formed of 
tiles and the front is hung with matting. The 


* It has been suggested that the ship symbolises the primitive church, 
tossed on a rough sea. ' 


106 Old Gardens of Italy 


parterre is laid out with various elaborate devices 
in box, such as the Papal Arms. It is too fantastic’ 
to be in good taste. In the centre is a large 
fountain. There is a charming entrance from the 
Vatican to the parterre through a wrought iron 


gate. 


VILLA PAPA GIULIO, ROME. 


Buitr for Pope Julius III. (1550-1555), who 
himself assisted his architects in designing it. It is 
in great part the work of Vignola, but Michael 
Angelo, Vasari, and Ammanati all appear to have 
given suggestions for it. The villa is now a 
museum of antiquities found in the province of 
Rome. It is open daily, and is not far outside the 
Porta del Popolo. 

Although nothing remains of the actual garden, 
yet the garden architecture is so beautiful that no 
one should fail to see it. The vaulted arcade, with 
Zucchero’s famous frescoes, runs round the semi- 
circular garden side of the house. It is faced by a 
wonderfully airy-looking loggia beyond which is 
the sunk grotto or bath, reached by a double stair- 
way. This is the most delightful feature of the 
grounds, and must have been cool even in summer. 
Another loggia beyond gives access to what was 
once a parterre of flower beds, with five fountains 
placed amongst them. As Mrs. Wharton says, 
nowhere else do we find so perfect an interpretation 
of the old Roman villa style of architecture. 


‘Ol1NI) VaVg VITIA ‘O.LLOYD ANAS 


a eS mM i 


110 Old Gardens of Italy 


VILLA ALBANI, ROME. 


Jusr outside the Porta Salaria. Erected in 1746 
for Cardinal Albani, from his own designs, assisted 
by the architect, Carlo Marchionne. Sold in 1834 
to the Count of Castlebarco, and in 1868 to Prince 
Torlonia, whose family now owns it. The garden 
was laid out by Antonio Nolli. Neither the casino, 
with its collection of statuary, nor the grounds are 
shown except by means of a private introduction. 

The large parterre, with the terrace overlooking 
it, the central fountain, grottos, and niches with 
statues, as well as the ilex bosco, all show the old 
classic design. 


VILLA MEDICI, ROME. 


Now the French Academy. Open to the public on 
Wednesdays and Saturdays after 9 a.m. Built by 
Annibale Lippi in the middle of the sixteenth cen- 
tury for Cardinal Ricci, and purchased soon after- 
wards by the Medici family. Cardinal Ferdinand 
Medici adorned the garden elevation with beautiful 
bas-reliefs and sculptures. Velasquez, while 
residing here in 1630, painted two charming little 
pictures of the garden and house which are now in 
the Madrid gallery. In Sala III. of the Picture 
Gallety of the Naples. Museum is a painting of 
this garden by Sebastiano Vranckx, of Antwerp, 
dated 1615. It shows a large equestrian statue 
and a few other embellishments no longer there, 


nN Enrrance, Witta Mepici, Rome. 


GarvE 


112 Old Gardens of Italy 


but otherwise the garden appears much as it does 
now. Galileo resided here in 1633-34, and Marie 
de’Medici lived here when young. It became the 
property of the Duke of Parma in 1801, and in 
1803 was purchased for the French Academy. Here 
it is that those who have gained the Grands Prix de 
Rome for painting, sculpture, architecture, engrav- 
ing of medals and of precious stones, and musical 
compositions are sent by the French Government 
for four years to complete their studies. 

The grounds have all the charm of a simple 
dignified design, unspoilt by the hand of the land- 
scape gardener. The forecourt is very spacious, 
and beyond it is the parterre, with its high clipped 
box hedges and its fountains. A beautiful loggia 
runs along one side of the flower garden, and must 
formerly have served as a lemon house. It acts as 
a retaining wall to the bosco, which is above. At 
one spot in the grounds an iron grille permits of a 
view outwards, a very French feature observable 
also at the Palace of Stra. The garden of the 
Villa Medici, though one of the best examples of 
its period, is too familiar to travellers to need 
further description. 


VILLA CHIGI, ROME. 


Outsipe the Porta Salaria, a mile or so beyond 
Villa Albani, and on the other side of the road. 
Most courteously shown on request to those really 
interested in old Italian gardens. The property of 
the Chigi family. 


“asnoH F te) AYMHOAW Woad “91HnD VITA Ao Naduvyy 


“IDIHD VITIA Santa Luvg 


Old Gardens of Italy = 115 


A long, low, Tuscan-like house, with simple but 
charming grounds. Like many Tuscan villas, the 
farm lands come quite up to the garden boundary. 
The vista through the archway of the house oppo- 
site the entrance gate, down a long clipped walk, 
is most attractive. The garden is laid out in box- 
enclosed plots, and there is the usual lemon garden 
with pools and cool, dark ilex wood. The villa is 
quite close to the high road, which is here enlarged 
into a bust-fringed semi-circle. 


VILLA CORSINI, ROME. 


Now the Reale Accademia de Lincei. The grounds 
are now botanical gardens and a public park. 
For permission to enter the garden apply at the 
Corsini Palace. The palace was built for the 
Riario family, who sold it in 1729 to Clement 
XII., who bought it for his nephew, Cardinal Neri 
Corsini. 

Of the finely designed grounds nothing is left 
except the cascade, which is a simple and charming 
arrangement of stone basins one above another, 
with a terrace and grotto at the top. 


VILLA PAMPHILJ, ROME. 


Former ty Villa Belrespiro. Open to the public on 
Mondays after 1 p.m., and on Fridays from 10 to 2. 
I 


Cascape, Vita Corsini, Rome. 


Old Gardens of Italy 117 


Erected by Alessandro Algardi about 1650 for 
Olimpia Pamphilj, for her son Prince Camillo 
Pamphilj. Now the property of-Prince Doria, 
About half-a-mile outside the Porta San Pancrazio. 

It has been suggested that the great parterre 
was laid out by Le Notre, when he visited Rome in 
1678, but from internal evidence this seems 
improbable. / 

From the beautiful terrace a flight of steps leads 
down to the parterre through wrought iron gates. 
There are large pools at each end, with water 
spurting from the bronze Pamphilj lily in the 
centre. They are very effective, more especially 
that just below the terrace, where is situated the 
lemon garden. Much of the ground has been 
“landscaped,” but the whole park was originally 
laid out on a formal plan, and this is still traceable 
in the planting of the trees. 

The house was intended to have a long wing on 
either side. It was in its present form never meant 
for a residence, but merely a casino, or place where 
the owner could entertain those friends who visited 
him for the day. When a villa was so close to 
Rome, as was the case with the Villa Pamphilj and 
the Villa Albani, less attention was paid to the 
requirements of a country house than in places 
like Frascati and the hills above Florence, where 
the villas were lived in during the summer and 
shut up in winter. ° 

The Villa Pamphilj has also a modest dwelling 
house hidden away in the woods. 


THanV WITTA “AOveNTy, WAMOT AHL WOU T 


Old Gardens of Italy 119 


VILLA BORGHESE, ROME 


Now known as the Villa Comunale Umberto 
Primo. Built about 1618 for Cardinal Scipio 
Borgese by Giovanni Vasanzio (Il Fiammingo). 
Gardens laid out by Rainaldi and extended by 
Domenico Savino. Waterworks designed by 
G. Fontana. Gardens “landscaped ” in 1789 by 
Jacob Moore and Pietro Camporesi. 

It is now a public park, and is entered by a 
gateway just outside the Porto del Popolo and by 
another opposite the Porta Pinciana (at the top of 
the Via Veneto), and by others of less importance. 
The formal part of the original design is seen in 
the fountain and enclosing caryatid figures behind 
the casino (this part of the grounds is now going to 
ruin), in the giardino segreto with its aviary, 
fountains, and gateways to the north-west of the 
house, and in the delightfully planned forecourt 
with its stepped-up balustrade and seats and its 
entrance between two statues with fountains at 
their bases. The park, which is very extensive, 
including some hundreds of acres, has here and 
there noticeable features. It contains what was 
formerly the private garden of the Borghese family, 
a small enclosure with symmetrical flower-beds and 
a lake, on the banks of which stands a temple of 
#Esculapius. This and the hippodrome were 
probably additions of the eighteenth century. In 
1902 the property was purchased from Prince 
. Borghese for the State for three million francs 


(£120,000). 


‘amoy ‘asHHDNOg WITTA ‘LUNODAAOT OL BONVULNG 


¥. 


' 
ae 
i 
' 

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i 


ahd 


ail 


Laxe ano Tempce, Vitra Borcusse. 


122 Old Gardens of Italy 


John Evelyn writes of it : “The gardenabounded 
with all sorts of delicious fruit and exotic simples, 
fountains of sundry inventions, groves, and small 
rivulets. There is also adjoining to it a vivarium 
for ostriches, peacocks, swans, cranes, etc., and 
divers strange beasts, deer, and hares. The grotto 
is very rare, and represents, among other devices, 
artificial rain. . . . The four sphinxes are very 
ancient. To this is a volary full of curious birds.” 


VILLA COLONNA, ROME. 


Tue Villa Colonna is the garden of the palace of 
that name. Permesso at the palace (Piazza Apos- 
toli), open Wednesday mornings. Entrance to 
garden is at 15 Via del Quirinale. 

Laid out by Don Filippo Colonna in the seven- 
teenth century. 

This little garden has much charm. The present 
entrance is through the gardener’s house, but the 
fine double stairway on the outer side still remains, 
though the walk within is choked with under- 
growth. 

An orange garden with flower beds radiating 
from a circular pool in the centre occupies one half 
of the flat ground on the top of the hill, the other 
half, beyond the viale, which runs from the en- 
trance gate, being bosco. On the same level as the 
orange garden and separated from it by a clipped 
hedge is a terrace overlooking the city. A pretty 
chateau d’eau descends from the terrace beneath, 


‘WNNOTOD VITA “IWOY ONIVOOTARAO HOVUUTT 


“VNNOIOD VIIA ‘NAGUVD NoW@] 


Old Gardens of Italy = 125 


nearly to the level of the first floor of the palace, 
but is screened from it by a hedge and divided by 
a stretch of turf where formerly there were par- 
terres. The ground made it difficult to design a 
good garden plan, and rendered it impossible for 
the water scheme to be placed, as is usual, opposite 
to the centre of the palace. This defect, as it was 
considered, was therefore hidden by trees. Be- 
tween the palace and the garden runs a narrow 
street crossed by stone bridges from the upper part 
of the house to the grounds. 


VILLA OF THE KNIGHTS OF MALTA, 
ROME. 


Tue church of the order, Santa Maria Aventina, 
also called Del Priorato, is within. the grounds. 
Visitors ring at No. 40 in the small piazza at the 
top of the Via di Santa Sabina, decorated with 
obelisks and coats of arms of the order. The gar- 
den is open on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 
g a.m. till dusk. The entrance door contains a 
brass-bound keyhole, through which is the famous 
view of St. Peter’s along a clipped viale. 

It is thought that Piranesi, who restored the 
chapel in 1765, also laid out the gardens. Though 
small, they are worth a visit, for they were admir- 
ably planned with regard to the restricted and 
uneven ground at the architect’s disposal. They 
include a sunny orange garden with fountain and 
box hedges, and a couple of terraces, one below the 


House ano Crurcn,:Knicuts oF Marra. 


“VLIVJAL 10 St. 


HOINS, 


‘NaduvS) 


® 


128 Old Gardens of Italy 


other, overlooking the Tiber, and perched on the 
very edge of a steep cliff. 


VILLA MADAMA, ROME. 


Tuoucu hardly a vestige remains of this once 
famous garden, it cannot be entirely omitted from 
a handbook to the subject, for the design of the 
grounds of the Villa Madama was the model for 
nearly all the formal gardens of Italy. It was never 
finished, but in 1516 it was begun for Cardinal 
Giuliano de Medici (afterwards Pope Clement 
VII.) by Raphael, who died before the work was 
completed. Guilio Romano and Antonio da San- 
gallo went on with it, but in 1527 it was nearly 
destroyed by the troops. of Cardinal Colonna, and 
later it passed into the hands of the Chapter of St. 
Eustace, the Duchess of Parma (who naméd it 
Madama) and the King of Naples. It still remains 
in his family, being now the property of the Count 
of Caserta, and, like the Farnese Palace, at Capra- 
rola, it has been allowed to fall into absolute decay. 
It may be seen on Saturdays after 9 a.m., and is on 
the north slope of Monte Mario. A tram runs 
from the Ponte Margherita to near the triumphal 
arch at the foot of the hill. There isa long terrace 
with a tank and niches in its upper retaining wall. 
Below is a series of grottos and a long basin. 
These are all that now exist of the huge garden 
scheme here projected. 

The villa is worth a visit, however, on account 


‘aWoy ‘wAwvaVAL VITIA 


130 Old Gardens of Italy 


of its beautiful stucco decorations by Giovanni da 
Udine. The building is in a ruinous state, and it 
seems deplorable that such glorious historical pro- 
perties as Villa Madama and the Caprarola Palace 
should not either be properly kept up by their 
owner, or acquired by the nation. 


VILLA MATTEI, ROME. 


Now Villa Celemontana. There is now no formal 

arden whatever. The entrance is close to the 
church of San Stefano Rotondo, and permission to 
visit the garden is obtainable at Ambrosini’s, 57 
Via della Minerva, third floor, between 11 and 12 
on Mondays and Wednesdays. Villa open on 
Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. 

At one time there must have been a magnificent 
garden, for in Evelyn’s Diary we read that he was 
told that it was “inferior to no garden in Rome 
for statues, ancient monuments, aviaries, fountains, 
groves, and especially a noble obelisk, and main- 
tained in beauty at an expense of 6,000 crowns 
yearly, which, if not expended to keep up its 
beauty, forfeits the possession of a greater revenue 
to another family.” He regrets that he did not 
visit the Hortii Mathai, as he calls it. 


VILLA D ESTE, TIVOLI. 


Burtt in 1549 for Ippolito d’Este, Cardinal of 
Ferrara, by Pirro Liggorio. It has always remained 


‘ALS VITTA JO STOO UH T, 


132 Old Gardens of Italy 


in possession of the Este family, and now belongs 
to Archduke Francis Ferdinand Este, of Austria. 
Open daily to the public. ; : 

The gardens of Villa d’Este have retained their 
ancient design perhaps more completely than any 
others in Italy. Their chief feature is the treatment 
of the bountiful water supply, brought at huge cost 
from the Anio. The fountains, etc., were planned 
by Orazio Olivieri, and are totally different to any- 
thing of the kind elsewhere. One of. the lower 
terraces is fringed with jets, and fountains rise one 
above another at the middle of each stage of the 
central ascent. Four great, oblong pools, with 
enclosing balustrades, stretch from side to side of 
the lower portion of the garden, with an immense 
cascade at one end, and rising from a terrace above 
itisa water organ. A tiny giardino segreto is close 
by. The whole plan of the grounds on the face of 
a steep hillside has been carried out in a fascinating 
manner and regardless of cost. 


VILLA LANTE, VITERBO.* 


DeEsIcNnED, it is believed, by Giulio Romano and 
Vignola. One of the Casinos was begun in the 
fourteenth century by Raphael Riario as a hunting 
lodge. Cardinal Ridolfi and Gianfrancesco Gambara, 
then Bishop of Viterbo, carried on the work, the 
latter laying out the garden, and on his death in 


* There is an unusually full description of this garden in Montaigne’s 
Travels. He visited it in 1581. 


LNW] VIIA SAMNELNVg FH] 


134 Old Gardens of Italy 


1588 the villa was bequeathed to the Holy See by 
Cardinal Cassale, his successor. Cardinal Montalto, 
nephew of Sixtus V., built a second casino exactly 
like the older one, and also erected the beautiful 
fountain in the centre of the parterre. The crest 
borne aloft is his. We see this heraldic device, or 
one very similar, elsewhere. It will be noticed at 
the Villa Vicobello, Siena, on the obelisk of the 
Piazza del Popolo, Rome, and in many other places. 
The writer has tried in vain to discover if, wherever 
displayed, the crest is that of the same family. She 
would greatly value any information readers might 
be able to afford. 

Villa Lante now belongs to the Duke of Lante, 
who most kindly permits travellers to visit the 
grounds even when he is inresidence. The Duchess 
is American, and warmly interested in her beautiful 
garden, which is perfectly kept. The original 
design remains absolutely unspoilt. Bagnaia, the 
village in which Lante is situted, is two and a half 
miles from Viterbo. 

Lante is perhaps in every particular the most 
delightful garden in Italy. Its situation, on sloping 
ground, is perfect, and abundance of water is avail- 
able for the fountains. The design is that of a 
master hand in its uniformity and appropriateness. 
It is an all embracing scheme, including the casinos, 
the sunny parterre laid out as a lemon garden, the 
spacious and shaded terrace, the water that runs 
from basin to basin and springs from fountain after 
fountain, the charming twin garden houses and the 
perfect balance of every part with every other. 


“3LNV] VITITA ‘aa HOS WaLV AA LNaddag anv NIV.LNOOT 


136 Old Gardens of Italy 


While the plan is bold and unhesitating, no detail 
has been overlooked. The channels down which 
the water foams are purposely roughened to pro- 
duce the delightful tinkling that sounds so refresh- 
ing in hot weather. The fountains of black marble 
like those at Viterbo are of simple design, but 
contain innumerable openings for the spurting 
water. The balustrade that borders the steps 
leading from one terrace to another bears on it an 
enchanting design along which runs and drips a 
silvery thread. i 

The great central fountain of the parterre rises 
from wide water spaces, and its base is reached by 
four stone bridges. A high, clipped hedge encloses 
the parterre on three sides, and gives it that air of 
seclusion which we so often find in the old gardens 
when they approach close to the house. : 

An old fresco of the villa may be seen on the wal 
within the loggia close to the entrance to the 
parterre. 

The great crab that will be noticed on the front 
-of the garden houses was the heraldic device of 
Cardinal Gambara. 


FARNESE PALACE, CAPRAROLA.* 


Buitt about 1547-49, by Ven for Cardinal 
Alexander Farnese (nephew of Paul III.). Now 
* Montaigne wiote enthusiastically about the palace and its. grounds 


which he visited in 1581 : “Je n’en ai vu aucun dans ce beau pays qui lui 
soit comparable,” 


“VIONVUEVD ‘EsNOH] NaGYVH 


138 Old Gardens of Italy 


the property of H.R.H. the Count of Caserta. 
Permesso from Monsieur le Commandeur Vincenzo 
Scala, Administrateur des Biens Farnesiens, Palazzo 
Farnese, Rome. If it is desired to visit the garden 
as well as the house a special pemission for the 
“ Villa ed il Palazzo Farnese di Caprarola ” must 
be asked for. 

Caprarola is in every way the most amazing 
place of its kind in Italy, and no garden pilgrim 
can afford to omit it from his programme. From 
Rome it is reached by rail from the Trastevere 
Station to Capranica (on the Viterbo line), forty 
miles, whence it is a drive of four miles to Capra- 
rola. Or if Viterbo be the headquarters Caprarola 
can be reached from there (about eleven miles). 
This road used to be dangerous, the Ciminian 
Forest having for centuries past borne an evil 
reputation, but now the excursion is an absolutely 
safe one. The first sight of the great, loftily 
situated, five-sided palace, with its immense stair- 
way, is very striking. It is rare that a summer 
residence of the Middle Ages is found so far from 
a large town, and hardly ever do we see one, as is 
so ates the case at home, in an isolated spot. 
The Farnese Palace is on the margin of the 
ittle hill town of Caprarola, which it completely 
dominates. 

Behind the palace and separated from it by a 
narrow moat is the garden. Two large rectangular 
spaces, one above the other, will first be visited, 
the box outlines of their former flower-beds still 
discernible, but their grottos and statues in ruins. 


Parrerre, CAPRAROLA. 


140 Old Gardens of Italy 


Then, passing out from these through a glade, one 
reaches the upper garden, on which the architect 
concentrated his highest efforts. This part of the 
grounds, to anyone unacquainted with the plan, 
comes asa surprise. It is so unusual to find such 
a scheme at a considerable distance from the house 
and not on its axis. The upper garden, with its 
charming little casino, is treated as a totally distinct 
part of the property. 

It is approached by an avenue, and the casino 
stands just at the head of a water scheme with 
fountain representing river deities on the upper 
terrace and a stone-built arcade with stucco work 
on either side. A fountain at the bottom sends up 
a tall, thin jet, which effectively completes the 
composition. 

The casino is two storeys high on its lower side, 
but being built against a great retaining wall, it 
has only one storey on the elevation facing upwards. 
It stands amidst a delightful little garden laid out 
with box-edged beds. Three fountains are placed 
at equal distances from each other, and the enclosing 
wall is ornamented with caryatides looking inwards 
and bearing vases on their heads. Though not in 
themselves beautiful, these great stone figures are 
extraordinarily in keeping with their position, and 
the general design would seem to the writer 
unthinkable without them. 

On the upper side of the Villa Farnese, above 
the fountain, stretch parterres en pente, the scheme 
finally ending at a gate giving access to the high 
road. This part of the garden is so neglected that 


Old Gardens of Italy 141 


it is rapidly becoming impossible to trace the 
original plan. 

In Vignola’s beautiful little garden housea peasant 
family now lives, whose children beg from the 
few strangers who visit the grounds.- If the garden 
of Caprarola could be restored to its former beauty 
and thrown open for a fee to the public, in these 
days of motors it would soon recoup the outlay for 
its owner. It is very sad to see so glorious an 
example of one of Italy’s formal gardens falling 
into such decay that eventually no vestige of it 
will remain. 


VILLA TORLONIA, FRASCATI. 


ForMeERLy Conti. Belonged originally to tne Conti 
family It passed, in 1650, by marriage, to a 
Sforza, and finally to its present owner, the Duke 
of Torlonia. Permission to visit the garden can 
usually be obtained through the Frascati hotel- 
keepers. Little remains of the purely formal part 
of the grounds, but the scheme of stairways by 
which the level of the bosco is gained from the 
carriage drive, is of unique design. It extends the 
whole length of the terrace. 

The water theatre and cascade are very beautiful, 
and simple in design. At the top is a charming 
balustraded pool, where the water for the cascade 
and fountains is collected. The bosco are of ilex, 
and at the intersection of the principal walks stand 
fine fountains. 


Cascape, Vitta Tortonia. 


Old Gardens of Italy 143 


VILLA BORGHESE, FRASCATI. 


Or Taverna. Given to Pope Paul V. (Camillo 
Borghese, 1605-21) by Count Taverna, Govenor of 
Rome. Shown freely. The garden is small, but 
the disposition of the grounds retain their original 
design. The sunk semi-circular court is good, and 
the giardino segreio is entered through a picturesque 
doorway. 

The fine entrance gateway to the villa, with its 
avenue, is now disused. 


VILLA ALDOBRANDINI, FRASCATI. 


Was begun in 1 p98 for Cardinal Pietro Aldobran- 
dini, nephew of Clement VIII. Designed by 
Giacomo della Porta. The engineer who carried 
out the water-works was Orazio Olivieri. Per- 
messo obtainable at the Frascati hotels. 

The chief features of the grounds are the cascade 
and water theatre. Dr. G. Burnet, who saw them 
in 1686, writes: “ The water-works in the Aldo- 
brandini Palace have a magnificence in them beyond 
all I ever saw in France, the mixture of Wind with 
the Water and the Thunders and Storms that this 
maketh is noble.” He also refers to the water- 
works of the Ludovisio and Monte Dragone. 
Evelyn, who visited Frascati somewhat earlier, 
describes Fontana’s water theatre very fully, and 
after telling how the water falls down the hillside, 
he speaks of “an artificial prot, wherein are curious 


‘LLwosvug “aS@HOWOY WITTA SAVMUIVIS 


ee = 


‘INSGNVNHOGTY WITLA SyNOVANVO ONIMOOTUIFAO “AIVUYA TY, UO NIVLINNO J 


146 Old Gardens of Italy 


rocks, hydraulic organs, and all sorts of singing 
birds, moving and chirping by force of the water. 
. . . In the centre of one of these rooms rises a 
copper ball that continually dances about three 
feet above the pavement, by virtue of a wind 
conveyed secretly to a hole beneath it; with many 
other devises to wet the unwary spectator.” 

None of this elaborate mechanism is now in 
working order. 

The stream supplying the cascade starts from a 
glade above, where are the cisterns for the water 
supply, and falling over three successive drops it 
reaches a narrow channel, whence it passes between 
two columns and falls from step to step till it 
emerges in the water theatre which faces the 
entrance to the villa. 

Ilex woods cover the hillside. The parterre to 
the east of the casino, with its pergola and boat- 
shaped fountain, is charming. The elevation of 
the casino on the Frascati side is imposing, and the 
grille of iron and stone enclosing the grounds where 
they adjoin the public gardens of Frascati is in 
good taste. The entrance here is closed, and the 
visitor should follow the road mounting to the 
south-east till he comes to an avenue. 


VILLA FALCONIERI, FRASCATI. 


Burtt in 1648 by the architect Borromini for 
Cardinal Ruffini, and the oldest villa at Frascati. 
The grounds were laid out about twenty years 


‘INTONVUROGTY WIA “AYLVAH], VILY AA 


Reservorr, Witta Farconiert. 


Old Gardens of Italy 149 


earlier. It afterwards belonged to the Sforza and 
Falconieri families, in 11906 was left to the 
German Emperor, ‘and it is now the German 
Academy. Noticeable are its fine stone gateways, 
the outer having been constructed in 1729 by 
Cardinal Alexander Falconieri, and the other 
giving access to the inner court. 

The chief feature of the grounds is the beauti- 
fully placed reservoir, which stands on a lonely cliff 
_ and is surrounded by magnificent i ara It is 

connected with the park by a double stairway of 
appropriate simplicity of design. 


VILLA MONDRAGONE, FRASCATI. 


Tuis villa is now a Jesuit College. The grounds 
are shown to anyone really interested, on applica- 
tion to the director. Begun in 1567 by Martino 
Lunghi for Cardinal Marco Altempo, enlarged by 
Pope Gregory VII., and finished by Paul V. and 
his nephew, Cardinal Scipione Borgese. 

The magnificent loggia by Vignola and the water 
theatre by Giovanni Fontana are the chief features. 
The latter, though in a ruinous state, still bears 
traces of its mosaics, its surprise fountains and the 
reliefs in its niches. There is a fine fountain on 
the terrace at the back of the house, and from here 
may be seen the beginning of the cypress avenue 
which these princes of the church intended to 
continue the whole way, in a straight line, to Rome. 
The curious columns at the corners of this terrace 


"aNOOVHANOJAT ‘awoy OL 0D OL QHQNELNI TANBAY GNV SNIVINNOY NODWUC] 


‘HNOOVEGNOW “AULVIH, WALV AA 


152 Old Gardens of Italy 


are the kitchen chimneys, the house having an extra 
storey below on this side, as it is built against a 
slope. 


VILLA MUTI, FRASCATI. 


A MILE or two out, on the Grotta Ferrata road. 
Freely shown. A most interesting garden, though 
changed in detail from its original state. It is on 
three levels, and its box maze is the best of the 
kind in Italy. It is a good example of the admir- 
ably varied treatment of a small piece of ground 
on a very broken hillside. 
It is approached by two avenues of ilex. 


VILLA LANCELOTTI, FRASCATI. 


Buiit about 1560. Under no pretext whatsoever 
are visitors admitted. The BB though beauti- 
ful, does not present the interesting and varied 
features that we find in most of the other Frascati 
villas. It consists of an oblong parterre, enclosed 
by clipped ilex hedges and laid out in a design in 
box. At one end is the house, with the usual water 
theatre at the other. Here it was that Cardinal 
Baronious wrote, at the end of the sixteenth 
century, his learned Church History. 


VILLA PALLAVACINI, FRASCATI. 


Former.y Belpoggio. Can be freely entered, but 
contains no remains of its once fine grounds except 


‘ILA VINA ‘aZVJA 


: 


“LAY, WITIA ‘NEGYVS) YAMOT] OL AVMUIVILS 


"OS TOUNWS) THLSV SD) “sovIVgd IWdVq do AU ILUV |g 


156 Old Gardens of Italy 


the ilex tunnels on each side of the parterre. This 
was raised on a great platform, and glorious views 
may be had from the terrace opposite to the house. 


PAPAL PALACE, CASTEL GANDOLFO. 


Tue summer palace of the Popes. Erected by 
Urban VIIL., from designs by Carlo Maderna. Of 
the once beautiful garden, situated on a steep hill- 
side, practically nothing remains, a few marble 
stairs, the star-shaped basin of a fountain, and 
some wall niches being the only signs of its former 
splendours. The upper terrace overlooks the lake 
of Albano. It is difficult to gain access to this, but 
the lower part of the grounds, where they border 
the high road, are often open. They are absolutely 
neglected, and soon it will be difficult to realise 
that a garden ever occupied the site. By the decree 
of May 13th, 1871, the Vatican, Lateran, and the 
above palace have the privilege of exterritoriality. 


VILLA BARBERINI, CASTEL GANDOLFO. 


Or this garden nothing of the old design remains. 
The entrance gates usually stand open. 


VILLA BORGHESE, CASTLE GANDOLFO. 


Tuts villa is now a Jesuit College, and visitors are 
rarely admitted. It still retains a small, sunk 
parterre, and some remains of a terrace scheme 


beyond. 


‘OdTOGNVS) TILSYD ‘2saHDYOg WII JO aduaLyv 
d 


“WLYASWS) ‘aavosva Badd -). HLVANAT dNOUD) AYVALVIS 


Old Gardens of Italy 159 


PALACE OF CASERTA, NEAR NAPLES. 


Burtt in 1752 for King Charles III. from designs 
by Vanvitelli. The gardens are laid out in late 
French style. Permission obtainable at the Palazzo 
Reale, Naples. 

The feature of the grounds is the great cascade, 
with its groups of statuary at each fall illustrating 
the story of Diana and Acteon. The water is 
brought from Monte Taburno by an aqueduct 
twenty-one miles long. The portion of the grounds 
known as the park, the entrance to which is near 
the upper cascade, is entirely in the landscape style. 
It has, however, a good orangery. More attractive 
is the casetta, a charming little moated garden house 
on the other side of the cascade, not easy to find 
without a guide, and therefore usually overlooked. 
The grounds are very extensive. The palace was 
intended as a country residence for the King of 
Naples, and is unfinished. 


VILLA FLORIDIANA, VOMERO, NAPLES. 


Burtt at the beginning of the XIXth century for 
the Duchess Floridiana by Ferdinand IV. Pur- 
chased in 1892 by Colonel Davis, who still resides 
there. 

The house is finely situated, and its terraces 
descend to the edge of the cliff. As it is lived in 
during the summer, much growth of vegetation is 
encouraged, so that the garden can hardly be called 


“V.LW SYS) SAUVALVLS JO sdNOUu) HLIM Tdvosvy 


"YNVIGIUOTY WITIA ‘aYLVER 


162 Old Cxden of Italy 


formal. There is, however, an enchanting little 
theatre with quaint busts at its entrance. The 
owners are very kind in allowing anyone really 
interested in gardens to visit it. The station of 
the Vomero funiculaire is close to the villa. 


THE ROYAL PALACE, PORTICI. 


Butt for Ferdinand IV., and at one time had a 
large and formal garden. It is now an Agriculture 
College. It retains—but in an ill-kept state—its 
parterre, with central fountain and big pots and 
traces of a large bosco above. This is on the land 
side of the palace. On the sea side no trace remains 
beyond the bare framework of the terraces. 

The electric tram from Naples passes right 
through the central court of the palace. 


LA FAVORITA, RESINA. 


Nortuinc of the once fine garden is left, and a 
recent inundation completed the ruin. Some 
wrecks of garden houses, and broken statues only 
make the scene more desolate. The palace is let in 
summer in apartments. The tram passes the door, 
but the grounds are not worth a visit from even the 
most enthusiastic of garden architects. 


LA FAVORITA, PALERMO. 


Tuts Royal villa, in the Chinese style, was built by 
Ferdinand I. Here took place the famous ball at 
which Lord Nelson was made Duke of Bronté. 


"TOTLUO 


“favIVg TVAOY 10 WMMaLAV | 


4t 


“OAOANTELSYD VIIIA “Tutvany 


Old Gardens of Italy 165 


The villa is about four miles from the Porta 
Macqueda, and its grounds are open to the public, 
though the parterre at the back is not always shown. 
It is the only formal part of the grounds. Per- 
mission to visit it may, however, be obtained at the 
palace at Palermo, where the greatest courtesy is 
sure to be met with. 

The parterre is laid out with an elaborate 
broderie pattern in box, and dates from the last 
part of the eighteenth century. 

Of the other two famous villas at Palermo, the 
garden of the Villa Giulia (now Villa Flora) is the 
property of the town, and is used as public pleasure 
grounds. Its former symmetrical plan, laid out in 

-1777, remains, but it is of little interest. The 
Villa Tasca has a garden of the purely landscape 


type. 
VILLA CASTELNUOVO, PALERMO. 


A MaGNIFICENT old garden must once have existed 
here. The property now belongs to an Agricultural 
College, and the grounds are not open to the public 
but would probably be shown on request to anyone 
studying the subject. Castelnuovo is about four 
miles from Palermo, on the left-hand side (going) 
of the same main road that leads past La Favorita. 

The garden theatre still remains, and is the 
largest the writer has seen. The wings are of 
cypress, and it has a stucco background in imitation 
of a landscape with a cascade, castle, etc. 

There is also a magnificent cypress viale. 


"WHANYVNOTVA VIITA 


Old Gardens of Italy 167 


THE VILLAS AT BAGHERIA, NEAR 
PALERMO. 


Tzwn miles by train from Palermo. There are three 
villas here, which formerly had laid out grounds, 
and are interesting architecturally as they have a 
certain local individuality. The accompanying 
illustration of Villa Valguarnera shows the very. 
original circular forecourt. Old plans and engrav- 
ings of villas and gardens may be seen at the 
Museum at Palermo, where the writer received the 
greatest courtesy and help in the research she 
carried out there. 

The villas at Bagheria are all near together, so 
can be visited in one day, and though the grounds 
of none are worth seeing in their present ruinous 
state, yet the beautiful outer stairway of the garden 
entrance of Villa Palagonia, the circular forecourt 
of Villa Valguarnera, the elevation of the house 
on that side, and the drive by which it is approached, 
with its arcaded gateways, merit attention. 

The Villa Palagonia has a court with enclosing 
wall-and gateways surmounted by grotesque figures, 
and the entrance gates to the villas are decorated 
with hideous and colossal statues in the worst 
Baroque style. These villas may be seen at any 
time, and without special permission. 


“WINEHOVG SVINGOWIVG WITTA 


LIST OF BOOKS CONSULTED. 


ENGLISH. 


The Villas of the Ancients, by R. Castell, 1728. 

Specimens of Ornamental Art, by Lewis Griiner, 1853. 

Old Herbals, German and Italian, by J. F. Payne, 
M.D. (Magazine of Art, 1885). 

History of Gardening, by London. 

Letters from Italy, by Percy Bysshe Shelley, Milan, 
April 2oth, 1818. 

Dairy of John Evelyn, 1644. 

Italian Villas and theiy Gardens, by Edith Wharton, 
London, 1904. (This work, and the three next, are 
standard books on the subject.) 

The Art of Garden Design in Italy, by H. Inigo Triggs \ 
(containing many plans and measured drawings of | 
gardens, and profusely illustrated with photographs i 
by Mrs. Aubrey Le Blond). | 

The Gardens of Italy, by Charles Latham and Evelyn | 
March Phillips, 1905. y 

Italian Gardens, by George S. Elgood, 1907. 

Some Letters, containing an Account of what seemed” = — 
most remarkable in Switzerland, Italy, etc., by 
G. Burnet, D.D., 1686. 

Italian Gardens, by C. A. Platt. 

Anecdotes of Painting in England, by Horace Walpole. 

Lives of Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, by Giorgio 
Vasari. 

Under Petraia with some Saunterings, by the Author 
of In a Tuscan Garden. 

169 


We 4 eer bay iy re ee b bly ut f Pb llag eArthen VY BPolie 
»y1e é 


Romance of the Italian Villas, by Elizabeth W. Champ- 
ne 

On he Making of Italian Gardens, by Sir George 
Sitwell. 

Florentine Villas, by Janet Ross. 

Pliny’s Letters. 

Many articles in The Gazette des Beaux Arts. 


ITALIAN, 


Ville di Delizia di Milano, by Marc Antonio dal Re. 
Studiato come Architetto, by Raffaello Sanzio. 
Archivio Storico Lombardo. Vol. XV. 

_-- Giardini di Roma, by Giovanni Falda, 1655. 

Le Delizie del Fiume Brenta, 1755. 

Il Palazzo del Principe d’Oria in Genova, by A. Merli 
e L. T. Belgrano, Genoa, 1874. 

Palazzi di Toscana, by G. Anguilessi, Pisa, 1815. 

Pianta di Roma, Nolli, 1748. 

La Villa d’Este in Tivoli, Rome, 1902. 

Guida di Lucca, by Marchese Antonio Mazzarossa, 
Lucca, 1845. 

Del Arte dei Giardini (parte storica) : conferenza tenuta 
il 31 Octobre 1890 nel salone del palazzo della 
prima esposizione italiana di architettura in Torino, 
by A. C. Negrini, Torino, tip. L. Roux e c. 18go. 
35 p- (This is a good pamphlet. It is marked 
1085 in the Uffizi Library.) 

I Dintorni di Firenze, by Guido Carocci, 2 vols., 1906. 

Villa Aldobrandini Tusculana, by Dominicus Barriere, 
1647. 

Villa Borghese Vulgo Pinciana, 1716. 

Le Delizie della Villa di Castellazzo, 1742. 

Le Fontane ne’ Palazgi e ne’ Giardini di Roma, by Gio. 
Francesco Venturini and Falda, 1650. 

Palazzi di Genova, by Peter Paul Rubens, 1622 

Vedute delle Ville e daltri Luoghi della Toscana, by 
Guiseppe Zocchi, 1744. 

Oeuvres compléte de Vignole, by Le Bas and Defret, 
Paris, 1815. 


170 


FRENCH. 


Les plus beaux edifices de la ville de Génes et de ses 
environs, Paris, 1832. 

Vues et Perspectives des jardins de Tivoli, 1573 
(dedicated to Catherine de Medici). 

Lettres familieres ecrite d’Italie en 1739 et 1740, by 
Le President de Brosses. 

Artistes Francais a l’Etranger, by L. Dussieux. 

Journal du Voyage en Italie par la Suisse et l’Alle- 
magne en 1580 et 1581, by Michael de Montaigne. 

Choix des plus celebres maisons de plaisance de Rome 
et de ses environs, 1800. 

L’Art des jardins. by George Rial. 

Dictionnaire Raisonné de l’Architecture Francaise, by 
Viollet-le-Duc, 1858. 


GERMAN. 


Geschichte der Renaissance in Italien, by Jacob Burck- 
hardt, 1801. 

Der Cicerone, by Jacob Burckhardt, 1901. 

Der Spétrenaissance, by Gustav Ebe, 1886. 

Geschichte des Barockstils in Italien, by Cornelius 
Gurlitt, 1887. 

Die Gartenkunst der Italienischen Renaissance Zeit, 
by W. C. Tuckermann, 1884. 

Hadas fiir Gartner, Architekten und Liebhaber, by 
H. Jager, Berlin, 1888. (A history of gardens in 
all countries from the earliest times. With 245 
illustrations and many plans.) 


171 


ALPHABETICAL INDEX OF GARDENS. 


Albani, Rome, 110. 


Aldobrandini, Frascati, 143. 
Bagheria, Palermo, 167. 
Balbianello, Como, 12. 
Barberini, Castel Gandolfo, 156. 
Bernardini, Lucca, 52. 

Boboli, Florence, 60. 

Borghese, Castel Gandolfo, 156. 
Borghese, Frascati, 143. 
Borghese, Rome, 119. 

Bondi, Florence, 82. 


Campi, Signa, 93. 
Carlotta, Como, 9. 
Carreggi, Florence, 74. 
Caserta, Naples, 159. 
Castellazzo, Milan, 19. 
Castelnuovo, Palermo, 165. 
Certosa, Pavia, 28. 

Chigi, Rome, 112. 
Cicogna, Bisuschio, 22. 
Collodi, Peschia, 46. 
Collegio Rosi, Spello, 100. 
Colonna, Rome, 122. 
Corsini, Castello, 65. 
Corsini, Florence, 65. 
Corsini, Rome, 115. 
Crespi, Como, 19. 
Crivelli, Inverigo, 27. 
Cuzzano, Verona, 33. 


Dona dalle Rose, Battaglia, 39. 
Doria, Genoa, 43. 


Este, Como, 15. 
Este, Tivoli, 130. 


Falconiéri, Frascati, 146. 
Farnese Palace, Caprarola, 136. 
Favorita, Naples, 162. 
Favorita, Palermo, 162. 
Floridiana, Naples, 159. 


Gamberaia, Florence, 85. 
Giovio, Como, 17. 
Giulia, Como, 12. 
Giusti, Verona, 31. 
Gori, Siena, 99. 


Isola Bella, Maggiore, 7. 


Madama, Rome, 128. 

Malta, Knights of, Rome, 125. 
Mansi, Lucca, 59. 

Marlia, Lucca, 48. 

Mattei, Rome, 130. 

Medici, Fiesole, 91. 

Medici, Rome, 110. 
Mondragone, Frascati, 149. 
Muti, Frascati, 152. 


Lancelotti, Frascati, 152. 
Lante, Viterbo, 132. 


Palagonia, Bagheria, 167. 

Palmieri, Florence, 79. 

Pallavacini, Frascati, 152. 

Pamphilj, Rome, 115. 

Papa Giulio, Rome, 106. 

Papal Palace, Castel Gandolfo, 
156. 

Petraja, Castello, 73. 

Portici, Royal Palace, 162. 

Poggio a Caiano, Florence, 74. 


172 


Poggio Imperiali, Florence, 79. Stupenigi, Turin, 1. 


Quirinal, Rome, roo. Torlonia, Frascati, 141. 
Torrigiani, Lucca, 57. 
Reale, Castello, 70. 


Recalcati, Varese, 5. Valguarnera, Bagheria, 167. 
Valmarana, Vicenza, 33. 
Salviati, Florence, 85. Varese, Public Gardens, 1. 
Scassi, Genoa, 44. Vatican, Rome, 102. 
Sergardi, Siena, gg. Vicobello, Siena, 96. 


Stra, Brenta Canal, 4o. 


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