DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.19775#0125
VILLA D'ESTE,
TIVOLI.
P
ERHAPS in its ruin the garden of Villa Well may those hallowed rills, these woodlands vie,
i>T7 * j i In wafting one creat name into the sky—
d Este is even more imposing than when » . , . . 3
r o List to the breezes, murmuring along,
it was exquisitely ordered and gay with «Hypolytus' is still their tuneful song."
flowers. Falda's old prints show us
formally-arranged parterres and newly-planted trees The classics are full of the fame and prosperity
and shrubs ; now, the cypresses, the ilexes, and the of Tlvoh !n the daYs when Augustus held summer
plane trees have attained a colossal growth, yet we court in the mountains and Horace entertained at
still recognise that the effect as a whole was his viUa > but a11 these glories disappeared with the
planned from the outset. Those old gardeners gloi7 of Rome- The town> though sti11 possessing
managed that their scheme should unfold con- some importance, was squalid and poverty-stricken,
sistently with each succeeding year. The garden though, from time to time, the reigning Pope oi-
ls a wonderful specimen of symmetrical arrange- some Roman noble fled to the mouldering old
ment, and must have been beautiful from the first. Castello to avoid the heat of the plains. It was in
On a first survey the impression is one of the spring of 1549 that the courtly and accomplished
romantic and bewildering beauty. Everywhere you%r Cardinal of Ferrara, Ippolito d'Este, was
we are met by noble terraces, by old grey-stone named Governour of Tivoh by Paul III. The son
stairways and balustrades, by half-ruined fountains, of Alfonso I., Duke of Ferrara, and Lucrez.a Borgia,
by shady groves and alleys, which breathe the very he must not be confused with his warlike and
spirit of romance, and are fit to be the haunt of unscrupulous uncle of the same name, the brother of
faun and dryad. Roses—pink, white, and red— Isabella d'Este. This Ippolito was her nephew, and
hang in sheets over the grey stonework, and Judas had already shown a11 the diplomatic qualities of his
trees flush purple in the spring, while in late famous house- He had had a distinguished career
autumn every corner is aglow with chrysanthemums. as Ambassador to the Court of France, he was
Then we try to distinguish the scheme, and we BlshoP of Siena' Abbot of Jervaulx, held halt-a-
ask who they were who wrought here, and what dozen other French dignities, was deep in the
v/as the life they led ? confidence of the Pope and the leading Italian
The story of the fallen condition of Tivoli, statesmen, and a renowned patron of art and letters,
the ancient Tibur, and its revival in the sixteenth Popular, magnificent, beloved and admired, the
century, are proclaimed in a Latin oration of the Cardinal, according to the fashion of the day, was
poet Mureto, which runs almost literally : accompanied by a splendid cortege of more than 250
nobles and distinguished litterati as, on a beautiful
"Years came and went, that joy of other days, spring day, he rode across that historic plain to take
Tibur, lay mined, lost her old-world praise. • r l • • . t->i t^l
r , i 1 j .11 possession of his appointment. 1 he lihurtmes
Gone were her streams and orchards, gone the last, r r r
The stately footprints of her buried past. mustered all their resources to give him a welcome :
Those scenes so oft the theme of classic lay, a band of horsemen and footmen met him outside
Mouldered, unkempt, unsightly in decay, the gates (he entered just where the tram-line now
Weeping their vanish d joys, her sylvan daughters, ends), the elders and magistrates proffered the key
Wandered by mourning Anio s tainting waters. 1 11111
A wayfarer in Tibur's heart might stand, within, a hundred children in white waved palm
And, ' where is Tibur ?' cry; so marr'd the land. branches, trumpets pealed, and salvoes of artillery
That godlike soul, the sacred choir's delight, were fired. " He was so gratified and pleased that
Hypolytus brooked not so sad a sight. 1 • „ r. 11 C »> a 1 u
,r , , , ,, . . " . his eyes were full of tears. Almost at once he
He bade the woodlands dress once more in green, J r r .
With far-flung leafage, wandering o'er the scene. must have formed the plan of living here, and
He bade fresh well-springs ooze from out the hills, decided to pull down the old Castello ill which he
And in a breath, forth leapt the new-born rills. was lodged. He Consulted W;th PilTO LigOHO, a
Saved from the wreck of Time, hailI the escape follower of the great Vignola, and they produced
(Jt marbles fair, to rnidias owing shape. c 0 ... ? . J 1
Brow-bound with olive wan, joyful once more, an outline for a vdla which should rival those at
Anio pours wealth into the common store. Lante and Caprarola. For a large sum of money
s
( 115 )
TIVOLI.
P
ERHAPS in its ruin the garden of Villa Well may those hallowed rills, these woodlands vie,
i>T7 * j i In wafting one creat name into the sky—
d Este is even more imposing than when » . , . . 3
r o List to the breezes, murmuring along,
it was exquisitely ordered and gay with «Hypolytus' is still their tuneful song."
flowers. Falda's old prints show us
formally-arranged parterres and newly-planted trees The classics are full of the fame and prosperity
and shrubs ; now, the cypresses, the ilexes, and the of Tlvoh !n the daYs when Augustus held summer
plane trees have attained a colossal growth, yet we court in the mountains and Horace entertained at
still recognise that the effect as a whole was his viUa > but a11 these glories disappeared with the
planned from the outset. Those old gardeners gloi7 of Rome- The town> though sti11 possessing
managed that their scheme should unfold con- some importance, was squalid and poverty-stricken,
sistently with each succeeding year. The garden though, from time to time, the reigning Pope oi-
ls a wonderful specimen of symmetrical arrange- some Roman noble fled to the mouldering old
ment, and must have been beautiful from the first. Castello to avoid the heat of the plains. It was in
On a first survey the impression is one of the spring of 1549 that the courtly and accomplished
romantic and bewildering beauty. Everywhere you%r Cardinal of Ferrara, Ippolito d'Este, was
we are met by noble terraces, by old grey-stone named Governour of Tivoh by Paul III. The son
stairways and balustrades, by half-ruined fountains, of Alfonso I., Duke of Ferrara, and Lucrez.a Borgia,
by shady groves and alleys, which breathe the very he must not be confused with his warlike and
spirit of romance, and are fit to be the haunt of unscrupulous uncle of the same name, the brother of
faun and dryad. Roses—pink, white, and red— Isabella d'Este. This Ippolito was her nephew, and
hang in sheets over the grey stonework, and Judas had already shown a11 the diplomatic qualities of his
trees flush purple in the spring, while in late famous house- He had had a distinguished career
autumn every corner is aglow with chrysanthemums. as Ambassador to the Court of France, he was
Then we try to distinguish the scheme, and we BlshoP of Siena' Abbot of Jervaulx, held halt-a-
ask who they were who wrought here, and what dozen other French dignities, was deep in the
v/as the life they led ? confidence of the Pope and the leading Italian
The story of the fallen condition of Tivoli, statesmen, and a renowned patron of art and letters,
the ancient Tibur, and its revival in the sixteenth Popular, magnificent, beloved and admired, the
century, are proclaimed in a Latin oration of the Cardinal, according to the fashion of the day, was
poet Mureto, which runs almost literally : accompanied by a splendid cortege of more than 250
nobles and distinguished litterati as, on a beautiful
"Years came and went, that joy of other days, spring day, he rode across that historic plain to take
Tibur, lay mined, lost her old-world praise. • r l • • . t->i t^l
r , i 1 j .11 possession of his appointment. 1 he lihurtmes
Gone were her streams and orchards, gone the last, r r r
The stately footprints of her buried past. mustered all their resources to give him a welcome :
Those scenes so oft the theme of classic lay, a band of horsemen and footmen met him outside
Mouldered, unkempt, unsightly in decay, the gates (he entered just where the tram-line now
Weeping their vanish d joys, her sylvan daughters, ends), the elders and magistrates proffered the key
Wandered by mourning Anio s tainting waters. 1 11111
A wayfarer in Tibur's heart might stand, within, a hundred children in white waved palm
And, ' where is Tibur ?' cry; so marr'd the land. branches, trumpets pealed, and salvoes of artillery
That godlike soul, the sacred choir's delight, were fired. " He was so gratified and pleased that
Hypolytus brooked not so sad a sight. 1 • „ r. 11 C »> a 1 u
,r , , , ,, . . " . his eyes were full of tears. Almost at once he
He bade the woodlands dress once more in green, J r r .
With far-flung leafage, wandering o'er the scene. must have formed the plan of living here, and
He bade fresh well-springs ooze from out the hills, decided to pull down the old Castello ill which he
And in a breath, forth leapt the new-born rills. was lodged. He Consulted W;th PilTO LigOHO, a
Saved from the wreck of Time, hailI the escape follower of the great Vignola, and they produced
(Jt marbles fair, to rnidias owing shape. c 0 ... ? . J 1
Brow-bound with olive wan, joyful once more, an outline for a vdla which should rival those at
Anio pours wealth into the common store. Lante and Caprarola. For a large sum of money
s
( 115 )