DOI issue:
No. 109 (April, 1902)
DOI article:Pantini, Romualdo: Italy's private gardens
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.19875#0195
Italy's Private Gardens.
besides the simple love of fresh air and the More fountain basins, more pensih, statues and
tradition of Roman ease and grandeur. The con- columns in profusion everywhere. There remains
struction of these suburban houses and gardens to-day in our Italian gardens much that corre-
was the natural consequence of the spirit of in- sponds with these classical descriptions. The
dependence which sprang into being spontaneously manner and the style are the same, with the
as the material conditions of life among the addition of fantastic grottoes with animals and
merchants and tradesmen allowed them to indulge rural scenes; the most ingenious hydraulic effects
it. Too much importance therefore, need not be — all intended to surprise strangers — being
attached to the instinct to preserve not only one's employed.
property but one's health in an age when forays The houses themselves are lofty, somewhat plain,
and fighting were frequent. and well grouped, in imitation of the town palaces.
The antique art of the Romans consisted alto- The Roman mansions, on the other hand, were
gether in the contrast between the beauties of the for the most part low, besides being detached and
garden and the aspect of the surrounding country; scattered.
and the beauties of the garden were the result of Among all the princely families of Italy who
the disposition and the symmetry of their several have lavished their wealth in beautifying their
parts. The many descriptions of Pliny the gardens, the Medici unquestionably rank first.
Younger are useful, to enable one to avoid repe- I may specially note the villas of Pratolino and
titions on the subject of the reconstituted Italian Petraia, recommending all who desire to know
country houses of the fifth
century. In the gardens
of Tuscany the mansion
stood on the highest
ground; in front of the
entrance rose a terrace,
whence one descended
through shady avenues
adorned with box-trees
cut into animal shapes
and arranged on a sym-
metrical plan. Through
more hedges of ever-
greens one came to the
circular exercise-ground.
Behind the house was a
reserved shady space
with fountains and plane
trees; opening out of
here was the racing-track,
surrounded by statues
hung with festoons of
ivy, and enclosed by
masses of plants. Hence
more alleys ran to the
lawns, real carpets of
verdure, outlined with
rose bushes and balus-
trades. This, again, led
to a special avenue, wide
and straight, with path-
ways branching left and
right, designed to repre-
sent the names of the
owner and of the architect. "villa d'este" photograph by alinari
182
besides the simple love of fresh air and the More fountain basins, more pensih, statues and
tradition of Roman ease and grandeur. The con- columns in profusion everywhere. There remains
struction of these suburban houses and gardens to-day in our Italian gardens much that corre-
was the natural consequence of the spirit of in- sponds with these classical descriptions. The
dependence which sprang into being spontaneously manner and the style are the same, with the
as the material conditions of life among the addition of fantastic grottoes with animals and
merchants and tradesmen allowed them to indulge rural scenes; the most ingenious hydraulic effects
it. Too much importance therefore, need not be — all intended to surprise strangers — being
attached to the instinct to preserve not only one's employed.
property but one's health in an age when forays The houses themselves are lofty, somewhat plain,
and fighting were frequent. and well grouped, in imitation of the town palaces.
The antique art of the Romans consisted alto- The Roman mansions, on the other hand, were
gether in the contrast between the beauties of the for the most part low, besides being detached and
garden and the aspect of the surrounding country; scattered.
and the beauties of the garden were the result of Among all the princely families of Italy who
the disposition and the symmetry of their several have lavished their wealth in beautifying their
parts. The many descriptions of Pliny the gardens, the Medici unquestionably rank first.
Younger are useful, to enable one to avoid repe- I may specially note the villas of Pratolino and
titions on the subject of the reconstituted Italian Petraia, recommending all who desire to know
country houses of the fifth
century. In the gardens
of Tuscany the mansion
stood on the highest
ground; in front of the
entrance rose a terrace,
whence one descended
through shady avenues
adorned with box-trees
cut into animal shapes
and arranged on a sym-
metrical plan. Through
more hedges of ever-
greens one came to the
circular exercise-ground.
Behind the house was a
reserved shady space
with fountains and plane
trees; opening out of
here was the racing-track,
surrounded by statues
hung with festoons of
ivy, and enclosed by
masses of plants. Hence
more alleys ran to the
lawns, real carpets of
verdure, outlined with
rose bushes and balus-
trades. This, again, led
to a special avenue, wide
and straight, with path-
ways branching left and
right, designed to repre-
sent the names of the
owner and of the architect. "villa d'este" photograph by alinari
182