DOI chapter:
I. Florentine villas
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.61216#0070
ITALIAN VILLAS
and windows set far apart on massive consoles, show its
direct descent from the severe and sober school of six-
teenth-century architects who produced such noble
examples of the great Tuscan villa as I Collazzi and
Fonte all’ Erta. Nevertheless, so well proportioned is
its elevation that there is no sense of heaviness, and the
solidity of the main building is relieved by a kind of
flying arcade at each end, one of which connects the
house with its chapel, while the other, by means of a
spiral stairway in a pier of the arcade, leads from the
first floor to what was once the old fish-pond and herb-
garden. This garden, an oblong piece of ground, a
few years ago had in its centre a round fish-pond, sur-
rounded by symmetrical plots planted with roses and
vegetables, and in general design had probably been
little changed since the construction of the villa. It has
now been remodelled on an elaborate plan, which has the
disadvantage of being unrelated in style to its surround-
ings ; but fortunately no other change has been made in
the plan and planting of the grounds.
Before the fagade of the house a grassy terrace
bounded by a low wall, set alternately with stone vases
and solemn-looking stone dogs, overhangs the vine-
yards and fields, which, as in all unaltered Tuscan
country places, come up close to the house. Behind
the villa, and running parallel with it, is a long grass
alley or bowling-green, flanked for part of its length by
a lofty retaining-wall set with statues, and for the
42
and windows set far apart on massive consoles, show its
direct descent from the severe and sober school of six-
teenth-century architects who produced such noble
examples of the great Tuscan villa as I Collazzi and
Fonte all’ Erta. Nevertheless, so well proportioned is
its elevation that there is no sense of heaviness, and the
solidity of the main building is relieved by a kind of
flying arcade at each end, one of which connects the
house with its chapel, while the other, by means of a
spiral stairway in a pier of the arcade, leads from the
first floor to what was once the old fish-pond and herb-
garden. This garden, an oblong piece of ground, a
few years ago had in its centre a round fish-pond, sur-
rounded by symmetrical plots planted with roses and
vegetables, and in general design had probably been
little changed since the construction of the villa. It has
now been remodelled on an elaborate plan, which has the
disadvantage of being unrelated in style to its surround-
ings ; but fortunately no other change has been made in
the plan and planting of the grounds.
Before the fagade of the house a grassy terrace
bounded by a low wall, set alternately with stone vases
and solemn-looking stone dogs, overhangs the vine-
yards and fields, which, as in all unaltered Tuscan
country places, come up close to the house. Behind
the villa, and running parallel with it, is a long grass
alley or bowling-green, flanked for part of its length by
a lofty retaining-wall set with statues, and for the
42