Wharton, Edith; Parrish, Maxfield [Ill.]: Italian villas and their gardens (London: John Lane, 1904)

ITALIAN VILLAS

period. The angels or genii in the oblong panels are

curiously suggestive of Agostino da Duccio, and the

pale-yellow tarnished surface of the stucco recalls the

delicate hues of the Perugian chapel.

The ground floor consists of an open loggia of three

arches on columns, forming a

COURTYARD GATE OF THE VILLA PIA


kind of atrium curiously
faced with an elaborate
mosaic-work of tiny
round pebbles, stained
in various colours and
set in arabesques and
other antique patterns.
The coigns of the fagade
are formed of this same
mosaic — a last touch of
fancifulness where all is
fantastic. The barrel-
vault of the atrium is a
marvel of delicate stuc-

cature, evidently inspired by the work of Giovanni da
Udine at the Villa Madama; and at each end stands a
splendid marble basin resting on winged griffins. The
fragile decorations of this exquisite loggia are open on
three sides to the weather, and many windows of the
upper rooms (which are decorated in the same style) are
unshuttered and have broken panes, so that this unique
example of cinque-cento decoration is gradually falling
into ruin from mere exposure. The steps of the atrium,

102