The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1898-02-09
THE VILLA LANTE.
A Description of the Loveliest Garden
in Italy-Historical Notes.

"A Description OIL The LOVellSSb 1etTuell
in Italy-Historical Notes.
About forty miles to the northward
from Rome lies the little hillset city of
Viterbo, one of the most picturesque
and sympathetic towns in Italy, and
famous for it's beautiful Romanesque
architecture.
Some eight or ten kilometres from
Viterbo is Bagnaia, whose purple roofs
cluster about the gates of the Villa
Lante, which contains one of the love-
Hest of the Italian formal gardens.
Coming into the town, the carriage
crosses little ravine over a bridge
that leads one directly into the plazzo.
On the left is the Municipio. inclosing
in curious fashion an interesting lit
tie villa within its walls; this is evil
IDENTIFY the nucleus of the town which,
overlooking these narrow limits, las
crept up the hillside to the Villa, the
entrance to which is approached
through a narrow street apparently
laid out purposely at an angle to the
main axis of the gardens-for it is not
| until half of the eleven steps at the
gate have been climbed that the view
| is presented to the visitor, with sud-
denness that makes him feel the sur
| prise intentional.
| First lies the level flower garden
with the great fountain in the centre,
| further back the ramps between the
pavilions, and then the other terraces,
rising to where a tiny leaping thread
of water shows white against the
woods. And the levels are so well ar
ranged that all the intervening basins
| and fountains can be seen from the
gates framed between the black figures
that crown the lowest. The terraces
are artificial and are built upon the
original grade instead of being exca-
waited from the hillside, SO that the
gardens dominate the park at almost
every point, touching the general slope
only at the upper sides. The pavilions,
| the right hand one for the family, that
on the left for the guests, are entered
from the level of the first terrace; OPP
posite the entrances of the pavilions,
| in the retaining wall of the next ter
race, are grottos with figures in stucco.
The loggias in the easements that
| front the flower garden have on their
vaults curious paintings in perspective,
now partially obliterated.
The villa belonged originally to the
| Bishops of Viterbo Cardinal Riario
began in lat to embellish it, and this
work continued under Ridolf, fifth
| Cardinal Bishop. His successor, Qua
teri, however, could not support the
expenses of the property and leased the
house and gardens for long term.
| Toward the year 1854 Clio francesca
Gumbara, sixth Cardinal Bishop, COM
pleted the unfinished work. The place
passed into the hands of the Popes.
Cardinal Peretti or Montalto, nephew of
Sixtus v, becoming it's proprietor about
1888. He built second casino Final
ly Alexander VII ceded the villa to
Duke Bommarzo, of the Lante family.
whose descendants, with great good
nature and charming courtesy. admit
foreign visitors at any time. and the
townspeople are given the freedom Of
the grounds on feast days.
My first visit CHANGED to be on Sun
day in January, and there were many
contadini in their holiday dress stroll
ing about and giving the place the
note of vivid color it needed, for Janu-
airy is a sober month in Italy. The
beauty of the villa and it's value as a
study of the Italian garden in it's best
estate SO impressed me that deter
mined to return in the summer and
make the drawings to which these
notes serve as an accompanist. The for
NAL portion seemed to be very valuable
as an indication of what might be done
with a comparatively small area OF
gently sloping land. This part is beau
tifully kept up with just the right note
being neither prim nor neglected, Sc
| that possesses the peculiar charm OF