The record-union., 1898-03-07
THE VILLA LANTE.
A Description of the Loveliest Gar
den in Italy.

den in Italy.
About forty miles to the northward
/ from Rome lies the little hillset city OF
/ Niterbo, one Of the most picturesque
and sympathetic towns in Italy, and IA
nous for it's many fountains and the re-
mains of it's beautiful Romanesque
architecture.
! Some eight or ten kilometers from vi
terbo is Bagnaia, whose purple roofs
cluster about the gates Of the Villa Lam
te, which contains one of the loveliest
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 a curious
fashion an interesting little villa within
| its walls; this is evidently the nucleus
! Of the town which, overfiowing these
narrow limits, has 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
! suddenness that makes him feel the
surprise Intentional.
| First lies the level flower garden
with the great fountain in the center,
further back the ramps between the pa
vilions, and then the other terraces,
rising to where a tiny leaping thread Of
water shows white against the woods.
And the levels are so we'll arranged
that all the intervening basins and
fountains can be seen from the gates
J IL hot
crown the lowest The terraces are ar
tilicial and are built upon the original
grade instead OF being eXcavated from
the hillside so that the gardens domin-
ate 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: opposite the en-
| frances of the pavilions, in the retain
, ing wall Of the next terrace, are grot-
tos 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 NiterDo Cardinal Riario
began in HIT to embellish it. and this
work continued under Ridoli fifth Car
dinaI Bishop. His successor, Guatierl.
however, could not support the expenses
Of the property and leased the house and
gardens for a long term. Toward the
year 1864 Clio Francesca Gumbara,
sixth Cardinal Bishop. completed the
unfinished work. The place passed into
tie hands of the Popes. Cardinal Peret-
Ii or Montalto. nephew of Sixtus V,
becoming its proprietor about laSS. He
built the second casino. Finally Alex
aEder VII. ceded the villa TO Duke Bonn
marie of the Lante family, whose de-
! scendants, With great good nature and
/ charming courtesy, admit foreign Wis
itors al any time, and the townspeopie
are given the freedom of the grounds
on feast days
! My nrst visit chanced to be on Sunday
/ in January, and there were many con-
tadini III their holiday dress strolling
about and giving the place the note OF
vivid color it needed, for January is Ii
sober month IN Italy. The beauty of
the villa aud lis value as study Of the
Italian garden in its best estate so inn
pressed me that determined to return
| in the summer and make the drawings
to which these notes serve as an accom-
paniment. The formal portion seemed
,to be very valuable as an indication OF