Read 'A Visit to Villa D’Este, Tivoli, Italy' at http://www.KarensGardenTips.com.

If you take a trip to Rome you should seriously consider going to Tivoli to see the spectacular Villa D’Este. This is a garden that will knock your socks off for sure! You may think that you have seen spectacular water features but they will pale in comparison to those of Villa D’Este which has 250 waterfalls, 250 sprays, 50 fountains, 50 jets, 60 springs, and 200 ponds in addition to terraces, exedras, statues, and groves. And to make this all even more incredible, the garden was created in the Renaissance before there was electric power to work the fountains. I have visited this garden several times and it never fails to amaze and entertain me.

The man responsible for this magnificent garden was Cardinal Ippolito II D’Este, second son of the Duke of Ferrara and the infamous Lucrezia Borgia, who was educated in his father’s court at one of its most brilliant periods. He was cultured, artistic, creative, and aspired to the papacy so when he failed to gain that post and was retired to Tivoli as governor in 1550, he turned his energies to making the humble Benedictine monastery there into a grandiose palace worthy of his expectations. He hired the renowned mannerist architect Neapolitan Pirro Ligorio to design the palace and garden and when the building was completed commissioned the most distinguished artists of the times to decorate it. Meanwhile, Ligorio began the garden by removing a quarter of the existing town and creating terraces along a central axis with secondary cross axes each with their special water features and other adornments.

An old etching shows the extent of the original plan of the villa; the gardens are on a steep hillside and are meant to be entered from the bottom. A series of vistas was created as the visitor walked up the hillside through the garden culminating in the palace itself.

A recent map shows the existing plan; the modern entrance is at the top of the hillside and requires the visitor to go through the palace. Thus your first glimpse of the garden will not be as sensational as originally planned. When you get to the bottom of the hill turn around and look up to get the effect.

Just down from the villa on the central axis, is a giant shell like fountain holding a floral stone chalice emitting a spray of water. Built between 1660 and 1661, it may have been designed by G. Lorenzo Bellini.

Ippolito II, like other educated men of the Renaissance, admired the culture of the ancients and many of the fountains and adornments have an ancient theme.  At the left side near the palace is the Diana grotto, richly decorated with mosaics, stuccoes, frescoes and reliefs of mythological characters and scenes.

Nearby the Rometta (“Little Rome”) represents the course of the Aniene river of Tivoli into the Tiber of Rome. Small models of some of the ancient Roman landmarks are included such as the Pantheon, Augustus’ Mausoleum, Arch of Constantine, Temple of faustina, Trajan’s Column, and the Colosseum. The statue of the Goddess Rome and the she-wolf that suckled Romulus and Remus are also present. Visitors who sat down in the old days stood up with wet seats because the benches had holes conducting water to the bench surface. The nearby stairs had hidden jets that sprayed visitors from the waist down. Ugh; not funny to me but the Renaissace people thought such tricks hilarious.

A fountain in the form of a ship representing Isola Tiberina sits in an area where the water course widens.

A long walkway with 100 fountains leads from the Rometta to the other side of the garden. The fountains are of four types each having a different spray: eagles, obelisks, fleur de lis and small boats. Originally the fountains were decorated with stucco but the stucco has disappeared. The sound of the water is as enchanting as the sight of it.

The walkway of fountains ends on the right side with the magnificent Ovato fountain. The water is drawn from the Aniene river, flows into the pool, and then supplies almost the rest of the garden. An exedra with ten arches runs around the back of the pool and trick water jets were installed here. It is the best place in the whole garden for cooling off on a hot day. While basking in the mist there you can enjoy the statues of mythological heroes significant to the Este family. The exedra is said to represent the Tivoli falls while the upper part of the fountain represent the Tiburtine Mountains. The walls around the pool are decorated with majolica tiles bearing the eagles and fleur-de-lis if the Este family.

The personification of the Aniene river and the Sybil, who is said to have revealed the birth of Christ to the emperor Augusts, are positioned below with the water of the river flowing over the feet of the Sybil and then into the fountain.

Above the Ovato Fountain is a fountain featuring Pegasus, the mythical winged horse borne from the blood of Medusa and used by Belerophon to conquer the Chimera. He stands here ready to take off to Mt. Parnassus home of the Muses, his head turned toward the villa.

The Owl fountain near by is a spectacular achievement; a water driven device causes a bronze owl to appear at intervals emitting a screech that silences the twittering birds created by other hydraulic machinations. This is really amazing! But it was copied from an ancient Greek treatise by Hero of Alexandria!! This fountain originally had 8 niches each with a water jet and trick water jets in the pavement to surprise visitors.

To the left of the owl fountain is Proserpina’s fountain. In the center recess there is a shell shaped boat drawn by horses that carry Proserpina, abducted by Pluto, to Hades.

In the center of this horizontal axis is the Dragon Fountain. It consists of four winged dragons spitting into an oval pool with a huge jet of water that rises above them. The jets in the fountain vary so that a sound like canon fire alternates with a sound like gun fire; or perhaps it all sounds like a down pour of rain. The fountain may commemorate the eleventh labor of Hercules; the killing of the 100 headed Ladone dragon. This story would have special significacne to the cardinal because Hercules was the patron of Tivoli and the Este family. Hercules was seen as the prefiguration of Christ achieving immortality through a virtuous life and good works just; the cardinal hoped for immortality in a similar way through his temperance, prudence, chastity, and patronage of the arts.

The water in the handrails of the stairs bordering the Dragon Fountain falls into basins in such a way that it appear to be boiling thus giving the stairway the name Condonata dei Bollori (The Boiling Water Steps).

Spinxes at the top provide water spraying from their nipples, typical of Renaissance taste.

Three large rectangular fish ponds with 48 jets dominate the center area of the lower level. Originally they were used to raise trout and other fish for the table of the cardinal but now they provide a welcome contrast to the energy of the fountains all around them. The reflection of the large trees enhance the effect.

The baroque Organ Fountain containing the amazing hydraulic organ created by the Frenchman Claude Venard stands majestically to the right of the villa on the lower level. Sound is created by a leak of air from the organ pipes that is determined by the fall of water. The fountain is decorated with tritons and mermaids and a multitude of other classical ornatments while Orpheus and Apollo occupy niches on either side of a central eight sided structure. Orignally, two urchins sprayed water down on visitors from the entrance and ground jets surprise passersby.

Below the Organ Fountain the modern Neptune Fountain puts on its display. Built in 1927, its sprays are made up of two or more jets, one above the other, to produce a composite column of water.

Also in the lower area is the statue of Diana of Ephesus, symbol of fertility, originally part of the Organ Fountain but now in a rustic fountain of its own.

Another fountain found on the lower level is the Meta Fountain, a large tiered moss covered fountain representing the Meta Sudante, a fountain near the Arch of Constantine in Rome.

At the center of the lower level is the cypress rotunda. This is the area that guests would have entered in olden times and it is the place that you should turn around and look at the grandeur of the palace and waterworks through the tree tops.

Keep in mind as you look that all of those water features are done without an electric pump! Wow. What a feat. Ligorio was a genius to be sure, but he also had the smarts to enlist the help of the experts of his time.  The concept, however, was his; the organization was his, and the credit for this incredible place is his.  Thank you, Ligorio.

Read 'A Visit to the Boboli Gardens (Giardini Bobolo) Florence, Italy' at http://www.KarensGardenTips.com.

If you visit the Boboli gardens with the idea of seeing vast beds of flowers you are going to be disappointed; there are very few. If, on the other hand, you go to see grand vistas, shady avenues of trees, grassy slopes, deep fountains, and monumental sculpture, you have come to the right place. The garden was never meant to be a retreat for individuals, but rather a spacious setting for the pageantry of the grand functions that were popular among the wealthy in Renaissance Florence. The green vegetation provided not only a perfect backdrop for the colorful clothes worn by the visitors of those far off days but also a welcome relief from the hot Italian sun.

The garden is located behind in the Pitti Palace that was built by Lucca Pitti, a Florentine banker, to rival the villa of Cosimo the Elder and ordered that each window to be as large as the doors of the Medici palace. The Pitti family fell on hard times, went bankrupt and had to sell their property to their arch rivals, the Medici’s, in 1540. The garden was laid out for the Grand Duke Cosmos I’s wife, Eleanora of Toledo, Spain, by Nicolo Tribolo continued by Bartolomeo Ammanati with contributions by Giorgio Vasari and Bernardo Buontalenti and others. It is the first example of a palace and courtyard opening directly onto the garden, fusing architecture and nature. It has changed several times over the last 500 years and at one time or another has included many features that have been lost including a labyrinth, aviary, bowling green, topiary and botanical garden. Plants from all over the known world were brought here and it was the first garden in Italy to grow potatoes and cultivate mulberries to raise silkworms. This 18th century engraving gives you an idea of the layout of the garden during the 1700s. I added labels I on the most important landmarks you can see today. The primary axis of the garden runs from the amphitheater up the hill terminating at a statue of Neptune; a secondary axis, runs along terraces and wooded areas. The formal gardens on the right hand side no longer exist and now are woodland areas with winding paths.

Immediately behind the Pitti Palace is the famous artichoke fountain in the center of a large courtyard with the 17th century amphitheater in the background. This area was the site of weekly ducal receptions, royal visits, and royal weddings. An obelisk brought from the Medici residence in Rome stands in the center of the amphitheater.

To the left of the palace is the Buontalenti grotto done in the Mannerist style. It consists of a series of interlocking artificial caves each decorated with statues or frescoes and encrusted with fake stalactites and shells.

Michelangelo’s Four Slaves used to stand in the grotto but have been moved to The Academy.

In front of the grotto is the statue of the court dwarf and jester of Cosmos I, Pietro Barbino, who became the symbol of the carefree life of the Florentine people.

If you climb from the palace courtyard on the main axis up a moderately steep hill you will come to the statue of Neptune.

Further up the hill is a colossus of the wife of Grand Duke Francesco I in the guise of the Goddess of Abundance. She died of a broken heart when her husband fell in love with Venetian gal.

On the summit of the hill Cardinal Leopoldo de’Medici built a little casino and garden with a fountain, oleander, roses, persimmons, and parterres edged with trimmed box.

Further to the left is the Forte di Belvedere, a military fortification for the Pitti Palace built for Ferdinando I, that provides fantastic views of the garden and city of Florence.

By descending the hill on the right side of the axis along the Viottolone you can enjoy the woodsy areas, numerous statues, and long vistas that make the garden particularly appealing.

Eventually you will come to the isolotto, an oval pond with an island. In the center is the famous Ocean Fountain by Giambologna, surrounded by symbolic statues of three rivers, Nile, Ganges, and Euphrates. The sunlight sparkles off the water and gives a light airy feel to the place, quite a contrast to the peaceful, shady path that led to it.

As you wind your way back to the palace, put yourself back in time to a summer night in 1651 when Cosimo III de’Medici celebrated his marriage to Marguerite Louise d’Orleans. The garden was filled with courtiers dressed in their colorful best, even the men. Horsemen put their mounts through intricate figures to the music of over a hundred voices and a hundred instruments. A giant wood and canvas Atlas accompanied by a gold float representing the sun and a silver float representing the moon, came onto the scene, cracked open and became a mountain with pretty ladies on top. A huge artificial cloud rolled down the hill with the sound of thunder and a chariot of Jove pulled by four horses. Louis XIV was so impressed that he copied the ideas for a week long festival of his own. What a fabulous place the Bobobli garden is!

Read 'A Visit to Parco dei Mostri, Bomarzo, Italy' at http://www.KarensGardenTips.com.

Whether you like gardens or monsters you will be captivated by parco dei mostri where huge stone creatures loom ominously as though they are ready to make you into mincemeat. No matter what I say, no matter what details I give you about this place, you will not be prepared for what awaits you. When you enter you are not just visiting a garden of stone monsters, you are entering a world you know little about, filled with mystery and symbolism

Located north of Rome, about 8 miles east of Bagnaia the home of Villa Lante, parco dei mostri was built by Pier Francesco Orsini, known as Vicino Orsini, in the mid 16th century in honor of his wife, Giulia Farnese. Guila had recently died and Orsini, a condottiero or mercenary solider, hired the architect Pierro Ligoiro, who later worked on St. Peter’s and Villa d’Este in Tivoli, to design the gardens. The gardens were designed in the Mannerist style and were intended to astonish, enchant, and unnerve rather than delight. The bizarre is the rule rather than the exception. The garden was abandon in 1571 when Orsini died and it lay in ruins for centuries beneath vines and other vegetation until 1954 when Giovannig Bettini bought, restored, and opened it to the public. Get ready for a real adventure!

As soon as you go through the entrance gate below the Orsini crest you will know that this garden is special.  Two sphinxes greet you with words that can be translated “He who does not visit this place with raised eyebrows and tight lips will fail to admire the wonders of the world.” Interestingly, the Roman Emperor Augustus originally took the sphinx for his seal (but later changed it).

A little further inside the park figures of some ancient gods may be seen including Saturn, Faun, two headed Janus, and three headed Hecate, goddess of witches, magic, and ghosts amount other things.

The colossal head of Proteus-Glaucus with its wave like eyebrows, cheeks, and lips greets you with a howl. On monster’s head sits a globe with a castle on top; the castle is probably a model of the Orsini castle and set there to proclaim the power of this branch of the Orsini family. Proteus was a sea god, the son of and herdsman of the god Neptune, who could foretell the future but only to one who could capture him. He is also Glaucus, a mortal fisherman who became an immortal sea-god by eating a special herb. He was associated with Jason and the Argonauts and is said to have built the Argo. He metamorphosed after a jump into the sea and was then described as a blue-skinned merman, with copper-green hair, a serpentine fish-tail in place of legs, and encrusted with shells, seaweed and rock.

On a different path beside a little waterfall you will find two giants engaged in combat. They may represent the battle between good and evil, between the giants, or between Hercules and the fire breathing, human flesh eating Cacus. Hercules went after Cacus for stealing the cattle that Hercules had stolen from Geryon. According the Roman poet Virgil, Hercules killed Cacus by squeezing him so tightly that his eyes popped out. An inscription advises us, ‘ If Rhodes was the city of the 100 colossus’ this statue (and the whole park) could easily be yours.’

A large tortoise with a globe and statue of winged victory on its back stands on a large rock that resembles the prow of a boat. The tortoise appears to be looking at the large whale that lies at the bottom of a ravine.

Nearby, the winged horse Pegasus stands on his hind legs ready to take off to the heavens above. Pegasus was the offspring of Medusa and the mount of Bellerophon when he slay the Chimera. When Bellerophon tried to ride Pegasus to Oympus, Zeus sent a gadfly to bite Pegasus and cause Bellerphon to fall. Pegasus was the emblem of the Farnese and his place in the garden may be interpreted as a tribute to Alessandro Farnese, Italian cardinal and diplomat and great collector and patron of the arts.

The Nymphs’s Shrine features the three Graces, daughters of Zeus, who represent such virtues as charm, beauty and creativity. They were the personification of joy and everything that contributed to happiness. Their names were Thalia, the flowering; Euphrosyne, joy; and Aglaia, the radiant. Note the tritons at the foot of the shrine, a reminder that Romulus and Remus, founders of Rome, were abandon beside the Tiber.

A niche in the rock is home to a statue of Venus standing on a shell. She is not the graceful and beautiful Venus we are accustomed to seeing in statues of Venus and perhaps has more in common with the Etruscan women that were the ancient inhabitants of the area. Mythology tells us that Venus was borne on a sea shell from sea foam as a full grown woman; the ancients associated her with vegetation and gardens and believed that she was the mother of the Roman people

A theater was a common feature of a Renaissance garden and Bomarzo has one too.

The Leaning House might make you think that someone was drunk when they designed and built it. But no, it is build on a sloping rock and was probably meant to amaze guests and make a visit to the garden more memorable. A carving near the house suggests that it was ostensible intended for rest; ‘By resting, a mind may become wiser.’ I doubt anyone would find the house restful.

Close by, Neptune or perhaps Father Tiber, reclines in a pool with a little dolphin under one hand and a large dolphin at his side with mouth wide open. Classical mythology associated dolphins with the god of the sea and the cult of Apollo. They considered dolphins helpful to humankind and often used them as artistic motifs.

The Sleeping Nymph is either sleeping or dying and has the proportions of a giant, but this is Bomarzo and nothing is out of the question. Ligorio, the designer of the garden, probably intended visitors to think of Ariadne or a greek nymph associated with purity. Ariadne was the daughter of King Minos of Crete, who helped Theseus kill the Minotaur, was later deserted by Theseus on the island of Naxus, and was rescued by Bacchus.

Bearing a basket of bread on her head, Ceres, sits midst tritons, young boys, and large vases, perhaps in a grouping inspired by a painting by Raphael. Ceres was the goddess of corn and patron goddess of Rome.

The elephant carrying a tower on his back and a dead soldier with his trunk symbolized eternity, suggested fidelity, gratitude, and wisdom, and recalled the battles of ancient warriors using elephants such as Antiochus who defeated the Gauls in the 3rd century BC, and the devastation by Hannibal during the Second Punic War. In addition, Scipio Africanus the Roman general who defeated Hannibal, had one of the first pleasure gardens of his times.

The scaly Dragon, with his curled lips and butterfly-like wings, fights a dog, lion, and wolf, symbols of spring, summer and winter, in the present, future, and past. The dragon seems to be guarding the purity of the springs and bravely stands up to his attackers.

A huge head has a mouth so large that a table and stone bench are located inside. The appearance of the face changes with the season as vegetation grows and dies.

A giant vase recalls the journey of Bacchus into hell. On its base is an image of Medusa who had snakes for hair and was known to turn people into stone if they looked at her.

Cerberus, the three headed guardian of Hades, looks in all directions with two mouths closed and the third ready to bite. He stands his watch to keep dead in Hades from leaving but freely allows the living to pass to the underworld.

The goddess Persephone greets the visitor with open arms. According to mythology, she was married Hades, god of the underworld, and had to spend 6 months on land and 6 months in Hades. Her mother was Ceres, goddess of grain, whom we saw earlier in the garden. Two bears stand in front of Persephone, one bearing a shield, the other the Roman rose.

The monstrous Echidna was half woman, half snake and ate men raw. She was the mother of such notable monsters as Cerberus, the Chimaera, and the Nemean lion. At Bomarzo she is accompanied by two lions, found on the coat of arms of Viterbo, the capital of the province in which Bomarzo is located. Rounding out the group is another monster with a dolphin tail, one of three Furies who were known as avengers of crime.

It is interesting that so much mythology is included in this garden. The Renaissance thinkers were in very impressed by ancient Roman civilization and embraced its literature and art so it is not surprising to see mythological creatures in their gardens. Ville D’Este in Tivoli, Italy, another outstanding garden filled with mythological themes, is another Renaissance garden worth a visit.

Read 'Italian Gardens: Villa Lante, Bagnaia, Italy' at http://www.KarensGardenTips.com.

Villa Lante Quadrato

Your first look at the garden of Villa Lante will knock your socks off. You enter through an old arch from the piazza of Bagnaia, a small town near Viterbo, and see the magnificent Quadrato with the rest of the garden rising about 48 feet in front of you. The steep garden is formed into five terraces each with its own unique combination of water features, statuary and plantings.The garden was designed by Vignola in the mannerist style and reflects the era’s pride in man’s dominion over nature so that everything is planned according to definite architectural rules and standards. All of the components of the garden are designed to contribute to a lasting effect throughout the year regardless of the change of seasons. Stoneworks, water, and evergreen plants dominate and flowers have no presence.

Villa Lante Fountain of the Moors

The Quadrato on the first level is a square parterre surrounded by boxwood hedges on three sides and twin casini on the fourth. A fabulous fountain called the Fountain of the Moors rises in the center and is surrounded by four walkways with balustrades that divide the main pool into four basins and lead to the triple circle of pools. Each of the four basins contains a boat with human figures who blow water from their trumpets.

Villa Lante Fountain of the Lamps

Ascending the garden through hollies, planes, and oaks to the next level the visitor comes to the Fountain of the Lamps consisting of partially sunken concentric basins with smaller fountains in the form of ancient Roman lamps on the edge of each basin. Camellias, rhododentrons and other ericaceous plants from more recent times add greenery to the setting.

Villa Lante Cardinal's table

On the third terrace, a large fountain featuring the river gods of the Tiber and Arno feed water to a long, massive stone table with a shallow channel for water running down its center. The table was designed for out door dinning and the water in its center was used for keeping the food and drink cool.

Villa Lante Water chain

On the fourth terrace the spectacular water chain leads water from the Fountain of the Dolphins on the top terrace to the Cardinal’s dinning table on the third terrace. This is my favorite feature and alone is worth the price of admission!

On the top terrace there are grottos, statues, more fountains and two small casini one of which leads to a secret garden. Old engravings from 1609 show wooded walks and a maze.

This is a garden to be remembered!

The town of Bagnaia is out in the hinterland of Rome. Theoretically, you can get there by bus but my family went by car. We drove from the airport to Viterbo, a very old town dating back to the Etruscans, and stayed in a nice hotel where I had made reservations. The 1 ½ hour drive from the airport to Viterbo was easy even after the over night flight and the stay in Viterbo was delightful. The next day we proceeded on our way to Florence where we stayed for a week, seeing the fabulous Bomarzo Garden on the way.

Let Us know:
If you have visited Villa Lante, what feature did you find most pleasing?