Old Gardens of Italy 105 



at equal distances. In the centre is a fountain 

 designed by Gio. Vasanzio. The garden-house is 

 a storey lower on its outer elevation, a ramp leading 

 down on either side to the ground level, where, 

 under a portico, is a pool with water constantly 

 dripping over the edge at one point and falling on a 

 slightly hollowed paved walk. This device, so 

 suggestive of coolness, is seen elsewhere (for in- 

 stance, at Villa Corsini, Castello), where a tank or 

 fountain is in a shady spot and intended as a sum- 

 mer retreat. 



On a level with this pool were the old gardens 

 of the Villa Pia (as the garden-house was called), 

 but practically no trace or them remains. 



A terraced garden with grotto and an adjoining 

 court with a huge wall fountain scheme (" That 

 noble cascade where the ship dances," as John 

 Evelyn describes it), and a great tank on which 

 floats Bernini's bronze ship,* are reached through 

 a gateway near the upper terrace, overlooking the 

 parterre. There is an old plan of the grounds 

 hanging in the gardener's house, which is close to 

 the entrance to the gardens (this is from the vesti- 

 bule, where is the turnstile of the sculpture gallery) 

 and he will show it if asked to do so. 



There is no regularly constructed stanzone, the 

 lemon trees in their pots being placed in winter 

 along the retaining wall that borders the parterre. 

 A projecting eave is then temporarily formed of 

 tiles and the front is hung with matting. The 



* It has been suggested that the ship symbolises the primitive church, 

 tossed on a rough sea. 



