130 Old Gardens of Italy 



of its beautiful stucco decorations by Giovanni da 

 Udine. The building is in a ruinous state, and it 

 seems deplorable that such glorious historical pro- 

 perties as Villa Madama and the Caprarola Palace 

 should not either be properly kept up by their 

 owner, or acquired by the nation. 



VILLA MATTEI, ROME. 



Now Villa Celemontana. There is now no formal 

 garden whatever. The entrance is close to the 

 church of San Stefano Rotondo, and permission to 

 visit the garden is obtainable at Ambrosini's, 57 

 Via della Minerva, third floor, between 1 1 and 1 2 

 on Mondays and Wednesdays. Villa open on 

 Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. 



At one time there must have been a magnificent 

 garden, for in Evelyn's Diary we read that he was 

 told that it was " inferior to no garden in Rome 

 for statues, ancient monuments, aviaries, fountains, 

 groves, and especially a noble obelisk, and main- 

 tained in beauty at an expense of 6,000 crowns 

 yearly, which, if not expended to keep up its 

 beauty, forfeits the possession of a greater revenue 

 to another family." He regrets that he did not 

 visit the Hortii Mathaei, as he calls it. 



VILLA D'ESTE, TIVOLI. 



BUILT in 1549 for Ippolito d'Este, Cardinal of 

 Ferrara, by Pirro Liggorio. It has always remained 



