134 Old Gardens of Italy 



1588 the villa was bequeathed to the Holy See by 

 Cardinal Cassale, his successor. Cardinal Montalto, 

 nephew of Sixtus V., built a second casino exactly 

 like the older one, and also erected the beautiful 

 fountain in the centre of the parterre. The crest 

 borne aloft is his. We see this heraldic device, or 

 one very similar, elsewhere. It will be noticed at 

 the Villa Vicobello, Siena, on the obelisk of the 

 Piazza del Popolo, Rome, and in many other places. 

 The writer has tried in vain to discover if, wherever 

 displayed, the crest is that of the same family. She 

 would greatly value any information readers might 

 be able to afford. 



Villa Lante now belongs to the Duke of Lante, 

 who most kindly permits travellers to visit the 

 grounds even when he is in residence. The Duchess 

 is American, and warmly interested in her beautiful 

 garden, which is perfectly kept. The original 

 design remains absolutely unspoilt. Bagnaia, the 

 village in which Lante is situted, is two and a half 

 miles from Viterbo. 



Lante is perhaps in every particular the most 

 delightful garden in Italy. Its situation, on sloping 

 ground, is perfect, and abundance of water is avail- 

 able for the fountains. The design is that of a 

 master hand in its uniformity and appropriateness. 

 It is an all embracing scheme, including the casinos, 

 the sunny parterre laid out as a lemon garden, the 

 spacious and shaded terrace, the water that runs 

 from basin to basin and springs from fountain after 

 fountain, the charming twin garden houses and the 

 perfect balance of every part with every other. 



