THE ITALIAN GARDEN 



49 



and an avenue of cypresses leads to a graceful little casino known as the 

 Villa Farnese, laid out some seventy years later than the palace by Cardinal 

 Odoardo Farnese, At the extremity of the cypress avenue is a square court- 

 yard with a circular pool, and on both sides are grottos, between which a 

 broad ascent leads to a series of parterres cut out of the hillside. 



The Palace of 

 Caprarola set a fashion 

 in villa building that 

 was quickly followed 

 by Cardinal Ippolito 

 d'Este at Tivoli, and 

 by Cardinal di Gam- 

 bara in the Villa Lante 

 near Viterbo. At the 

 Villa Lante (illus., p. 

 47), almost within 

 sight of Caprarola, 

 Cardinal Gambara de- 



vised theinter- 

 esting garden scheme 

 that still remains in 

 almost the same con- 

 dition as when first 

 constructed. It is re- 

 puted to have been 

 designed by Vignola, 

 and is one of the most 

 pleasing gardens in 

 Italy. The lower par- 

 terre is arranged as 

 a water garden with 

 beautifully propor- 

 tioned balustrades leading up to the central fountain of bronze figures sup- 

 porting the stemma of the family. The square twin villas stand out on 

 both sides of a series of stairways and waterworks, ascending the hillside. 

 ■ Caprarola is a complete epitome of an Italian nobleman's country-house — 



" 2 



ON THE TERRACE OF VILLA CAPRAROLA, VITERBO. 





