38 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



away from the turmoil and the atmosphere of city life. From this 

 period on, new life spread rapidly and the result was that for a 

 period of more than two eenturies Europe was the scene of an 

 unpreeedented tendency to build country homes for both winter and 

 summer use. These beautiful villas were established among the 

 hills of northern Italy and Switzerland, around the lakes, and on the 

 shores of the Mediterranean. 



Hand in hand with the development of art in sculpture and 

 painting went this great gardening movement. The Medici family, 

 which was the ruling power in Florence — at that time the art center 

 of Italy — caused to be built the beautiful Villa of Poggio a Caino 

 and others just outside of the city limits. These villas were but the 

 modest forerunners of a score of elaborate villas built at a later date 

 and seen today throughout Italy. 



We have now reached in our discussion that which appeals to me 

 as being the real heart of continental gardening — in Italy at least — 

 and perhaps throughout Europe. This is a study of the gardens of 

 the great Italian Renaissance. The student finds here a group of 

 villas possessing a series of characteristics peculiar to this period. 

 The ever dominating and foremost principle on which the design 

 of these great villas is based, is that as the house is designed for its 

 various uses with its numerous subdivisions, fulfilling different 

 requirements, so should the garden be divided into its different parts 

 for the enjoyment of the occupants of the building. Thus one finds 

 a principle which is the key-note of the design at this time. There 

 does not exist however any strong similarity of design in any two of 

 these gardens. Each garden in itself is quite different from the 

 preceding. Water, statuary, and certain types of vegetation are the 

 ever present features; but the careful observer is always conscious 

 of the guiding influence of a master hand that has by ceaseless 

 study created something which though bubbling with grandeur 

 and elaborateness of detail is fully in harmony with its specific 

 location and with its surrounding landscape. This fact has always 

 impressed the writer, namely: that in all of these celebrated villas, 

 with few exceptions, the most careful thought and the best efforts 

 of great artists and sculptors have been given to the general design 

 of the garden and to the refined character of the statuary through- 

 out, often to the apparent sacrifice of many architectural details 



