ITALIAN GARDENS OF THE RENAISSANCE 



sprang up everywhere. Petrarch had his villetta near 

 the fountain of Vaucluse, and two gardens, the one 

 sacred to Apollo, the other to Bacchus, where he was 

 never tired of contemplating the sky, the mountains, 

 and the waters, and where he would gladly have spent 

 the rest of his life, "were Avignon not so near, and 

 Italy not so far." 



" If love of my own things and the force of ancient 

 habit do not deceive me, there is no place in the world 

 better fitted to inspire noble thoughts and lofty dreams." 

 So the poet wrote from Lombardy to his old friend 

 Guido Settimo, Archdeacon of Genoa, who was staying 

 at the villa in his absence. He goes on to speak of 

 the ortlcella^ where he has planted fruit trees of every 

 kind with his own hand, being at once architect and 

 gardener, and begs the priest to go on with the work. 



" I have been told," he writes, " by the oldest inhabi- 

 tants of the place, more especially by my own servant, 

 who is most experienced in agricultural matters, that what- 

 ever is planted on the 6th of February always flourishes 

 and is never affected by any evil influences. So, when 

 this day comes round, especially if it falls under a good 

 moon, be sure to plant some new tree in the garden, in 

 order that if we are allowed to spend our old age in 

 this spot, your tree may be fairer and its foliage thicker 

 than that of any other. Meanwhile enjoy the trees 

 which are there, both the oldest that were planted by 

 Bacchus and Minerva, and the youngest that were 

 planted by my own hands, and which have grown 



4 



