THE GARDENS OF PAPAL ROME 



or comedies, while the upper half, reaching to the 

 villa walls, was laid out as a garden with broad flights 

 of steps, wide terraces, and avenues of cypress and 

 orange trees. A superb fountain, adorned with the 

 famous Pigna or bronze cone which, according to 

 an old tradition, once crowned the Mausoleum of 

 Hadrian and afterwards, as Dante records, stood in the 

 Atrium of old St. Peter's, was placed in the centre of 

 the highest terrace. Immediately behind this fountain, 

 closing in the view, was a colossal niche, eighty feet 

 high, roofed over with a semi-cupola and hemi-cycle 

 of pillars, and forming an imposing fagade to the 

 Belvedere. At the same time Bramante enlarged and 

 beautified the villa. A Cortile or inner hall, to 

 contain the Pope's antique statues, was added, as well 

 as the celebrated spiral staircase with tiers of Doric, 

 Ionic, and Corinthian pillars rising one above another. 

 This stairway was constructed in such a manner that 

 it might be ascended on horseback, and caused the 

 Roman wits to say that the Pope's architect had made 

 a new road to heaven, broad and easy enough for 

 the feeblest souls to get there. 



The greatest admiration was excited by Bramante's 

 plans, and the progress of the work was hurried on 

 by the Pope with characteristic impetuosity. " The 

 design of this fabric," wrote Vasari, "was considered 

 so fine that nothing equal to it had been seen in Rome 



