ITALIAN GARDENS OF THE RENAISSANCE 



garden, shaped in the form of a circus, lay in the 

 hollow of the valley. This lowest garden could be 

 used as an arena for games and bull-fights, and con- 

 tained an oval piece of water evidently imitated from 

 the oblong basin excavated in the tufa of the Poecile at 

 Hadrian's villa. ) From the slight indications given in 

 Raphael's sketch, his pupils filled up the plans and 

 produced designs in which the temples, loggias, stair- 

 ways, fountains, and groves are clearly marked, and the 

 names of the trees oranges, beeches, and chestnuts 

 are written. 1 



Vasari speaks with admiration of the pavilions, 

 loggie, rustic fountains, paved courts, fish-ponds, and 

 other ornamental objects, all arranged in perfect order 

 and harmony, which adorned the grounds of the 

 Nymphasum, and dwells with especial delight on two 

 beautiful fountains made by Giovanni da Udine. One 

 of these, which is still in existence, stood at the end of 

 the upper terrace and was decorated with an elephant's 

 head, carved in marble, a basin adorned with stucco 

 shells, and marine creatures, imitated from the reliefs 

 of the recently discovered Temple of Neptune. The 

 other was placed at the back of a rocky cave, in a 

 dense thicket. Here Giovanni carved a lion's head 

 gracefully wreathed in maidenhair and other grasses, 

 " wrought with such delicacy and skill that this savage 

 1 See No. 789 by Francesco di San Gallo, &c. 



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