4 o 



THE GARDENS OF ITALY. 



CHAPTER IV. 



VILLA MADAMA, PONTE MOLLE, ROME. 



THE FARNESIAN GARDENS, FORMERLY ON THE PALATINE 



HILL, ROME. 



THE VILLA PAPA GIULIO. 



C"NG outside Rome, beyond the well known Porta del Popolo, this villa is approached via 

 Ponte Molle. a fine old brick bridge of six arches thrown across a bend of the Tiber. 

 There is a heavy solid bridge end, which gives a good vertical mass to finish the level 

 lines of the roadway. This was added in 1805 by Valadier. The four central arches of the 



bridge are old Roman work. 

 The Villa Madama stands well 

 upon a bank or ledge in the 

 hillside, with a background of 

 trees. The position is a fine 

 one, with Monte Mario rising 

 up behind. The villa is now 

 in the hands of builders for 

 additions and alterations, and 

 it is not open to be visited. 

 It was never completed, and 

 the scheme shown is an 

 imaginary restoration with some 

 basis derived from an old plan 

 by Sangallo. Raphael's sup- 

 posed connection with the 

 scheme makes it one of great 

 interest, while Giulio Romano 

 and Giovanni da Undine were 

 both certainly employed there 

 in 1523. The epoch was one 

 of such importance to the 

 future development of Renais- 

 sance gardens that too much 

 attention can hardly be given 

 to such works .as the Farnesian 



^^T TT ; Hlrit71d ^ffHET-fl and the Vilk ~ Madama ' which 



* >^ : ^E^^"te^MJrr ! ' ' V T' were so dose together in point 



ot time. The Villa Madama 

 was undertaken by Cardinal 



j 



Giulio de Medici, afterwards 

 Clement VII, whose brother, 

 Giovanni, was then Pope as 

 Leo X, having arrived at the 

 papacy at the early age of 

 50. THE LOGGIA ACTUALLY BUILT. thirty-seven. Both the brothers 



49. VILLA MADAMA, PONTE MOLLE, ROME. 



Restored view of part actually limit. 



