THE TIVOLI FALLS, THE VILLA 1YESTE AM) IIAI)RIA\'S I'll. LA. 



grand organ fountain, which is 

 built into the flanking hillside at 

 right angles to the main terrace. 

 The famous alley of the hundred 

 fountains is a level walk below 

 that of the main terrace. The 

 vista down this alley is effective, 

 extending to the end fountain, 

 whose white spray is seen en- 

 closed in a setting of laurel 

 foliage. Eagles, boats, obelisks 

 and fleur-de-lys, all in masonry, 

 line the bank above the jetting 

 fountains of this unique gallery. 

 To-day they are overhung with 

 maidenhair fern, which veils the 

 obliteration of the delicate 

 stucco reliefs in which Pirro 

 Ligorio delighted. 



Besides the main stairway 

 descent on the axis line there 

 are raking, sloping ways that 

 descend to the various levels 

 that step down the hillside in 

 succession. The slopes are 

 thickly planted so that the 

 scheme is not too visible, and a 

 great and interesting variety of 

 vistas is thus secured. The 

 main idea was that of spreading 

 the waters of Anio over the 

 gardens so that a great con- 

 certed piece of water music 

 should be created. The tinkle 

 of the small fountains leads up 

 to the grand roar of the more 

 massive cascades falling into 

 the great basins. Everywhere 

 the sound of waters pervades 

 the gardens, bringing freshness 

 and a lulling sense of repose in 

 the heated atmosphere of the 

 Italian noonday. 



The villa is the creation of 

 its own time, of an age obsessed 

 with the recovered glories of 

 old Rome. To this are due some 

 features of the scheme, which 

 may make but faint appeal to the 

 present-day student of Italian 

 gardening. The miniature of 

 Rome, a series of little structures 

 occupying a terrace plateau to 

 itself, is a jeu d 1 esprit of a kind 



195. THE VILLA D ESTE AT TIVOLI. 



Restornti(Di by Percier aii'.l l-'outaine. 



196. VIEW LOOKING UP THE MAIN AXIS OF THE 



VILLA D ESTE. 



