POGGIO CAJANO, CASTELLO ,l\D PETRAJ.i, I<L()RE\CE. 



285 



297. VILLA MEDICEA DI CAREGGI, FLORENCE. 



is an enclosed garden court 

 (Figs. 290 and 292). with a 

 magnificent fountain by 

 Tribolo and Giovanni da 

 Bologna in the centre 

 (Figs. 291 and 296), com- 

 paring with one to be seen 

 at Petraja. The levels are 

 rising up-hill, and at the 

 top is an embankment 

 wall with a grotto in the 

 centre under the terrace 

 above. The sculpture 

 groups in the arched re- 

 cesses are well known for 

 their quaint grouping of 

 animals(Fig. 293) : camels, 

 goats, boars, cows and 

 horses are all assembled. 

 These are the work of 

 Fontanelli, of the time of 

 the Medici. A stairway 

 at the top corner of the 

 garden court leads to the upper terrace, from which the view over the enclosure, the house 

 and the plains, up to the " Collini di Firenze," is full ot interest (Fig. 292). On the axis line of 

 the garden court is a pond of shellwork rocks, from which a bronze figure is emerging. The 

 slopes are all heavily planted with ilex, and the way up to Petraja on the right passes through 

 an avenue of elms. That villa is seen on a ledge, with a mass of cypresses behind and olive 

 clad slopes in front (Fig. 294 ). The Corsini villa lies much lower, and, from above, its appearance 

 is that ot a mass of evergreen, like a solid Roman square set about with tall cypress 

 sentinels. The avenue winds and ends at the bank behind Petraja, the hill being scooped 

 out opposite the entrance in a segmental recess. This back road is overhung by the great 

 cypresses planted on the 

 hill slope above. The 

 frontage of the villa is 

 about sixty yards. There 

 is an internal cortile 

 frescoed by Volterrano 

 in 1636, with very inter- 

 esting scenes in the life 

 of the Medici (Fig. 295). 

 At one time whitewashed , 

 these frescoes have 

 been restored, and are 

 now protected by a light 

 glass roof, converting 

 this cortile into a saloon. 

 Catherine and Mary de 

 Medici face each other, 

 depicting on either side 

 of the apartment above 

 doorways adorned 

 with painted caryatid 

 figures. Francis, Lorenzo 298. LOGGIA OF THE VILLA MEDICEA DI CAREGGI. 



