VILLA D'ESTE, CERXOBBIO, .l\l) VILLAS O\ LAKE COMO. 



359 



377. BALBIANELLO ON THE COMO SIDE. 



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378. THE BALUSTRADED PLATEAU AT BALBIANELLO. 



The rise to the house 

 is sharp, and provides 

 three levels, with double 

 ascending stairways. 

 Preceding the first 

 terrace is an oval with a 

 basin o f water. This 

 is cut out in a thick 

 bocage of laurel, which 

 provides a fine basis for 

 the whole lay-out. The 

 prolongation of the 

 upper terraces parallel 

 to the lake affords some 

 good walks, where the 

 air is heavy with the 

 perfumes of azalea 

 bushes and camphor 

 trees. At right angles 

 a ravine, planted with 

 dwarf tree ferns fro m 

 Australia, forms an 

 attractive feature. A rock 

 garden of cacti displays 

 all the weird forms of 

 these strange plants, and 

 the pink saxifrage pro- 

 vides masses of ground 

 colour. 



