74 



THE ART OF GARDEN DESIGN IN ITALY 



■:.i':x 

 ' ."'MS 



robed by a thick underwood of bay and myrtle, above which rise several nodding towers, and a 

 long sweep of venerable wall, almost entirely concealed by ivy. You would have been enraptured 



with the broad masses of shade and dusky alleys that 

 opened as I advanced, with white statues of fauns and 

 sylvans glimmering among them, some of which pour water 

 into sarcophagi of the purest marble covered with antique 

 relievos. The capitals of columns and ancient friezes are 

 scattered about as seats. On these I reposed myself, and 

 looked up to the cypress groves which spring above their 

 thickets ; then, plunging into their retirements, I followed a 

 winding path, which led me by a series of ascents to a 

 green platform overlooking the whole extent of wood, with 

 Florence deep beneath and the tops of the hills which encircle 

 it jagged with pines, here and there a convent or villa 

 whitening in the sun. Still ascending, I attained the brow 

 of the eminence, and had nothing but the fortress of Bel- 

 vedere and two or three open porticoes above me. On this 

 elevated situation I found several walks of trellis-work, 

 clothed with luxuriant vines. A colossal statue of Ceres, 

 her hands extended in the act of scattering fertility over 

 the country, crowns the summit. Descending alley after 

 alley, and bank after bank, I came to the orangeiy in front 

 of the palace, disposed in a grand amphitheatre, with marble 

 niches relieved by dark foliage, out of which spring cedars 

 and tall aerial cypresses. This spot brought the scenery 

 of an antique Roman garden so vividly to my mind that, lost in the train of recollections this 

 idea excited, I expected every instant to be called to the table of Lucullus hard by, in one of 

 the porticoes, and to stretch myself on his purple triclinias ; but, waiting in vain for a summons , 

 until the approach of night, I returned delighted with a ramble that had led my imagination so 



far into antiquity.* 



Inside the palace is preserved a charming little fountain, with a boy holding one of the 



balls which form part of the Medici arms, from which the water issues forth ; his right arm 



nurses a small goat. It is probably the work of John of Bologna. 



H.I.T 



FOVNTAIN FORMERLY !IN THE BOBOLl 

 GARDEN NOW IN PITT! PALACE 



