THE VILLA CORSINI, ROME 



PLATE 89 



HE gardens of the Villa Corsini were much altered during the last century, 

 and when, in 1883, the Corsini Palace was acquired by the Government and 

 converted to the uses of the ' Realc Accademia de' Lincei/ the greater part 



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of the ground was transferred to the city of Rome for the uses of a 

 botanical garden and public park. The lower part of the garden was 

 greatly altered immediately after it came into the possession of the Govern- 

 ment, and all the covered alleys of laurel were destroyed. Nolli's map of 



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Rome, 1748, shows the grounds as existing at that date, with a large courtyard extending the 

 whole length of the garden front of the palace, and a cypress avenue, arranged in semicircular form, 

 whence four long alleys extended through the kitchen garden ; the end of one of these terminated 

 in the cascade, and stairway shown on Plate 89, which ascends to the ridge of Monte Gianicolo, 

 overlooking the Tiber, and commanding a splendid view to the east of Rome and the grounds 

 of the Villa Farnese. The arrange- 

 ment of this stairway is interesting, 



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and an effect of distance as seen 

 from below is enhanced by the 

 manner in which the stairway con- 

 tracts as it approaches the top. 



The palace was originally 

 built for the Riario family, and 

 was sold in 1729 to Clement XII., 

 who purchased it for his nephew, 

 Cardinal Neri Corsini. The palace 

 has been in turn the resort of 

 Caterina Sforza, Duchess of Imola ; 



of Cardinal di S. Giorgio ; and of Michael Angelo, who stayed here more than a year whilst on 

 a visit to the Cardinal. 



VILLA CORSINI • UPPER PART OF CASCADE 



( 107 ) 



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