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THE ART OF GARDEN DESIGN IN ITALY 



flower garden, occupying a level space in front of the two pavilions ; for the casino is divided 

 into two parts, as at the Villa Campi, near Florence. This is an arrangement which, thouo-h in 

 these days likely to cause much inconvenience, would hardly have done so in the sixteenth 

 century, when it was frequently an advantage to house part of the suite in an adjoining building; 

 Nearly a quarter of the area of the parterre is occupied by a large square central tank sur- 

 rounded by a balustrade, and crossed by four bridges leading to a circular island in the centre 

 upon which is a beautiful fountain, with a group of four travertine figures supporting the heraldic 

 device of Cardinal Montalto on their upraised arms. A jet of water springs from beneath their 



R H J 



VILLA LANTE 



THE CENTRAL FOVNTAIN 



feet, and plays against the underside of the device ; water also spouts from lions' mouths into a 

 basin below. Streams pour from masks carved on the balustrade piers, falling into the great 

 basm, and in the four tanks small ' putti,' seated on the prows of stone galleys, laden with 

 flowers, blow thin jets of water into the sunshine. 



From the parterre a double ' rampe-douce,' and stairways on either side, lead between the 

 two casmi to the second level ; here are two grassplots and groups of plane-trees. From this 

 terrace a double stairway ascends on either side of a curious circular fountain to the third level 

 This fountain (illustrated on Plate lao) is formed of a stepped series of basins, the lower repeating. 

 m convex forms the concave of the upper. The water alternately gushes through spouts or spurts 

 upwards in tiny jets, which rise from numerous basins. The third plateau is larger, and rises 



