Old Gardens of Italy 1 5 



little hamlet of Loppia) should not, however, be 

 overlooked. 



The plan is a fine one, and from the water's 

 edge a beautiful vide of cypress climbs the hillside 

 by means of nine flights of sixteen steps each. 

 From the summit a perfectly straight level avenue, 

 enclosed by wisteria-clothed walls with a tapis vert 

 in the centre and a path at each side, runs to the 

 villa. It is more than i,ooo metres long and thirty 

 broad. Thus the Villa Giulia straddled right across 

 the peninsula, from the one arm of the lake to the 

 other, the garden descending in terraces to the 

 Lecco arm. This vide and walk is now open to 

 the public. It was constructed by Leopold I., of 

 Belgium, who at one time owned this property. 



VILLA D'ESTE, CERNOBBIO, LAKE OF 

 COMO. 



Commenced in 1568 from designs by Pellegrino 

 Pellegrini for Cardinal Ptolomeo Galleo. Passed 

 on his death in 1601 to his nephew, Tolomeo, 

 Duke of Vito. He did not reside there, and 

 eventually it was bequeathed to the Jesuit Order. 

 In 1 769 the villa waslet to Count Marco Odescalchi 

 and in 1779 to General Marleani. He afterwards 

 bought it and resided there. In 18 15, Carolina, 

 Princess of Wales, purchased it. She renamed it 

 the Villa d'Este, and added considerably to the 

 house and grounds. In 1868 the place was pur- 

 chased for a hotel, and such it has continued. 



