70 Old Gardens of Italy 



fourth boundary. An ilex walk directly faces the 

 entrance through the court. In the bosco a little 

 above the rest of the garden is a beautiful, cool 

 scheme with dripping basin, marble horses' heads, 

 and stone seats in circular enclosures. II Tribolo's 

 statue is said by Vasari to once have formed part of 

 the fountain, but it is now at the other end of the 

 grove. Beyond it is a riding space. 



VILLA REALE, CASTELLO, FLORENCE. 



Formerly II Vivajo, a Royal Villa. Permission 

 at the Pitti Palace, Florence, where also a permesso 

 for Petraja is obtainable, and one for Poggio a 

 Caiano, if this is thought worth visiting. A tram 

 from near the cathedral runs through Castello. 



Built for Lorenzo and Giuliano di Piero Fran- 

 cesco de Medici, from designs by Buontalenti, on 

 the site of, and partly from the remains of an older 

 house. 



The greatest sculptors of the time worked on 

 the decoration of the gardens, Piero di Cosimo, 

 Bronzino, Pontormo, II Tribolo. The engineer of 

 the water-works was Piero da S. Casciano. 



As at Petraja, the great parterre is en pente, but 

 the slope is so much gentler that the effect is better, 

 and in this case the house is below, and not above, 

 the garden, thus rendering the scheme visible from 

 it in its entirety. A huge retaining wall lends itself 

 to the construction of a grotto which was planned 

 by II Tribolo. It abounds with secret fountains 



