a 



Old Gardens of Italy 7 3 



and has groups of animals carved in different 

 coloured marbles. In the centre of the garden is 

 the glorious fountain generally believed to be by 

 Gian Bologna, but attributed by Vasari to II 

 Tribolo. On a higher level, close to the bosco, is 

 a delightfully typical gardener's house, with lemons 

 in huge pots standing by it. The pool in the 

 bosco has in its centre a large figure by Gian 

 Bologna representing the Apennines. On the 

 ends of the tiled roof of the stanzone are beautiful 

 bronze birds. 



VILLA BELLA PETRAJA, CASTELLO, 

 FLORENCE. 



A Royal Villa. Permission at the Pitti Palace, 

 Florence, when the permesso for Castello is applied 

 for. Castello should be visited first. The villa is 

 very old, and the family of Brunelleschi had it till 

 1362. It was then a fortress, and in 1364 the sons 

 of Boccaccio de Brunelleschi defended it against the 

 English troops of Sir John Hawkwood. It was 

 in 1427 in possession of Palla di Noferi Strozzi, 

 and was confiscated with the rest of that rebel's 

 goods. In 1468 Benedetto d' Antonio Salutati 

 bought it for 23,070 scudi. A Medici, Cardinal 

 Fernando, next owned it. In 1859 it passed into 

 the Italian civil list. Vittorio Emanuele II. re- 

 stored it and often resided there. It was much 

 embellished by Buontalenti, to whom the present 

 form of the house and grounds is largely due. 

 The parterre of Petraja is en pente, which usually 



