old Gardens of Italy 117 



Erected by Alessandro Algardi about 1650 for 

 Olimpia Pamphilj, for her son Prince Camillo 

 Pamphilj. Now the property of Prince Doria, 

 About half-a-mile outside the Porta San Pancrazio. 



It has been suggested that the great parterre 

 was laid out by Le Notre, when he visited Rome in 

 1678, but from internal evidence this seems 

 improbable. / 



From the beautiful terrace a flight of steps leads 

 down to the parterre through wrought iron gates. 

 There are large pools at each end, with water 

 spurting from the bronze Pamphilj lily in the 

 centre. They are very effective, more especially 

 that just below the terrace, where is situated the 

 lemon garden. Much of the ground has been 

 " landscaped," but the whole park was originally 

 laid out on a formal plan, and this is still traceable 

 in the planting of the trees. 



The house was intended to have a long wing on 

 either side. It was in its present form never meant 

 for a residence, but merely a casino, or place where 

 the owner could entertain those friends who visited 

 him for the day. When a villa was so close to 

 Rome, as was the case with the Villa Pamphilj and 

 the Villa Albani, less attention was paid to the 

 requirements of a country house than in places 

 like Frascati and the hills above Florence, where 

 the villas were lived in during the summer and 

 shut up in winter. 



The Villa Pamphilj has also a modest dwelling 

 house hidden away in the woods. 



