ITALIAN VILLAS 
(1809), published an interesting “ reconstitution ” of the 
Villa Madama and its gardens, as they conceived it 
might have been carried to completion ; but their plan is 
merely the brilliant conjecture of two artists penetrated 
with the spirit of the Renaissance, for they had no 
documents to go by. The existing fragment is, how- 
ever, well worthy of study, for the purity of its archi- 
tecture and the broad simplicity of its plan are in marked 
contrast to the complicated design and overcharged 
details of some of the later Roman gardens. 
Third in date among the early Renaissance gardens 
comes another, of which few traces are left : that of the 
Vigna del Papa, or Villa di Papa Giulio, just beyond the 
Porta del Popolo. Here, however, the building itself, 
and the architectural composition which once united the 
house and grounds, are fortunately well preserved, and 
so exceptionally interesting that they deserved a careful 
description. The Villa di Papa Giulio was built by Pope 
Julius III, whose pontificate extends from 1550 to 1555. 
The villa therefore dates from the middle of the six- 
teenth century ; but so many architects were associated 
with it, and so much confusion exists as to their respec- 
tive contributions, that it can only be said that the Pope 
himself, Michelangelo, Vignola, Vasari and Amma- 
nati appear all to have had a hand in the work. The 
exterior elevation, though it has been criticized, is not 
as inharmonious as might have been expected, and on 
the garden side both plan and elevation have a charm 
84 J ' 
