ITALIAN VILLAS 
period. The angels or genii in the oblong panels are 
curiously suggestive of Agostino da Duccio, and the 
pale-yellow tarnished surface of the stucco recalls the 
delicate hues of the Perugian chapel. 
The ground floor consists of an open loggia of three 
arches on columns, forming a kind of atrium curiously 
faced with an elaborate 
mosaic-work of tiny 
round pebbles, stained 
in various colours and 
set in arabesques and 
other antique patterns. 
The coigns of the facade 
are formed of this same 
mosaic — a last touch of 
fancifulness where all is 
fantastic. The barrel- 
vault of the atrium is a 
marvel of delicate stuc- 
cature , evidently inspired by the work of Giovanni da 
Udine at the Villa Madama ; and at each end stands a 
splendid marble basin resting on winged griffins. The 
fragile decorations of this exquisite loggia are open on 
three sides to the weather, and many windows of the 
upper rooms (which are decorated in the same style) are 
unshuttered and have broken panes, so that this unique 
example of cinque-cento decoration is gradually falling 
into ruin from mere exposure. The steps of the atrium, 
COURTYARD GATE OF THE VILLA PIA 
102 
