ITALIAN VILLAS 
which the fountain is built, so that one may stand under 
the arch of the water-jets, and look across the garden 
through a mist of spray. 
Lante, doubly happy in its site, is as rich in shade as 
in water, and the second terrace, behind the pavilions, 
is planted with ancient plane-trees. Above this terrace 
rise three others, all wooded with plane and ilex, and 
down the centre, from the woods above, rushes the cas- 
cade which feeds the basin in the flower-garden. The 
terraces, with their balustrades and obelisks and double 
flights of steps, form a stately setting to this central 
chateau d' eau, through which the water gushes by 
mossy steps and channels to a splendid central compo- 
sition of superimposed basins flanked by recumbent 
river- gods. 
All the garden-architecture at Lante merits special 
study. The twin pavilions seem plain and insignificant 
after the brilliant elevations of the great Roman villas, 
but regarded as part of the garden-scheme, and not as 
dominating it, they fall into their proper place, and are 
seen to be good examples of the severe but pure style 
of the early cinque-cento. Specially interesting also is 
the treatment of the retaining-wall which faces the en- 
trance to the grounds; and the great gates of the flower- 
gardens, and the fountains and garden-houses on the 
upper terraces, are all happy instances of Renaissance 
garden-art untouched by barocchismo. 
At Lante, also, one sees one of the earliest examples 
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