GENOESE VILLAS 
permitted an interesting development of landscape-archi- 
tecture. A fine pedimented gateway with rusticated piers 
gives admission to a straight avenue of plane-trees lead- 
ing up to the house, which is a dignified building with 
two stories, a mezzanin and an attic. The windows on 
the ground floor are square-headed, with oblong sunk 
panels above; while on the first floor there is a slightly 
baroque movement about the architraves, and every other 
window is surmounted by a curious shell-shaped pedi- 
ment. On the garden side a beautiful marble balcony 
forms the central motive of the piano nobile , and the 
roof is enclosed in a balustrade with alternate solid 
panels and groups of balusters. The plan is oblong, 
with slightly projecting wings, adorned on both stories 
with coupled pilasters, which on the lower floor are rus- 
ticated and above are fluted Corinthian, painted on the 
stucco surface of the house. This painting of archi- 
tectural ornament is very characteristic of Genoese 
architecture, and was done with such skill that, at a 
little distance, it is often impossible to distinguish a 
projecting architectural member from its frescoed coun- 
terfeit. 
In front of the villa is a long narrow formal garden, 
supported on three sides by a lofty retaining-wall. Down 
the middle of this garden, on an axis with the central 
doorway of the facade, runs a canal terminated by 
reclining figures of river-gods and marble dolphins 
spouting water. An ilex-walk flanks it on each side, 
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