ITALIAN GARDENS OF THE RENAISSANCE 
sprang up everywhere. Petrarch had his villetta near 
the fountain of Vaucluse, and two gardens, the one 
sacred to Apollo, the other to Bacchus, where he was 
never tired of contemplating the sky, the mountains, 
and the waters, and where he would gladly have spent 
the rest of his life, “were Avignon not so near, and 
Italy not so far.” 
“ If love of my own things and the force of ancient 
habit do not deceive me, there is no place in the world 
better fitted to inspire noble thoughts and lofty dreams.” 
So the poet wrote from Lombardy to his old friend 
Guido Settimo, Archdeacon of Genoa, who was staying 
at the villa in his absence. He goes on to speak of 
the orticella , where he has planted fruit trees of every 
kind with his own hand, being at once architect and 
gardener, and begs the priest to go on with the work. 
“ I have been told,” he writes, “ by the oldest inhabi¬ 
tants of the place, more especially by my own servant, 
who is most experienced in agricultural matters, that what¬ 
ever is planted on the 6 th of February always flourishes 
and is never affected by any evil influences. So, when 
this day comes round, especially if it falls under a good 
moon, be sure to plant some new tree in the garden, in 
order that if we are allowed to spend our old age in 
this spot, your tree may be fairer and its foliage thicker 
than that of any other. Meanwhile enjoy the trees 
which are there, both the oldest that were planted by 
Bacchus and Minerva, and the youngest that were 
planted by my own hands, and which have grown 
4 
