HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION 
3 
and from this point, as far as an island formed by its junction with another watercourse, is a distance 
of 850 feet. Along its banks a walk is laid out 10 feet broad, open to the sky ; between this walk and 
the country my aviary is placed, closed in left and right by high walls. The external lines of the 
building give it some resemblance to writing tablets, surmounted by a capitol. On the rectangular 
side its breadth is 48 feet, and its length 72, not including the semicircular capitol, which is of a 
diameter of 27 feet. Between the aviary and the walk which marks the lower margin of the tablets, 
opens a vaulted passage leading to an esplanade ( cimbulatio ). On each side is a regular portico upheld 
by stone columns, the intervals between which are occupied by dwarf shrubs. A network of hemp 
stretches from the top of the outside walk to the architrave, and a similar trellis joins the architrave 
to the pedestal. The interior is filled with birds of every species, which receive their food through 
the net. A little stream supplies them with its water. Beyond the pedestal run to left and right along 
the porticoes two rather narrow fish-ponds, which, separated by a small path, extend to the extremity 
of the esplanade. This path leads to a tholus, a kind of Rotunda, surrounded by two rows of 
isolated columns. There is a similar one in the house of Catullus, except that complete walls replace 
the colonnade. Beyond is a grove of tall brushwood encompassed with walls, of which the thick 
growth only allows the light to penetrate below.’ 1 
The descriptions left us by Pliny the younger (a.d. 62-116) of his villas at Laurentum and in 
Tuscany, give us by far the best view of the country villas of the period, and enable us to reconstruct 
their plan fairly accurately. The villa is so carefully and minutely described, that it has been a 
favourite subject for restoration by savants. Scamozzi, F6libien, Castell, 2 Marquez, Haudebourt, 
Bouchet and others have given us learned restorations. We have chosen to reproduce Bouchet’s plan, 
which was made in 1852, as being the best and most probable restoration of the garden surroundings 
of what might be considered a good example of the retreat of a prosperous Roman citizen. Though 
Pliny modestly describes himself as not being wealthy, he nevertheless possessed, in addition to these 
two country villas, a town house, and more than one villa on Lake Lario (the Lake of Como). The 
Laurentine villa was situated on the sea-coast some fifteen miles to the south-west of Rome, and was 
principally intended for use during the winter months, and as a suburban home rather than a country 
retreat. 
After a lengthy and detailed description of the house and domestic buildings, Pliny, in his 
letter, proceeds to describe the surroundings. The windows of the ccenatio , or dining-room, over¬ 
looked the gardens and the gestatio running round the gardens. The gestatio was bordered with 
box, or, where that was wanting, with rosemary; for box, as he says, ‘where it is sheltered by 
buildings flourishes well, but withers if it is exposed to the wind or weather, or be in the least 
subject to the sprinkling of the sea water.’ ‘ To the inner circle of this gestatio is joined a shady 
walk of young vines soft and yielding even to the naked feet. The garden is covered with fig and 
mulberry trees, of which this soil is fruitful, though not unkindly to others. This prospect, not less 
pleasant than that of the sea, is enjoyed from a ccenatio distant from the sea; it is encompassed on 
De Re Rustica , Book IIL 
2 R. Castell, The Villas of the Ancients, 1728. 
