THE VILLA CORSINI, ROME 
PLATE 89 
l gardens of the Villa Corsini were much altered during the last century, 
and when, in 1883, the Corsini Palace was acquired by the Government and 
converted to the uses of the ‘ Reale Accademia de’ Lincei,’ the greater part 
of the ground was transferred to the city of Rome for the uses of a 
botanical garden and public park. The lower part of the garden was 
greatly altered immediately after it came into the possession of the Govern¬ 
ment, and all the covered alleys of laurel were destroyed. Nolli’s map of 
Rome, 1748, shows the grounds as existing at that date, with a large courtyard extending the 
whole length of the garden front of the palace, and a cypress avenue, arranged in semicircular form, 
whence four long alleys extended through the kitchen garden; the end of one of these terminated 
in the cascade, and stairway shown on Plate 89, which ascends to the ridge of Monte Gianicolo, 
overlooking the Tiber, and commanding a splendid view to the east of Rome and the grounds 
of the Villa Farnese. The arrange¬ 
ment of this stairway is interesting, 
and an effect of distance as seen 
from below is enhanced by the 
manner in which the stairway con¬ 
tracts as it approaches the top. 
The palace was originally 
built for the Riario family, and 
was sold in 1729 to Clement XII., 
who purchased it for his nephew, 
Cardinal Neri Corsini. The palace 
has been in turn the resort of 
Caterina Sforza, Duchess of Imola; 
of Cardinal di S. Giorgio; and of Michael Angelo, who stayed here more than a year whilst on 
a visit to the Cardinal. 
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