126 
THE ART OF GARDEN DESIGN IN ITALY 
At vast expense he diverted part of the river Anio, which flows into Tivoli from the mountain 
heights above, and used the water for the multitude of fountains, cascades, and hydraulic surprises 
that excited so much wonder and admiration when in the heyday of their glory, and as they 
appeared when Evelyn thus describes them : 
‘We went to the Palace d’ Este. In the garden, on the right hand, are sixteen vast 
conchas of marble, jetting out water; in the midst of these stands a “Janus quadrifons,” that 
cast forth four girandolas, called from the resemblance, the “Fontana di Specchio” (looking-glass). 
Before the ascent of the Palace is the famous fountain of Leda, and not far from that four 
sweet and delicious gardens. Descending thence are two pyramids of water, and in a grove of 
trees near it the fountains of Tethys, Esculapius, Arethusa, Pandora, Pomona, and Flora; then 
the prancing Pegasus, Bacchus, the grot 
of Venus, the two colosses of Melicerta 
and Sibylla Tiburtina, all of exquisite 
marble, copper, and other suitable adorn¬ 
ments. The cupids pouring out water 
are especially most rare, and the urns 
on which are placed the ten nymphs. 
The grots are richly paved with “pietra 
commesa” shells, coral, etc. Towards 
Roma Triumphans (the model of Ancient 
Rome) leads a long and spacious walk, 
full of fountains, under which is his- 
torised the whole Ovidian Metamorphoses 
in rarely sculptured mezzo-relievos. At 
the end of this, next the wall, is the 
city of Rome as it was in its beauty. In another garden is a noble aviary, the birds artificial 
and singing, until an owl appears, on which they suddenly change their notes. Near this is the 
fountain of dragons, casting out large streams of water with great noise. In another grotto, called 
“Grotto di Natura,” is an hydraulic organ, and below this are divers stews and fishponds, and 
lastly a garden of simples.’ 
The plan upon Plate 113 is taken from Percier and Fontaine’s work. It is interesting 
to compare this with the bird’s-eye view (Plate 117) of the villa in 1573. The former plan shows 
the garden in many ways simplified and brought within more reasonable bounds ; the parterre, 
which in the earlier view is traversed by treillage alleys, is here shown devoted to more 
utilitarian purposes as a kitchen garden. Nevertheless in its principal features the garden 
remains the same, and even to this day we can easily trace the original lines of the design. 
The casino stands upon a wide terrace some four hundred and fifty yards long, high above the 
garden, and overlooking a view, which is hardly to be equalled, over the towering cypress spires and 
